Associate Vice President Pain Early Development

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.

The Global Lead, Pain Early Development is a senior medical and scientific leadership role reporting to Lilly Research Laboratories and Neuroscience Business Unit leadership. This leader provides medical and strategic direction for all Pain products across the early-phase portfolio, overseeing clinical development from first patient dose through end of Phase 2 or commercial decision point.

This role is central to advancing Lilly's commitment to bringing differentiated solutions for pain through innovative modalities and accelerated development approaches. The Global Lead partners across Neuroscience, Lilly Research Laboratories, and the Medicines Development Unit to shape clinical strategy, drive portfolio delivery, and represent Lilly's pain agenda with regulatory bodies and the external scientific community.

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* Key Responsibilities:

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* ** Portfolio Strategy & Clinical Development*
* + Define and lead the integrated clinical development strategy for the Neuroscience Pain early-phase portfolio, spanning compounds in discovery through Phase 2.

+ Establish governance frameworks and decision-making processes for early portfolio programs, including go/no-go decisions and stage-gate reviews.

+ Provide enterprise-wide visibility into Pain portfolio health, pipeline gaps, and development opportunities to senior leadership.

+ Partner with Lilly Research Laboratories and the Medicines Development Unit to align clinical strategy with long-range business objectives.

+ Drive accountability for the full clinical implementation of the Pain portfolio with a focus on innovative and accelerated development approaches.

+ Establish clinical strategy and ensure appropriate integration of tissue biomarkers and diagnostics into Pain development programs.

+ Contribute to global alignment of clinical plans with business unit and LRL priorities, including Draft Launch Labels and Value Propositions addressing patient, provider, and payer needs.

** External Innovation & Business Development*
* + Define where the Pain portfolio will focus externally - including priority biology, novel modalities, diagnostics, and academic collaborations - to address current and future portfolio needs.

+ Provide leadership for establishing new business development areas and academic partnerships in Pain.

+ Apply portfolio-level prioritization frameworks, balancing scientific opportunity, strategic fit, risk, timing, and unmet medical need.

+ Serve as the Neuroscience Pain authority on how external innovation - including RNA silencing techniques, genetic therapies, and emerging delivery modalities - strengthens portfolio resilience and differentiation.

+ Drive the successful execution and integration of partnerships and collaborations involving the Pain portfolio.

** Regulatory Affairs & Scientific Engagement*
* + Lead interactions with global regulatory bodies and other governmental agencies as needed to advance the clinical development of pain molecules.

+ Engage external medical and scientific experts to represent Lilly and involve them in molecule development and clinical trial implementation.

+ Lead the scientific data disclosure strategy for the Pain clinical development portfolio, overseeing protocols, study reports, publications, and regulatory submissions.

+ Represent Lilly Neuroscience in external scientific forums and meetings, serving as a credible ambassador for the Pain portfolio.

+ Oversee compliance with adverse event reporting requirements as mandated by corporate patient safety standards.

** Early Portfolio Program Oversight*
* + Oversee the integration of early-stage Pain program strategy across Neuroscience, ensuring alignment with current and future business unit priorities.

+ Drive awareness and alignment on program governance milestones, go/no-go decision frameworks, and stage-gate reviews for early-stage pipeline.

+ Manage portfolio-level risk assessment and scenario planning for early-stage investments in pain.

+ Establish strategy for the Neuronal Health emerging therapeutic area in coordination with broader Neuroscience leadership.

+ Champion early portfolio Pain assets across cross-functional teams and external collaborators, bridging scientific and commercial perspectives.

** Leadership & Capability Stewardship*
* + Build, lead, and develop a high-caliber cross-functional team with strengths in clinical strategy,…