Associate Director – Automation Engineering

Associate Director – Central Automation Engineering

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 Associate Director – Central Automation Engineering is responsible for the leadership of the Central Automation team supporting daily manufacturing operations at LKC (Lilly Kenosha County), spanning process automation systems, data historians, building management systems, and site infrastructure supporting parenteral filling and packaging lines. The Associate Director is responsible for the productivity and development of employees with the purpose of ensuring that reliable and compliant control applications and systems are used in the manufacturing of drug products itionally, the Associate Director partners to influence and implement within the process control organization and across functional disciplines to support the automation technical agenda, business plan priorities, and compliance objectives, while collaborating closely with Lilly's global automation and IT organizations.

Responsibilities:

• Supervise and lead the Central Automation team, including completing performance reviews and development plans
• Staffing, including recruiting, resource planning, and succession planning
• Manage the automation portfolio to deliver team milestones, projects, and lifecycle management commitments
• Review and monitor financial performance; commit to meeting targets
• Manage compliance for infrastructure supporting site automation needs, including data historians, PLCs, HMIs, DCS, and building management systems

Operational Excellence:

• Demonstrate a commitment to environmental, health, and safety
• Identify, track, and report key indicators of functional performance
• Ensure team is operating in a state of compliance
• Collaborate with global automation teams and the parenteral network to ensure filling and packaging lines comply with the latest supported software from a cybersecurity and data integrity perspective
• Own and ensure compliance for LKC automation cybersecurity and data integrity

Organizational Capability:

• In coordination with automation and compliance consultants, set and reinforce standards for appropriate rigor in automation work products
• Assure focus by engineers and completion of critical assignments with appropriate monitoring and reporting
• Influence the automation functional strategy across the LKC site
• Support day-to-day engineering activities and plan for the 3–6 month horizon
• Be a fully active member of site flow leadership, including participation on management sub-teams
• Interact with regulatory agencies during site inspections as needed

Basic Requirements:

• Minimum B.S. in Engineering or related technical field
• Minimum 5 years of experience in automation/process control engineering, preferably in pharmaceutical or parenteral manufacturing
• Previous supervisory experience or demonstrated technical leadership

Additional Preferences:

• Experience with highly automated parenteral filling and packaging equipment (e.g., PFS platforms, vial/syringe/cartridge filling lines, device assembly and packaging lines)
• Technical expertise in one or more automation platforms (e.g., Rockwell Automation, Emerson DeltaV, data historians)
• Experience managing relationships with key vendors
• CGMP regulatory knowledge in process or automation engineering
• Established network across Lilly's global automation community
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills
• Strong coaching and people development skills

Other Information:

• Location:
  
  Lilly Kenosha County (LKC), Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
• Standard business hours (days, M-F) with after-hour and…