Director - T cell strategy, Novel Platforms

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. 

Position Summary
This role leads Lilly’s biology strategy for novel platform projects across immunology diseases, with a focus on co-creating and implementing next-generation therapeutic platforms that can be applied across multiple high-value targets and disease-relevant mechanisms. The leader will help shape internal platform efforts from early design through biological validation, ensuring that new technologies are not only scientifically compelling in concept, but also meaningfully effective in target-relevant systems.

This person will bring deep expertise in autoimmune and broader immunology disease biology, along with experience helping build and implement new platform technologies to enable novel therapeutics. The role requires strong scientific and strategic judgment, including the ability to define the key experiments needed to validate both the platform itself and its application across different targets. This leader will own broader biological validation, particularly where in vivo data are needed to determine whether a platform can deliver meaningful therapeutic potential.

Success in this role will depend on strong leadership and close cross-functional partnership, particularly with molecule maker colleagues. The platform will be co-created across disciplines, with molecule maker partners generating test articles and contributing limited biology validation, such as in vitro characterization, while this role owns broader biological validation and interpretation of platform performance in more integrated systems. The role also requires decisive judgment about where Lilly should place focused bets, using data to determine which newer technologies are worth advancing. In addition to leading internal efforts, this leader will evaluate and monitor external programs, technologies, and emerging approaches to inform adoption, competitive positioning, and potential partnership opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead biology strategy for novel platform-related projects across immunology diseases to enable next-generation therapeutics through emerging modalities and technologies
• Build the biological strategy by integrating disease biology, target context, platform requirements, and the experimental evidence needed to validate platform potential
• Define strategic priorities, key decision points, and focus areas for platform co-creation, target implementation, and broader internal and external opportunities
• Evaluate external programs, technologies, and partnership opportunities to inform adoption, differentiation, and decisions about where Lilly should place focused platform bets
• Align cross-functional stakeholders, including molecule maker colleagues and other partners, around platform design, biological validation plans, and the path forward across multiple targets
• Lead biological validation of the platform and its application to selected targets, including integrated in vivo studies that extend beyond limited in vitro characterization
• Drive disciplined execution through clear scientific judgment, go/no-go recommendations, and a focused team environment that supports rigor, urgency, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in immunology, pharmacology, cell biology, bioengineering, or a related scientific discipline with 5-10 years of experience.

Additional Preferences

• Significant experience in autoimmune disease research and drug discovery
• Experience helping build, co-create, and implement new platform technologies to support development of novel therapeutics
• Demonstrated ability to design and interpret key biology experiments that validate platform performance and support go/no-go recommendations
• Strong experience with in vivo biological validation in target-relevant settings
• Demonstrated direct people management experience leading internal, lab-facing scientists in a research environment
• Track record of scientific leadership in a matrixed research organization
• Experience working cross-functionally to advance complex therapeutic or platform strategies
• Experience assessing external science, competitive programs, or partnering opportunities
• Strong and effective communication skills, with the ability to translate complex science into clear strategic direction

• Demonstrated ability to connect platform innovation to therapeutic and portfolio strategy
• Strong judgment in prioritizing opportunities in areas with rapid scientific and competitive movement
• Ability to make decisive platform and portfolio calls in areas of high uncertainty and high opportunity
• Comfort working at the interface of technology creation, biological validation, and target application
• Ability to lead through influence across functions and levels
• High sense of ownership, pace, and accountability

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 (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

$168,000 - $246,400

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.

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