Associate Vice President, Automation, Discovery Oncology

Eli Lilly and Company•New York, NY

34d

About The Position

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Position Summary The Associate Vice President, Automation will establish, build and lead the Discovery Oncology automation capability within the New York City research facility. This leader will define the end-to-end automation strategy, build the operating model, and deliver the initial portfolio of integrated automation platforms that accelerate discovery and early development. This role is designed for a hands-on builder who combines enterprise leadership with deep technical credibility and a roll-up-sleeves execution mindset. The successful candidate will directly engage in automation development and integration efforts, particularly during the early build-out phase, setting the technical standards and delivery culture for the organization. The AVP will partner across Discovery functions (biology, chemistry, pharmacology, translational research), as well as informatics, IT, and enterprise automation groups to deliver scalable automation platforms that improve throughput, data quality, reproducibility, and cycle time. Discovery Oncology scope includes support for both large and small molecule therapeutic modalities, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), T cell engagers (TCEs), and small molecule / medicinal chemistry programs.

Requirements

PhD in Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or related scientific discipline
Minimum 15 years of experience in laboratory automation within academia, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or related industry
Demonstrated leadership experience managing technical teams
Strong understanding of laboratory equipment, robotics, and liquid handling systems
Proven track record delivering multiple complex automation platforms from concept through sustained production adoption.
Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive change in matrixed organizations.
Expertise with laboratory automation platforms (e.g., Tecan, Hamilton, Beckman, PerkinElmer)
Deep expertise in laboratory automation platforms and system integration (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman Coulter, PerkinElmer and comparable robotics/HTS technologies).
Strong understanding of automation architecture including hardware/software integration, scheduling, workflow orchestration, and reliability engineering.
Familiarity with lab informatics ecosystems including ELN, LIMS, and data management platforms.
Ability to engage at a hands-on technical level as needed (method development, integration troubleshooting, technical root cause analysis).

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting programs progressing molecules to IND or IND-enabling milestones.
Experience supporting and executing discovery oncology (preclinical) workflows (high-throughput screening, assay development, and/or drug discovery workflows)
Proven experience with miniaturization strategies and high-throughput workflow design.
Experience with automation enabling digitalization including APIs, data pipelines, metadata capture, and analytics readiness.
Scripting or programming experience (Python, R, automation APIs, workflow orchestration tools).
Evidence of innovation such as patents, publications, or recognized contributions in laboratory automation.
Vendor contract negotiation and external partnership leadership experience.
Knowledge of AI/ML applications in lab automation and data generation (e.g., predictive maintenance, experimental design, closed-loop optimization).
Exceptional problem-solving and analytical abilities
Excellent communication skills with ability to present to diverse audiences
Proven ability to influence and drive change across organizations
Strategic thinking with attention to operational details
Collaborative approach with ability to build effective partnerships
Experience in discovery and preclinical development of large and small molecule-based therapeutics (i.e. antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), T cell engagers (TCE), small molecule/medicinal chemistry etc…).
Understanding of assay development, analytical methods, and quality control principles

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership Develop and execute a comprehensive laboratory automation strategy aligned with organizational research and development goals
Build strong partnerships with discovery scientists, team leaders, and functional heads to align automation investments with scientific priorities.
Deliver multiple high-impact automation platforms from concept to production use, including integrated workcells.
Reduce experimental cycle time and increase throughput through automation, miniaturization, and workflow standardization.
Influence stakeholders across a large organization to drive adoption, standardization, and sustained use of automation platforms.
Build and maintain partnerships with automation vendors and technology providers
Manage automation capital and operational budgets
Technical Operations Serve as the senior technical authority for automation architecture, integration design, and platform execution across Discovery Oncology.
Lead by example through direct hands-on engagement in high-impact automation development and integration efforts, particularly during the early build-out period.
Personally drive critical-path technical execution when necessary, including platform prototyping and workflow development, integration design and debugging, method optimization and stabilization, root-cause analysis of complex system failures, and performance tuning (throughput, reliability, data quality).
Oversee the operation, maintenance, and optimization of automated laboratory systems including liquid handlers, high-throughput screening platforms, and robotic systems
Establish and enforce engineering best practices including design reviews and technical gate reviews, structured troubleshooting standards, qualification/verification approaches and change control (as appropriate), and software/code standards (version control, release management, documentation).
Ensure automation solutions are scalable, safe, reliable, and scientifically fit-for-purpose.
Ensure integration of automation systems with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), electronic laboratory notebooks (ELN), and data analysis platforms
Enable end-to-end digital connectivity for automated workflows (ELN/LIMS integration, scheduling, instrument data pipelines, analytics readiness).
Demonstrate measurable performance improvements including data quality, reproducibility, platform uptime, and user adoption.
Team Leadership & Collaboration Lead and mentor a team of automation scientists, engineers, and technicians both directly and indirectly
Collaborate with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and translational research teams to understand automation needs; help train and oversee end users
Partner with IT, data science, and informatics teams to ensure seamless data integration
Drive data standardization, structured metadata capture, and automation telemetry to enable reproducibility, traceability, analytics readiness, and AI/ML enablement.
Ensure high-quality data generation by embedding quality control expectations into automated workflows and platform validation practices.
Facilitate training programs to build automation capabilities across the organization
Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, and scientific excellence
Project Management Lead automation projects from concept through implementation and validation
Develop project timelines, milestones, and success metrics
Coordinate resources across multiple concurrent automation initiatives
Track and report on project progress, risks, and outcomes to leadership
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and safety standards

Benefits

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance).
In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume