Sr. Director – Immunology Translational Medicine

Role Summary

Sr. Director – Immunology Translational Medicine. Lead translational immunology efforts to support discovery- and clinical-stage research in autoimmune diseases, with a focus on identifying mechanism-relevant biomarkers and developing drug-tailoring hypotheses for clinical use. Drive strategic translational programs to enable immunology portfolio programs and mentor teams in a matrix environment.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute translational strategies for multiple programs in parallel to enable Lilly’s immunology portfolio.
• Collaborate with program teams across discovery and clinical development to drive translational immunology activities.
• Establish and maintain a laboratory that leads or supports translational immunology aspects of pipeline programs and prioritize work.
• Initiate and drive publication strategy of biomarker research findings for conferences and journals.
• Provide protocol and regulatory support for biomarker portions of immunology clinical programs.
• Identify internal and external resources to enable biomarker strategies in conjunction with operations and clinical teams.
• Support discovery by identifying and enabling novel targets/pathways through analysis of human bio-samples (bedside-to-bench).
• Represent translational immunology in collaborations with external partners and help establish new partnerships with academia or biotech/pharma partners.
• Incorporate novel translational tools, including precision medicine developments, companion diagnostics, imaging techniques, etc.
• Provide strategic input on future Lilly immunology investment prospects.
• Coach, mentor, and develop other scientists at Lilly.

Qualifications

• Required: Ph.D. or M.D. in Immunology or related life science field.
• Required: 6+ years of relevant pharmaceutical/biotech industry or drug development experience, supporting clinical programs in rheumatology, respiratory, and/or gastroenterology with translational immunology assays and strategies.
• Preferred: Deep understanding of the drug discovery and development life cycle.
• Preferred: Ability to work independently and in a matrixed environment with strong prioritization and timely delivery.
• Preferred: Demonstrated experience leading and managing diverse multi-disciplinary teams.
• Preferred: Experience with external academic, CRO, and biotech/pharma partnerships.
• Preferred: Strong interpersonal communication, team-building, and presentation skills.
• Preferred: Experience with high-content data and familiarity with computational methodologies and AI in translational medicine.

Skills

• Deep understanding of translational immunology and biomarker strategy development.
• Strategic thinking with ability to influence across programs and functions.
• Strong leadership and people development capabilities.
• Experience with external collaborations and partnership development.
• Proficiency with data interpretation and integration of translational findings into clinical strategies.

Education

• Ph.D. or M.D. in Immunology or related life sciences field (as listed under Required qualifications).

Additional Requirements

• Travel: Estimated ~20%.
• Work Environment: Position can be based in San Diego, CA; Indianapolis, IN; or Boston, MA.