Senior Principal Engineer Facilities, Clinical Trial Distribution

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: January 9, 2026

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. Position Summary: The Facilities Engineer for our Clinical Trial Distribution facility (K401), directs and supervises a small but growing team for all engineering, technical process improvements, warehouse maintenance, Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE), and security activities required to support facility operations, maintain stabilization, and promote optimization. The role is responsible for maintaining required GMP temperature data and monitoring systems that are auditable by external agencies. They lead and oversee K401’s required technical building upgrades and repairs, plus a $15M technology modernization project. This project includes AS/RS upgrades plus process automation and optimization. The Facility Engineer chair’s the local Safety Committee, report to and sit on the Clinical Supply and Delivery (CSD) Safety Committee, and as such, are instrumental in the success of the safety culture. Working cross functionally, the Associate Director Engineer excels at relationship building at all levels of the organization. The Facilities Engineer develops, maintains, and leverages a diverse network of outside service providers to support all critical facility needs within the scope of responsibility. Key Responsibilities: Lead and manage all facility related Engineering, Maintenance, Security & HSE activities at Building K401 Supervise a technical team composed of engineers and technicians for warehouse technical upgrade and repair projects that drive process improvements Support regulatory and HSE audits with facility and temperature data Ensure compliant temperature measurement, monitoring, and data storage for clinical trial material Develop, refine, and implement complex decisions (strategic & operational) pertinent to areas of responsibility Influence complex regulatory, business and technical issues at Building K401 Anticipate and resolve key technical, operational and business challenges relevant to role and the facility Actively manage resource needs and departmental budget while continually evaluating workload & service providers to ensure effective use of company resources and optimized departmental effectiveness Drive Engineering, Maintenance, Security & HSE solution that positively impact K401 facility operations Lead and execute complex large-scale projects with inherent risk and resource constraints Manage budgets for small- and large-scale capital projects and ongoing operations Build & leverage relationships with key internal and external partners and stakeholders to benefit facility operations, such as the Engineering Center of Excellence, Global HSE, Corporate Security, and multiple outsourced service providers Interact with regulators and other stakeholders to represent Building K401 Engineering, Maintenance, and Security & HSE Develop and maintain facility Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Ensure compliant K401 Pest Management Coordination K401 Building Security Warden Operational owner of Periodic Quality Evaluation (PQE) for Building K401 Close collaboration with operational teams requiring intimate knowledge of operations’ procedures and processes Basic Requirements: BS in Mechanical, Chemical, or other engineering 8 years’ experience and proven success managing facility engineering, leading technical process improvement projects, maintenance, security & HSE operations Specialized depth and breadth of knowledge in Engineering, Maintenance, Security & HSE required Strong organizing/multi-tasking skills Excellent interpersonal and networking skills Strong written and verbal communication skills Ability to work well in a team environment Strong computer skills Must speak fluent English Additional Preferences: Capital project management experience (both start-up and process improvement) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification Working knowledge of cGMP’s, cGDP’s and cold-chain Experience with GMP facility commissioning and qualification Technical knowledge and work experience with building systems including HVAC, refrigeration systems, chilled water, emergency back-up generators, etc. Experience and working knowledge of LEAN and Six Sigma concepts Experience leveraging SMART Metrics and Scorecards Experience with critical IT systems (Engineering Document Management System, Maintenance Management systems, Change Management & Deviation Management Systems, etc.) Familiarity with building management systems Additional Information/Requirements : Requires 24/7 on-call availability for facility maintenance and engineering emergencies In office position Minimal travel may be required, both domestic and international After hiring, apply for, pass an exam, and gain approval for TSA warehouse access 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 $66,000 - $171,600 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

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Fairfield , Senior Principal Engineer Facilities, Clinical Trial Distribution, Engineering , Indianapolis, Ohio