Senior Director, Global Data Storytelling Communications

Lilly • Indianapolis, IN

5d • $154,500 - $226,600 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Global Data Storytelling Communications, is the senior communications leader accountable for driving consistency, quality, and strategic impact across the full scientific lifecycle, from pre-clinical research through Phase 3 readouts. This role is embedded with Lilly Research Laboratories (LRL) counterparts and maintains dotted-line relationships with Therapeutic Area (TA) business leads, serving as a strategic partner to the Executive Committee and TA Presidents. Reporting to the AVP, Scientific Innovation Communications, the Senior Director leads a data communications team across Lilly’s TAs, from early proof-of-concept through pivotal trial results, connected to a single, enterprise-level science narrative. The role requires a communicator who can operate at the intersection of scientific depth, executive influence, and narrative strategy, translating sophisticated pipeline achievements into stories that build reputation, strengthen pipeline confidence, and advance business objectives. This leader will set the standard for how Lilly communicates science to the world: proactively, with strategic rigor, and in a way that is unmistakably Lilly.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in communications, science, public relations, or related field
• 12+ Years of communications experience, with significant depth in pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments
• 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 visas for this role.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience leading large, matrixed communications teams across multiple therapeutic areas or business functions
• Consistent record of strategic counsel to C-suite or senior executive audiences
• Experience developing and implementing communications strategies around clinical data, regulatory landmarks, and scientific congresses.
• Scientific expertise and prowess required.
• Deep understanding of the drug development lifecycle from pre-clinical through regulatory approval and the communications implications at each stage
• Fluency across multiple therapeutic areas with the ability to synthesize cross-TA narratives into enterprise-level stories
• Exceptional media relations skills, including experience with top-tier business, science, and health journalists
• Proven record of building and scaling high-performing teams, including recruiting for rare-profile roles that combine scientific and communications expertise
• Strong judgment in high-pressure, ambiguous situations with incomplete information
• Proactive, anticipatory mindset with the ability to see around corners and shape narratives before competitors define them
• Experience with congress strategy, publications planning, and investor communications
• Able to operate at the intersection of science, business, and reputation with the ability to translate across all three

Responsibilities

• Own the overarching data narrative for Lilly's R&D pipeline across Lilly therapeutic areas, ensuring every data readout, congress disclosure, and publication reinforces the enterprise science story.
• Establish and maintain a consistent data release playbook across TAs so that quality, ambition, and voice are uniform regardless of therapeutic area.
• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to LRL and our TA teams, providing communications counsel that shapes how Lilly's science is understood by investors, media, policymakers, and the scientific community.
• Prepare senior leaders for high-stakes engagements including major data landmarks, major congresses, and media interactions.
• Help build the enterprise congress strategy, ensuring Lilly's scientific presence at major medical meetings is coordinated, high-impact, and reflects a unified Lilly point of view.
• Support our TA publications strategies in partnership with medical affairs and TA leads, ensuring relevant peer-reviewed data supports the broader corporate narrative.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team. Set the operating standards, cultural tone, and performance expectations for the pillar.
• Recruit and retain communicators who combine scientific proficiency with strategic ambition and creative instinct.
• Coordinate closely with the Global Consumer Science Communications and Emerging + Portfolio Scientific Communications pillars to ensure data narratives flow into consumer-facing storytelling, executive presentations, and enterprise reputation strategy.
• Partner with Issues Management, Investor Relations, Business Development Communications, and Public Affairs to align messaging across collaborator audiences.
• Develop and implement proactive media strategy for pipeline landmarks, ensuring Lilly's scientific leadership is reflected in priority media coverage.
• Build relationships with key science and health journalists.
• Ensure data communications drive narrative penetration, share of scientific voice, and positive-to-neutral sentiment.

Benefits

• company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance)
• company-sponsored 401(k)
• pension
• vacation benefits
• 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
• 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: Senior