Sr. Principle AI Software Engineer

Lilly • Indianapolis, IN

67d • $126,000 - $224,400

About The Position

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Principal Engineer to lead the development and deployment of transformative AI solutions across Eli Lilly's global enterprise. In this role, you will architect autonomous AI systems that enhance safety, quality, and operational efficiency across all business functions—from drug discovery and manufacturing to corporate operations in Legal, HR, and Finance. As the technical lead for our pharmaceutical AI initiatives, you will drive the implementation of cutting-edge agent architectures and establish AI development standards for regulated environments. You'll build and guide high-performing technical teams while shaping how artificial intelligence revolutionizes pharmaceutical innovation and patient care. This is a unique opportunity to work at the convergence of advanced AI technology and life sciences, directly impacting how medicines are discovered, developed, and delivered to patients worldwide. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in AI system design, a proven track record of enterprise-scale implementations, and the vision to transform one of the world's most critical industries through intelligent automation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of software engineering experience.
• 2+ years architecting and deploying production AI systems.
• Proven success delivering AI solutions in regulated or enterprise-wide environments.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience building production applications with AI-powered development tools.
• Hands-on experience designing and deploying autonomous agent systems.
• Expertise with Model Context Protocols, API integrations, and building extensible AI architectures.
• Proficiency in Python, LangChain/LangGraph, vector databases, and advanced prompt engineering.
• Experience leading technical teams through AI transformation initiatives.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and fostering innovation within teams.
• End-to-end MLOps implementation experience.
• Cloud AI platform expertise (AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, GCP Vertex AI).
• Container orchestration (Kubernetes) and scalable deployment architectures.

Responsibilities

• Architect Production AI Systems: Design and ship scalable autonomous agent platforms that solve real problems.
• Build on Lilly Cortex: Leverage Lilly's enterprise AI platform to architect sophisticated agentic systems using Model Context Protocol (MCP) for tool integration.
• Ship Fast with AI Tooling: Be a power user of AI-assisted development and set the standard for how modern engineering teams build with AI.
• Define the AI Platform Strategy: Own the technical vision for Studio as the company's AI business platform.
• Level Up the Team: Mentor engineers on modern AI/ML practices and build a high-trust, high-velocity culture.
• Establish Engineering Standards: Create the playbook for CI/CD for AI systems and compliance patterns for regulated environments.
• Drive Product Impact: Partner with product, operations, and business teams to identify high-leverage AI opportunities.
• Stay on the Edge: Evaluate new models, test emerging frameworks, and bring the latest research into production.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees