Sr. Principal Associate - HSE - Environmental; Water SME

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve.

This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

This role provides strategic and technical water management expertise within Global HSE, supporting global manufacturing, research, and other relevant business operations. The position advances company standards and long-term strategies for wastewater management, water use and recycling, groundwater quality, and drinking water compliance, while translating emerging regulatory and industry developments into practical, risk-based global solutions that support evolving business needs. The role provides senior-level expertise for complex and high-risk water issues, serves as a technical resource on regulatory matters, and contributes to enterprise policy, capital planning, and long-term environmental risk reduction through technical judgment, governance, and cross-functional leadership.

• Define and advance global water management strategies, requirements, and performance standards for manufacturing, research, and other relevant operations through ownership of enterprise technical requirements.
• Assist new sites in obtaining environmental permits and in identifying and implementing operational and engineering controls.
• Establish and evolve global water program data, tools, and metrics — including water use analytics, site self-assessments, and corporate audit findings — to track performance, benchmark progress, and drive sustainable improvement.
• Anticipate, interpret, and influence external water policy, legislation, and regulatory developments, translating them into actionable internal requirements and guidance that advance environmental stewardship and operational flexibility.
• Provide technical support to influence legislation and regulations involving technology-based and water quality-based standards.
• Partner with site and functional HSE teams to strengthen capability, providing the tools, technical guidance, and consultation required to sustain compliance and drive local continuous improvement in water pollution control.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to water pollution control professionals across global sites, including leadership of technical forums and communities of practice.
• Represent Lilly, as appropriate, in external industry groups, trade associations, and regulatory forums.
• Coordinate technology initiatives such as best available technique/technology determinations.
• Provide senior-level expertise for complex, high-risk deviation events and permitting oversight upon request.

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 10+ years of progressive experience in water pollution control practices, treatment technologies, and regulatory affairs in complex regulated environments.
• Expertise in US Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Oil Pollution Prevention Act statutes and regulations, EU IPPC licensing, and applicable international requirements.
• Experience in pharmaceutical API manufacturing or another highly regulated industry, including site-based operational experience.
• Expertise in wastewater…