Eli Lilly and Company · 1 day ago
Sr. Director - Discovery Portfolio Lead
Louisville, CO
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$172K/yr - $253K/yr
10+ years expEli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated to improving lives through innovative medicines. The Sr. Director - Discovery Portfolio Lead will oversee key aspects of the Discovery Oncology Portfolio, manage early discovery projects, and provide strategic guidance to project managers while ensuring smooth transitions between early and late discovery teams.
BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalPharmaceutical
Responsibilities
Manage early discovery project kickoffs ensuring that key stakeholders are engaged at the right time
Oversee portfolio transitions between Early and Late Discovery, ensuring smooth handoffs and alignment with program objectives
Identify cross-project dependencies, risks, and opportunities for synergy
Monitor portfolio health metrics including timelines, milestones, and decision points for progression
Analyze cross-project themes, learnings, and opportunities for process improvement to drive portfolio optimization
Collaborate with Candidate Selection Leads as projects approach the candidate seeking stage to ensure that projects are ready to move to the next stage
Develop and refine stage-gate processes that balance rigor with the flexibility required in discovery research
Serve as primary advisor to Project Managers on early-stage programs, providing guidance on project strategy, decision frameworks, and best practices
Support alignment between project teams and senior leadership on priorities
Advise on risk assessment, alternative approaches, and decision criteria for program progression
Facilitate strategic discussions on program priorities and portfolio optimization
Lead comprehensive project management for 1-2 early discovery projects, including timeline development, milestone tracking, resource coordination, and deliverable management
Facilitate project meetings, developing agendas, capturing minutes, and tracking action items through resolution
Coordinate cross-functional activities across matrixed teams including biology, chemistry, translational sciences, and external collaborators
Ensure consistency in project reporting standards and decision frameworks across teams
Drive continuous improvement initiatives for discovery project management processes and tools
Maintain portfolio-level calendars and ensure timely preparation of materials for key decision meetings
Develop best practices that both maintain agility and support a decision-making framework
Proactively manage project and portfolio communications, identifying and resolving gaps or ambiguities to maintain cross-functional alignment
Develop integrated slide decks and presentations for leadership forums that synthesize portfolio status, trends, and actionable insights
Foster collaborative dialogue across diverse scientific disciplines, encouraging knowledge sharing and creative problem-solving approaches
Maintain consistent communication frameworks and reporting standards across portfolio teams
Qualification
Required
Bachelors degree preferably in life sciences with 15+ years of relevant experience, or Masters preferably in life sciences with 12+ years of experience, or PhD in preferably in life sciences with 10+ years of experience
Preferred
Advanced degree is highly preferred
PMP preferred
Experience in advisory or mentorship roles
Must have an understanding of oncology drug discovery processes and decision criteria; small molecule and large molecule experience preferred
Ability to think strategically and use judgement
Excellent communication and stakeholder management across scientific and operational teams
Experience with portfolio management tools (e.g. MS Office suite, MS Project, SharePoint, and/or SmartSheet)
Ability to be adaptive, flexible, and creative in a dynamic discovery environment
Benefits
Company bonus
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)
Company
Eli Lilly and Company
We're a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Eli Lilly and Company has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (514)
2024 (236)
2023 (167)
2022 (133)
2021 (57)
2020 (52)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$6.5M2024-02-12Post Ipo Debt· $6.5M
1978-01-13IPO
Leadership Team
David Ricks
Chair, CEO
Lucas Montarce
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
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