Associate - R&D Communications

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 Scientific Innovations Manager provides project management, operational support, and surge capacity across all three pillars of the Scientific Innovation Communications function. This role is the connective tissue that ensures the team operates efficiently at the pace Lilly's pipeline demands. Reporting to the Senior Director, Emerging and Portfolio Scientific Communications, with operational accountability across all pillars, this role supports the planning, coordination, and execution of communications activities across the full Scientific Innovation Communications team.

The Scientific Innovations Manager ensures that processes run smoothly, deadlines are met, resources are coordinated, tactics are delivered and the team has the operational infrastructure to focus on strategic work. This is an ideal role for a high-potential early- to mid-career communications professional who wants to build broad exposure across therapeutic areas, executive communications, data storytelling, and consumer science while developing the project management and operational skills that are foundational to a communications career at Lilly.

** Key Objectives / Deliverables*
* PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
Manage project timelines, deliverables tracking, and workflow coordination across all three pillars of Scientific Innovation Communications. Ensure that milestones, project deadlines, and executive engagements are tracked and resources are aligned. Also support material development, media engagement support, quarterly reporting updates, research projects and other similar tactics are executed efficiently across the team.

SURGE CAPACITY:
Provide flexible, cross-pillar support during high-intensity periods, including congress seasons, major data readouts, and executive visibility moments. Develop content, coordinate logistics, and support execution as directed by pillar leads.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT:
Develop and maintain operational tools, templates, and processes that improve the team's efficiency and consistency. Support planning cycles, budget tracking, vendor and agency coordination.

SPECIAL PROJECTS:
Lead or support special projects as assigned by the AVP or pillar leads, including research, competitive analysis, content development, media materials and new capability pilots.

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COORDINATION:
Serve as a coordination point across the Scientific Innovation Communications team, helping ensure that information flows between pillars and that cross-pillar dependencies are identified and managed.

MEASUREMENT AND REPORTING:
Support the development and maintenance of communications measurement dashboards and reporting, including media metrics, narrative penetration, and engagement data.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT:
Build broad exposure to the full scope of Scientific Innovation Communications, developing fluency in data communications, consumer science, executive storytelling, and multiple therapeutic areas.

** Basic Qualifications*
* - Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, journalism, science, or related field

- 1+ year of communications, project management, or related professional experience

- Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.

** Additional Skills / Preferences*
* - Strong organizational and project management skills

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills

- Interest in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare communications

- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, track complex work streams, and meet deadlines

- Comfort working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities can shift quickly

- Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with a willingness to support across functions and therapeutic areas

- Familiarity with project management tools and processes

- Curiosity about science and a desire to build subject matter fluency in drug development and therapeutic areas

- Proactive, detail-oriented, and resourceful problem solver

- Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to stay organized amid complexity

- Interest in building a career in science communications or strategic communications within a global pharmaceutical company

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