Sr. Director - AI Business Development & Product Delivery

Lilly•Redwood City, CA

6d•Hybrid

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. About Us At Lilly, we're at an inflection point where 150 years of pharmaceutical excellence meets the transformative power of artificial intelligence. Our mission—to create medicines that make life better—has never been more achievable than it is today. AI is fundamentally reshaping how we discover, develop, and deliver life-saving treatments to patients around the world. We're building something unprecedented: an AI-powered pharmaceutical company that accelerates clinical trials by years, not months; that identifies the right patients for the right treatments with precision previously thought impossible; and that brings breakthrough medicines to market faster than ever before. This isn't just about technology—it's about the millions of patients waiting for treatments that could change or save their lives. Our team operates at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and human impact. This is your opportunity to be part of something larger than technology. Join us in using AI to accelerate the future of medicine and make a lasting difference in patients' lives. What You Will Do: Lead business development strategy and product delivery execution for Lilly's AI Center of Excellence, driving strategic partnerships, external ecosystem development, and commercial value across Clinical, Development, and Commercial AI solutions. This role emphasizes building the external partnership network and business relationships that will accelerate Lilly's AI capabilities while ensuring successful delivery of high-impact AI solutions aligned with our value creation targets. Reporting to the Senior Technology Leader, AI Innovation & Transformation, this position operates within our federated delivery model—establishing strategic partnerships with AI vendors, technology providers, and research institutions while overseeing product delivery to ensure AI solutions reach production and deliver measurable business outcomes.

Requirements

Minimum of Bachelor's in Business, Computer Science or related field
10+ years in business development, product delivery, or entrepreneurial roles in technology companies with proven track record of building strategic partnerships
Deep expertise in digital health, clinical research, or pharmaceutical operations with understanding of industry dynamics
Proven track record building and scaling partner ecosystems (100+ partners) across multiple geographies
Experience delivering AI/ML products from concept through production deployment in enterprise environments
Strong technical fluency in AI/ML technologies, data platforms, and software delivery practices to effectively evaluate partnerships

Nice To Haves

Clinical trial experience (patient recruitment, site operations, regulatory) and/or commercial pharma operations
M&A, strategic investment, or venture capital experience with focus on technology and digital health sectors
Demonstrated success in fundraising, partnership development, and business model innovation with AI/ML products or digital health solutions
Track record in large enterprise environments navigating matrixed organizations and complex stakeholder landscapes
International business development and scaling across geographies (Europe, Asia, US)
Patent holder or published thought leader in AI applications for healthcare or life sciences
Founder/CEO experience building and scaling technology companies from inception
Established network in Silicon Valley AI ecosystem and digital health community
Strategic thinking with ability to identify high-value partnership opportunities and translate them into business outcomes
Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort in ambiguity, building new capabilities, and creating 0-to-1 initiatives
Exceptional relationship-building and negotiation skills—ability to influence senior executives, external partners, and cross-functional teams
Strong business acumen including P&L management, ROI analysis, deal structuring, and value case development
Proven execution excellence—ability to close deals, drive results, and overcome obstacles in complex environments
Collaborative leadership style suited to federated delivery models and matrixed organizations
Ability to bridge clinical and commercial domains with equal credibility and build trust across diverse stakeholder groups
Compelling communicator and public speaker with ability to represent Lilly at industry events and conferences

Responsibilities

Business Development & Strategic Partnerships (60%)
External Partnership Ecosystem Development
Develop and execute comprehensive business development strategy to establish strategic partnerships with AI vendors, technology providers, research institutions, digital health companies, and CROs
Build and scale a robust partner network that extends Lilly's AI capabilities and accelerates access to cutting-edge AI technologies and talent
Lead end-to-end evaluation, negotiation, and execution of partnership agreements, pilot programs, technology licensing deals, and co-development arrangements
Identify and assess acquisition targets and strategic investment opportunities in the AI/digital health space, conducting due diligence and supporting M&A processes
Create a partner network model similar to successful multi-stakeholder ecosystems in digital health and clinical research (300+ partners)
Silicon Valley AI Hub & Innovation Network
Lead establishment and activation of Lilly's AI talent hub in Silicon Valley, serving as primary liaison between Lilly and the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem
Build strategic relationships with leading AI research labs, startups, accelerators, and technology companies to create innovation partnerships and talent pipelines
Establish Lilly as a destination employer and partner of choice for top AI talent through strategic positioning and relationship development
Represent Lilly at industry conferences, academic institutions, venture forums, and technology events to enhance brand visibility and thought leadership in AI innovation
Source and evaluate emerging AI technologies and methodologies that could accelerate Lilly's clinical and commercial objectives
Clinical, Development & Commercial Solution Commercialization
Explore and develop opportunities to commercialize Lilly's AI innovations externally, including licensing clinical AI tools to pharma companies, CROs, and research institutions
Identify white-space opportunities where Lilly's AI capabilities could create new business models, revenue streams, or industry-leading solutions
Build strategic relationships with top-20 pharma companies, top-6 CROs, and leading healthcare organizations for potential partnerships and collaborations
Develop business models for AI solution monetization, including SaaS offerings, licensing arrangements, and partnership models
Value Creation & Investment Strategy
Develop comprehensive business cases and ROI models for AI partnerships and product investments, demonstrating clear paths to value realization
Create strategic frameworks for evaluating build vs. buy vs. partner decisions for AI capabilities, optimizing for speed, capability, and cost
Lead internal stakeholder engagement and "selling" of AI solutions through compelling value propositions, demos, and business cases
Track and report on partnership value delivered, business outcomes, and contribution to value creation targets
Manage partnership budgets, negotiate commercial terms, and ensure optimal economic outcomes for Lilly
Fundraising & Strategic Investment
Support internal investment rounds for AI initiatives, building business cases that secure executive funding and organizational commitment
Evaluate opportunities for strategic investments in AI companies that could accelerate Lilly's capabilities or provide competitive advantages
Leverage experience in venture financing to identify high-potential AI startups and technologies for partnership or acquisition
Product Delivery Leadership (30%)
AI Solution Delivery & Execution
Oversee delivery of high-impact AI solutions for clinical trial optimization, patient engagement, regulatory intelligence, and commercial operations
Partner with domain teams to ensure AI products transition successfully from concept through production deployment
Establish delivery standards and operational frameworks that enable rapid execution across the federated AI CoE model
Drive stakeholder management, change management, and user adoption strategies to ensure AI solutions deliver measurable business value
Clinical, Development & Commercial AI Solutions
Guide delivery of AI applications in clinical trial acceleration, including patient recruitment/matching, site optimization, and regulatory submission automation
Support delivery of commercial AI products for marketing optimization, HCP engagement, and market intelligence
Ensure delivered solutions meet regulatory requirements (FDA, EMA), quality standards, and integration with existing workflows
Monitor product performance, adoption metrics, and business outcomes to validate value delivery and inform future investments
Strategic Leadership & Thought Leadership (10%)
Contribute to AI CoE strategy and operating model evolution in collaboration with senior leadership and CIO
Drive external thought leadership through publications, speaking engagements, conference presentations, and industry participation
Mentor and develop business development and product delivery professionals within the AI CoE
Support organizational change management and AI literacy initiatives across Clinical, Development, and Commercial functions
Coordinate across US and international teams (including Bangalore operations) to ensure global alignment and efficient resource utilization

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).

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