Functional Service Team Executive/Senior Director, Clinical Delivery Capabilities – Exploratory Medicine Pharmacology (EMP)

Eli Lilly and Company • Us, IN

5d

About The Position

The Functional Service Team Executive/Senior Director establishes, leads, and sustains a functional service team that operates as a scalable extension of the Exploratory Medicine Pharmacology (EMP) workforce. The team supports the exploratory and biopharmaceutics clinical development portfolio as portfolio volume, timing, and priorities change. In partnership with the Strategic Sourcing and Governance Executive/Senior Director, this role translates sourcing strategy and enterprise governance into an operational service and is accountable for clinical vendor management and performance optimization across the service team.

The role leads the service team’s operating model, governance, resourcing, readiness, performance measurement, and continuous improvement. It oversees FSP delivery strategy and execution, aligns capacity and study delivery with EMP priorities, and builds effective relationships with functional service providers (FSPs), third-party organizations (TPOs), EMP stakeholders, and enterprise partners. It also connects EMP to the broader Lilly Research Laboratories (LRL) organization, sharing learning, influencing enterprise direction, and bringing enterprise capabilities to the service team.

This position provides leadership in service-team establishment and governance; vendor management and performance optimization; and training, capability development, and continuous improvement. It supports consistent quality, productivity, value, and delivery across the clinical portfolio while maintaining focus on risk mitigation and patient impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in clinical development or related fields within the pharmaceutical industry, including significant leadership experience.
• Experience in Enterprise Project Management, Project Risk Management, and Project Document Management.

Nice To Haves

• Proven ability in cross-functional leadership, operational leadership, and relationship building.
• Strong analytical thinking skills and experience using analytics software for decision-making.
• Proficiency in Change Control Management and Integration Management within complex organizations.
• Exceptional self-discipline and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• In-depth understanding of clinical trial processes, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and drive results through effective project leadership.

Responsibilities

• Translate sourcing strategy, commercial frameworks, and enterprise governance into an operational functional service team aligned with FSP partners, TPOs, and EMP expectations.
• Own the EMP FSP delivery strategy and oversee its execution and budget, ensuring resourcing and study delivery align with development priorities, portfolio demand, and study milestones.
• Partner on criteria, decision ownership, and governance for allocating studies among FSP, other external delivery models, and internal execution.
• Forecast portfolio demand and plan capacity with EMP leadership and Therapeutic Areas; establish a flexible resourcing model that can mobilize, scale, and release resources as needs change.
• Design and lead service-team governance, including scope, roles, decision rights, escalation paths, and oversight forums with EMP leadership and TPO partners.
• Define the operating model and implementation approach, including capacity planning, onboarding, transitions, ways of working, and alignment with EMP processes and quality standards.
• Ensure supporting infrastructure is in place, including systems access, tools, data and reporting capabilities, contracting and budgeting mechanisms, and collaboration platforms.
• Align the service team to EMP initiatives, portfolio delivery strategies, acceleration plans, and future research and development priorities.
• Identify potential issues, develop contingency plans, and mitigate quality and delivery risks; lead or sponsor cross-functional and enterprise-wide productivity and portfolio-acceleration projects.
• Collaborate with EMP leadership on organizational structure, talent development, and critical capabilities.
• Be accountable for service-team outputs against agreed scope, quality, timelines, and budget, integrating delivery with study teams, clinical design capabilities, and TPO partners.
• Lead portfolio-level vendor relationship management for FSP and TPO partners, including business reviews, issue escalation, and resolution; coordinate contractual and commercial matters with the Strategic Sourcing and Governance Executive/Senior Director.
• Serve as the accountable EMP contact for FSP partners, setting expectations, monitoring performance and risk, and addressing issues through governance.
• Lead the FSP service-team leadership and vendor-management community, establishing shared expectations, ways of working, and performance standards.
• Create and maintain a performance measurement framework using KPIs, metrics, and quality indicators; report performance and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Provide regular performance insights to EMP leadership and the Strategic Sourcing and Governance Executive/Senior Director to inform sourcing, contract, budget, and resourcing decisions.
• Own the technology and data agenda for FSP oversight, including provider-data integration into EMP systems and evaluation of AI-enabled approaches to identify delivery, quality, and compliance risks.
• Assess FSP-supported work across the portfolio and evolve the FSP model, resourcing mix, and ways of working using lessons learned and category insights.
• Build relationships with EMP leadership, Therapeutic Areas, functional partners, FSP and sourcing peers, and senior leaders across LRL and the broader enterprise.
• Represent the service team and EMP in strategic planning, early portfolio forums, LRL-wide forums, and governance bodies related to external workforce, FSP strategy, and clinical delivery.
• Maintain awareness of relevant regulatory issues and trends and challenge FSP vendors when changes are needed.
• Communicate the purpose and rationale for changes, guide stakeholders through transitions, and apply innovation and lessons learned in real time.
• Define and oversee role-specific, systems, process, and GCP training; confirm proficiency before work is assigned and maintain readiness over time.
• Foster accountability, inclusion, and high performance across the blended EMP and FSP workforce; help retain, grow, and develop a diverse workforce.
• Lead the service team and stakeholders through changes in portfolio priorities, FSP scope, scale, and ways of working while maintaining focus on quality, delivery, and patient impact.
• Capture and share lessons learned and best practices to drive improvement, innovation, and efficiency; coach and mentor personnel as needed.

Benefits

• Company bonus, depending in part on company and individual performance.
• Eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k).
• Pension.
• Vacation benefits.
• Eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
• Flexible benefits, including healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts.
• Life insurance and death benefits.
• Certain time-off and leave-of-absence benefits.
• Well-being benefits, including employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior