Associate Director

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.

The GBS Capability Optimisation and Automation (GCOA) organisation is a strategic function focused on transforming finance operations through intelligent automation and AI. GCOA acts as a centralised capability hub, enabling scalable, secure, and compliant solutions that deliver measurable business value.

GCOA partners with finance and technology teams to:

- Identify automation opportunities.

- Design innovative solutions.

- Embed automation as a core enabler of operational excellence and digital transformation.

Role Overview - Associate Director - Lead Optimization (P4)

The Associate Director – Lead Optimization within GCOA serves as a strategic partner bridging the business functions and the GBS organisation. You are responsible for the Optimization team managing a portfolio of transformation projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives, and driving the successful delivery of key programmes, ensuring solutions are implemented efficiently, on schedule, and to the highest quality standards. Your leadership will foster a culture of continuous improvement, compliance, and portfolio management excellence.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Optimization specialists, facilitating skills development and knowledge sharing.

- Collaborate with business partners, quality leaders, and infrastructure teams to understand needs, provide regular updates, and ensure alignment with evolving business needs and compliance standards.

- Provide hands‑on direction, troubleshooting, and support to team members, championing best practices in portfolio delivery.

- Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks throughout the project lifecycle. Monitor solution quality, and ensure compliance to robust testing and validation processes, and regulatory and security standards.

- Allocate resources effectively, balancing team skills and project demands. Track performance metrics, delivery milestones, and KPIs to ensure projects remain on track and deliver measurable business value.

- Drive process improvements, champion new automation technologies, and facilitate the adoption of innovative solutions that deliver tangible impact to users and the organisation.

- Foster a culture of agility, learning, and iterative delivery. Facilitate retrospectives, encourage feedback, and help teams reflect and improve their ways of working.

- Coordinate adherence to maintaining clear documentation of project plans, roadmaps, user stories, and technical designs. Ensure governance protocols are followed, including change control and compliance reviews.

- Establish and maintain robust programme governance structures, including regular portfolio reviews, risk management, and escalation processes.

The Optimization Lead role is central to the success of GCOA’s automation initiatives, leading our engagement relationship with business stakeholders, translating functional needs into actionable delivery plans, drive sustained business value, compliance, and innovation across the organization.

Essential Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related field (Master’s degree or professional certification preferred).

- Proven experience (5+ years) in programme or portfolio management within a finance or shared services environment.

- Demonstrated leadership in managing teams and partnering with business stakeholders to achieve shared goals and deliver measurable business impact.

- Strong stakeholder management and business partnering skills, with the ability to influence at all organisational levels.

- Demonstrated experience in leading complex, cross‑functional projects and delivering measurable business outcomes.

- Experience tracking performance metrics, delivery milestones, and KPIs to ensure projects remain on track and deliver business value.

- Skilled facilitator, comfortable leading cross‑functional teams and driving collaboration across internal and external stakeholders.

- Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment with competing priorities, demonstrating proactive, persistent, and dependable work habits.

- Advanced communication and presentation skills.

- Proficiency in project management tools and methodologies.

- Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, innovative environment.

- Understanding of finance processes is highly desirable.

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 does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

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