Sr. Director - Candidate Advance to Candidate Selection Lead

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Louisville
Posted on: January 25, 2026

Job Description:

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 Senior Director, Candidate Advance to Candidate Selection Lead is responsible for the delivery of oncology drug candidates from Discovery to Development. They will manage workflows and best practices for the nomination and selection of oncology assets. This role is responsible for ensuring efficient transition from Discovery to Development teams. They will partner with Development, Discovery leaders, the Project Team Lead, and Discovery Project Managers to ensure alignment on Candidate Selection criteria and Candidate Selection Deliverables. In addition, responsibilities include managing 1-2 late-stage discovery projects. Responsibilities: Candidate Selection Lead candidate selection activities and coordinate cross functional review teams Lead coordination of candidate nomination documents and presentations for Candidate Selection Meetings, ensuring thorough review of deliverables Ensure alignment between candidate target product profiles and clinical development requirements by facilitating cross functional discussion between Discovery and Development at appropriate project inflection points Proactively ensure that all key stakeholders are informed and onboarded appropriately as projects transition from Discovery to Development Ensure efficient communication between Discovery, CMC, Clinical Development, and other key stakeholders Creates a culture of collaboration between Discovery research teams and clinical development stakeholders Advisory and Leadership Serve as advisor and mentor to Project Managers and Project Team Leads as projects advance to Candidate Selection 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 for the advanced Discovery Portfolio Track the late discovery portfolio to ensure that milestones are aligned with system dates and that Project managers are communicating milestone shifts with finance and other stakeholders for business planning purposes Project Management (Direct Oversight of 1-2 Discovery Projects) Lead comprehensive project management for 1-2 late 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, CMC, toxicology, and external collaborators Manage project budgets and forecasts in collaboration with finance and development teams Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives for candidate advancement and selection frameworks Ensure timely preparation of materials for leadership and key decision making meetings Develop best practices for late-stage discovery that both maintain agility and support a decision-making framework Drives Discovery updates to Disease State Benchmarks, working closely with Development and other stakeholders to ensure alignment Communication & Stakeholder Engagement: 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 Basic Qualifications: 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 Additional Skills/Preferences: Advanced degree in life sciences preferred (MS, PhD) PMP preferred Excellent verbal, written communication, and interpersonal skills. Detail-oriented with strong organizational and tracking abilities Experience coordinating cross-functional scientific teams Experience bringing molecules through discovery and into clinical development Broad understanding of requirements through IND Experience navigating through ambiguities associated with early-stage discovery research Ability to anticipate key challenges and proactively propose solutions Adaptive to changes and ability to apply judgement and creative problem-solving skills to meet project and other operational needs Proficient in identifying and applying tools to effectively manage and track projects - MS Office suite, MS Project, SharePoint, and/or SmartSheet 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 Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $172,500 - $253,000 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. WeAreLilly

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Vail , Sr. Director - Candidate Advance to Candidate Selection Lead, Science, Research & Development , Louisville, Colorado