Principal Engineer – Corporate Automation Program Lead - Drug Product

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: July 17, 2025

Job Description:

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. Position Brand Description: Lilly is at a critical juncture as we tool up to realize the potential of our product pipeline. We are building new processing capabilities around the world, and emphasizing emerging, innovative processing technologies, such as continuous processing and advanced biotech platforms. Lilly unites caring with discovery to create medicines that make life better for people around the world. Lilly is a fortune five hundred company that has been in operation for over 140 years. We make medicine with safety first and quality always while living our company values of Integrity, Excellence, and Respect for People. Lilly is in the process of expanding manufacturing with three new sites in Lebanon, Indiana and recent acquisition and expansion at Kenosha, Wisconsin. In addition, Lilly announced that four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites would be built in the United States that includes both active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and parenteral manufacturing for future injectable therapies (Drug Product). The Engineer – Corporate Automation Program Lead – Drug Product is a senior automation position that will lead the design and delivery of major capital projects as part of Lilly’s manufacturing expansion. This role is intended to lead one or more project workstreams for the automation function including design, scheduling, cost management, staffing, and qualification in the Drug Product (Parenteral) network. This role will be part of Lilly’s Global Process Automation & Control Engineering (GPACE) team in Corporate Engineering. GPACE provides automation, measurement, and process control solutions. GPACE is a technical resource for training, standards, capital project delivery, and Lilly’s standard automation platforms. GPACE’s primary customers are global manufacturing and development sites, Corporate IT, and peer groups such as Global Facilities Delivery (GFD). The Engineer – Corporate Automation Program Lead role requires the candidate to be flexible on location and have the ability to travel both US and OUS. Key Objectives/Deliverables: Be a champion for health & safety, diversity & inclusion, ethics, and compliance. Partner with Global Facilities Delivery, Global Groups, OEM’s, Engineering firms, and site teams to design, install, and qualify new pharmaceutical assets. Lead and support the development of statements of work and automation supplier selection. Lead and support delivery strategies, quality assessments, and CSV and C&Q verification plans. Collaborate with site automation leadership to integrate resources into the project team. Assist with site hiring and capability building. Collaborate with other corporate engineering groups and Lilly IT to develop delivery strategies and execution plans. Manage project delivery metrics and communications to key stake holders and leadership. Coach and mentor other team members. Basic Requirements: Bachelor's in Engineering (preferably Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or Computer) or a related science field. Minimum 5 years of Process Automation / Process Control experience. Experience preferably in the pharmaceutical industry but other industry experience may be considered. Experience in Commissioning and Qualification Experience with Rockwell Automation Platforms or related PLC platforms. Project management experience. Additional Skills/Preferences: Excellent verbal and written communications skills. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Collaborative skills with operations, process engineering, and other project & manufacturing team members. Technical knowledge in one or more automation platforms including Emerson DeltaV, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, or other related systems. Technical knowledge in process instrumentation. Ability to influence without authority. Ability to clarify and simplify complex issues. Strong trust building with peers and leaders. Other Information: The Automation Program Lead – Drug Product role will initially start out in Indianapolis, IN but will transition full time to a project site location. There can be some accommodation for remote work until the project location is determined. There will also be project travel associated with the role, both US and OUS to support design reviews, FAT’s, and other project related activities. Travel would not typically exceed 25%. Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form ( https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation ) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response. Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $64,500 - $167,200 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).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees. WeAreLilly

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