Sr. Director - Engineering - Lebanon API

Sr. Director - Engineering - Lebanon API

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. Our employees work to discover and bring life‑changing medicines, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Lilly is currently constructing an advanced manufacturing facility for production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) located in Lebanon, IN. This facility is Lilly’s largest investment in manufacturing capacity and is intended to provide APIs for current and future products, including new modalities. The Sr. Director – Engineering will play a key leadership role in the startup of this greenfield GMP manufacturing site, building the organization, culture, and operating capability needed for success.

The Senior Director Engineering is directly responsible for managing the API plant engineering function, ensuring the necessary capacity, capability, and leadership structures to deliver plant engineering deliverables in support of the manufacturing plan. The role provides administrative and technical leadership for process engineering, process control and automation, and works with the Site Central Engineering team for maintenance, utilities, plant and project engineering, and engineering competencies.

The Senior Director joins the Lilly Lebanon API Manufacturing Plant Lead Team, driving long‑term business objectives, building the plant organization, and supporting the transition from project delivery and startup to full‑scale GMP manufacturing.

• Support the safe, on‑time, and successful startup, process validation, and pre‑approval inspections.
• Be a collaborative, inclusive, energetic leader and support the broader Lead Team.
• Build the organization with the necessary capability, capacity, and culture to operate the facility to the highest standards of safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Define the Small Molecule or Peptide engineering priorities & roadmap to develop and implement systems and processes needed to run the plant, leveraging Lilly knowledge and external experience.
• Serve as a key member of the Plant Lead Team, ensuring cross‑functional excellence throughout project delivery and startup.
• Support safe delivery of all plant aspects and serve as a key member of the plant HSE governance.
• Provide feedback and support on design decisions, commissioning strategies, startup plan, and other project deliverables to meet long‑term strategic goals.
• Develop and adapt organizational structure to provide capable resources and management for full‑scale GMP manufacturing.
• Ensure systems are in place and executed to establish the initial qualified and safe state for equipment, processes, utilities, and facilities.
• Build technical relationships with relevant corporate departments and sponsor strategic initiatives at the plant level.

• Continue to define and support engineering priorities & roadmap, integrating functional agenda with plant and site priorities.
• Ensure compliance with corporate standards and policies for the engineering function, including environmental, safety, and quality requirements.
• Maintain external focus and benchmark best practices across the network.
• Ensure equipment, processes, utilities, and facilities remain qualified and safe.
• Work with the Site Central Engineering team to manage maintenance and utilities operations, documenting highest standards of safety and quality, and assist with plant investment processes.
• Ensure a robust control system exists to manage the business, identify compliance issues, and appropriately address escalations.
• Develop future management and technical leadership for the plant and potential global assignments.

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in a leadership role managing teams within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Must possess knowledge and understanding of cGMPs and how they apply to manufacturing operations.

• Experience in API manufacturing, including a Process…