Associate Vice President – Enterprise Communications

Eli Lilly and Company • Indianapolis, IN

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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. Organization Overview At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism The Associate Vice President - Enterprise Communications will lead a high-performing global team responsible for shaping how Lilly is perceived in an increasingly complex and fragmented media environment. This role requires a seasoned communications strategist who thrives in dynamic external environments, brings fresh thinking beyond traditional pharmaceutical communications, and understands how modern audiences consume information across diverse platforms and trusted sources. This leader will establish and build a Center of Excellence that serves as the backbone for Lilly's corporate narrative and media strategy—supporting product communications, business milestones, and social impact storytelling on a global scale. The ideal candidate is creative, fast-paced, audience-obsessed, and brand-savvy, with experience building brand reputation and amplifying a company’s story in creative ways alongside marketing teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or related discipline
• Minimum 15 years of communications 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 and/or visas for this role.

Nice To Haves

• Deep media relations expertise across traditional and emerging platforms
• Proven track record leading strategic communications at a senior level in complex, global organizations
• Proven ability to build and scale high-performing teams in global, matrixed environments
• Demonstrated ability to secure high-impact coverage
• Regular international and domestic travel expected
• Located in Indianapolis or telecommute from other US location
• Brand Builder: Ability to collaborate closely with marketing teams to amplify brand narratives.
• Strategic Thinker: Ability to translate trust data, audience insights, and business priorities into creative communications strategies that build reputation and drive outcomes.
• Change Leader: Experience leading teams through transformation and establishing Centers of Excellence.
• Fast-Paced Operator: Thrives in dynamic environments, comfortable with ambiguity, and moves quickly without sacrificing strategic thinking.
• Creative Courage: Willingness to challenge conventional communications approaches and bring fresh thinking to external engagement.
• Executive Presence: Confident communicator who represents the company externally, provides counsel to senior leaders, and builds trust across the organization.
• Industry Experience: Experience in pharmaceutical or healthcare communications combined with exposure to consumer-facing or brand-building communications in another industry.

Responsibilities

• Corporate Narrative and Strategic Positioning Develop and execute a modern external communications strategy that reflects how audiences consume information in a fragmented media landscape—moving beyond traditional outlets to include consumer-trusted sources, policy influencers, digital creators, niche communities, and emerging platforms
• Serve as primary steward of Lilly's corporate narrative, ensuring it resonates authentically across all external touchpoints and reflects both business achievements and holistic care commitment
• Use data, trust research, and audience insights to inform strategy, messaging, channel selection, and measurement
• Integrate Lilly's holistic care journey and social impact story into the broader corporate narrative, showcasing what we stand for beyond products and pipelines
• Identify and capitalize on strategic opportunities to elevate Lilly's profile and credibility
• Partner closely with Investor Relations, Masterbrand, and Social Impact teams to align messaging and amplify impact
• Center of Excellence Leadership Establish and lead the Enterprise Communications Center of Excellence, building a globally integrated team that serves as the media engine for product communications, crisis/issues response, business announcements, and social impact storytelling
• Design operating models, processes, and frameworks that enable seamless execution across geographies, business units, and functional partners
• Build team capabilities in modern media strategy—from traditional outlets to podcasters, digital creators, community-trusted sources, and platform-specific storytelling
• Create a culture of innovation, speed, and audience-centricity
• Modern Media Strategy and Execution Lead a forward-thinking media relations strategy that reflects how diverse audiences discover and trust information across fragmented channels
• Develop and execute audience-centric communications plans for major business milestones
• Champion creative approaches to storytelling that breakthrough in a crowded information environment, collaborating closely with Masterbrand to amplify brand-building efforts
• Ensure consistent voice and strategic messaging across PESO channels
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution of high-stakes communications moments
• Digital and Social Strategy Partnership Partner with AVP, Strategy, Innovation and Operations to establish editorial strategy supporting company priorities
• Set goals and metrics for digital campaigns and social media execution that demonstrate impact on perception, trust, and business outcomes

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).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees