Associate Director, ExploR&D Consultation Agreements
Eli Lilly and Company
August 21, 2026
Remote friendly (Indianapolis, IN)
United States
Corporate Functions
Responsibilities:
- Lead end-to-end negotiation and execution of consultation agreements (preclinical to development) from term discussions through signature.
- Manage high-volume contracting efficiently while balancing speed and rigor.
- Act as primary interface for biotech partners; translate scientific scope into commercial terms.
- Partner with ExploR&D leadership and SMEs to structure consultations aligned to Lilly R&D capabilities.
- Draft, redline, and finalize agreements with Legal to capture scope/deliverables and reflect risk.
- Translate technical scope into precise, bounded work plans with scientists.
- Negotiate change orders/amendments as scope/timelines/deliverables evolve.
- Communicate clearly on structure, timelines, and engagement model; maintain deal tracking and cycle-time discipline.
- Drive process improvements to reduce friction and shorten time-to-signature.
- Partner with Finance, Legal, and Compliance for governance, risk, and approvals.
- Potential to extend into alliance management over time.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field.
- 7+ years in business development, contracting, or R&D consulting.
- US work authorization required; Lilly does not sponsor visas.
Preferences/Skills:
- Advanced life sciences/STEM degree (PhD/PharmD/MS).
- Deep drug discovery/development fluency; credible to engage scientific leaders.
- Experience negotiating biotech/pharma/life sciences agreements; drafting/redlining/executing contracts.
- Manage multiple concurrent contracts; attention to detail.
- Early-stage biotech ecosystem/external innovation and alliance management experience.
- Strong communication; comfort with ambiguity; cross-functional collaboration (Legal/Finance/R&D).
Additional:
- Travel up to 10% (US and/or OUS).
- Eligible for company bonus (based on performance) and comprehensive benefits (401(k), pension, vacation, medical/dental/vision, flexible benefits, life insurance, time off/leave, well-being benefits).
Application instructions:
- If you need an accommodation to submit a resume, complete the workplace accommodation request form: https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation
- Lead end-to-end negotiation and execution of consultation agreements (preclinical to development) from term discussions through signature.
- Manage high-volume contracting efficiently while balancing speed and rigor.
- Act as primary interface for biotech partners; translate scientific scope into commercial terms.
- Partner with ExploR&D leadership and SMEs to structure consultations aligned to Lilly R&D capabilities.
- Draft, redline, and finalize agreements with Legal to capture scope/deliverables and reflect risk.
- Translate technical scope into precise, bounded work plans with scientists.
- Negotiate change orders/amendments as scope/timelines/deliverables evolve.
- Communicate clearly on structure, timelines, and engagement model; maintain deal tracking and cycle-time discipline.
- Drive process improvements to reduce friction and shorten time-to-signature.
- Partner with Finance, Legal, and Compliance for governance, risk, and approvals.
- Potential to extend into alliance management over time.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in any field.
- 7+ years in business development, contracting, or R&D consulting.
- US work authorization required; Lilly does not sponsor visas.
Preferences/Skills:
- Advanced life sciences/STEM degree (PhD/PharmD/MS).
- Deep drug discovery/development fluency; credible to engage scientific leaders.
- Experience negotiating biotech/pharma/life sciences agreements; drafting/redlining/executing contracts.
- Manage multiple concurrent contracts; attention to detail.
- Early-stage biotech ecosystem/external innovation and alliance management experience.
- Strong communication; comfort with ambiguity; cross-functional collaboration (Legal/Finance/R&D).
Additional:
- Travel up to 10% (US and/or OUS).
- Eligible for company bonus (based on performance) and comprehensive benefits (401(k), pension, vacation, medical/dental/vision, flexible benefits, life insurance, time off/leave, well-being benefits).
Application instructions:
- If you need an accommodation to submit a resume, complete the workplace accommodation request form: https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation