Associate Director, HR Technology – Talent

Overview

At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose: improving lives globally through innovative medicines and meaningful contributions to the communities we serve. Our HR Technology organization plays a critical role in enabling this mission by delivering modern, scalable solutions that empower HR and the broader business.

Associate Director, HR Technology – Talent & Employee Experience

Location:

Indianapolis, IN (Hybrid)

Manager:
Sr. Director – HR Technology

The Associate Director, HR Technology – Talent & Employee Experience is the functional lead for Workday Talent and Performance Management processes and the overall employee experience within Workday and other talent related technologies across a global environment. This role combines expertise in talent technology, deep understanding of HR business processes, strong project leadership, and a proactive, consultative approach to delivering solutions.

In this role, you will translate talent strategy into scalable system design, optimize Workday capabilities, lead major multi-functional initiatives, strengthen partnerships with HR and business leaders, and bring forward innovative ideas that enhance the employee and manager experience.

Talent Technology & Process Leadership

• Partner with the Talent Center of Excellence to translate strategy into scalable, intuitive Workday configurations that support global needs.
• Serve as the HR technology leader for Workday Talent processes, including performance management, succession management, goal setting, development planning, and related business processes.
• Ensure the accuracy, compliance, and effectiveness of global talent cycles and programs within the system.
• Evaluate and optimize talent functionality to drive standardization, clarity, and efficiency across talent programs. Proactively investigate and propose novel technology solutions.

Employee Experience & Workday Design

• Lead the design and continuous improvement of the employee and manager experience within Workday, including onboarding, self-service, general design, and lifecycle events.
• Introduce and lead agentic A.I. capabilities within Workday to enhance employee and manager interactions, creating consumer-grade experiences and simple self-service.
• Consult on and lead the integration of listening technologies and related talent systems, ensuring these solutions align with organizational needs and enhance the overall employee experience.
• See opportunities for A.I. automation, self-service expansion, simplification, and system optimization.
• Translate business needs into clear functional and technical requirements; challenge assumptions and present industry-aligned alternatives when appropriate.

Project Management & Execution

• Lead sophisticated, multi-functional HR technology projects in Talent and Employee Experience from planning through deployment.
• Develop project plans, define achievements, track progress, lead risks, and ensure timely, high-quality delivery.
• Apply structured project and change management methodologies to enhance visibility, alignment, and adoption and ensure compliance.
• Coordinate multi-functional work streams including Talent COE, HR Technology Associates HR Operations, Tech@Lilly (IT), and business partners.

Stakeholder Partnership & Communication

• Build strong relationships with the Talent HR Center of Excellence, People Leaders, Tech@Lilly, HR partners, and business customers.
• Act as a liaison between technical and business teams to ensure clarity, alignment, and shared understanding of requirements and solutions.
• Provide clear, concise communication through release notes, updates, technical explanations, decision documents, and stakeholder-ready materials.
• Facilitate meetings, influence decisions, and proactively surface risks, insights, or recommendations.

Operational Excellence and System Configuration

• Configure and maintain Workday and related system components with a high degree of accuracy and governance.
• Conduct testing for service updates and semi-annual releases; communicate impacts and lead remediation activities.
• Support HR Operations and end users by resolving inquiries, issues, and partner concerns.
• Document…