Executive Medical Director – Early Clinical Development, Immunology

Eli Lilly and Company

Executive Medical Director guiding early clinical development for Immunology at Lilly. Bridging discovery science and clinical application for transformative patient therapies.

Posted 5/10/2026full-timeBoston • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $265,500 - $389,400 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Google Cloud Platform

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Collaborate with discovery, translational medicine, and clinical teams to develop and refine therapeutic hypotheses for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases
Participate in prioritization of target and modality selection, integrating scientific rigor with clinical feasibility, unmet needs, and commercial potential, with particular attention to transformational potential of proposed programs
Evaluate and diligence external discovery and early clinical opportunities for potential partnerships or acquisitions
Provide scientific and clinical expertise to portfolio strategy to ensure a robust pipeline of transformational medicines in autoimmunity and inflammation
Act as a visible strategic leader within the immunology portfolio, influencing direction, investment decisions, and development priorities
Design early clinical studies that efficiently test therapeutic hypotheses
Collaborate with clinical pharmacology, biostatistics, regulatory affairs, operations, and other stakeholders to optimize study design and execution
Integrate translational endpoints and biomarker strategies to accelerate and maximize learning from early clinical studies and enable early decision-making
Contribute to regulatory interactions, including pre-IND, IND submissions, interactions to ex-US health authorities, as well as regulatory strategy development
Monitor patient safety and ensure compliance with GCP, FDA, ICH guidelines, and company policies
Drive innovative experimental medicine approaches and accelerate progression from first-in-human through proof-of-concept
Serve as scientific and medical expert across multiple therapeutic programs simultaneously
Lead early clinical strategy in cross-functional teams through matrix influence, aligning diverse stakeholders around common objectives
Facilitate decision-making processes across discovery, development, and commercial functions
Mentor and develop junior team members while building scientific capabilities across the organization
Operate as a culture-shaping leader who elevates performance, accountability, and collaboration across teams
Establish and maintain relationships with key opinion leaders and scientific experts in autoimmunity and inflammation
Represent Lilly at scientific conferences, advisory boards, and industry forums
Support business development activities through clinical scientific due diligence
As appropriate, identify, evaluate, and execute strategic partnerships with CROs, biotech companies, academic institutions, and research organizations to enable the discovery and early development portfolio and strategy
Enhance Lilly’s external scientific presence as a thought partner and collaborator in immunology innovation
Partner with regulatory colleagues on IND strategy, FDA interactions, and global development planning
Contribute medical expertise to regulatory submissions and agency communications
Support risk management planning and safety signal evaluation
Participate in data analysis, scientific publications, and medical communications
Help shape development strategy and regulatory positioning for early-stage immunology assets

Requirements

What you’ll need

Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathy
Must be board eligible or certified in Rheumatology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Allergy/Immunology, or related specialty or have completed the comparable level of post-medical school clinical training relevant to the country of hiring
US trained physicians must have achieved board eligibility or certification
Physicians trained outside the US who are not US board eligible or certified may be hired directly for employment in the US at the discretion of the Chief Medical Officer
Non-US trained physicians must have completed education and training at a medical school that meets the requirements of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
Minimum 3–5+ years of pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry experience with progression to Director or Sr Director responsibilities in early clinical development
PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, or related field strongly preferred
Demonstrated experience in early-phase clinical trial design and execution
Strong background in translational medicine and biomarker development or application
Track record of successful cross-functional collaboration and matrix leadership
Deep understanding of immunology, autoimmune disease pathophysiology, and current therapeutic landscape
Experience with novel immunomodulatory approaches (biologics, small molecules, cell therapies, genetic medicines)
Knowledge of regulatory requirements for early clinical development (IND strategy, FDA interactions, global regulatory agencies)
Familiarity with target identification/prioritization through causal human biology in areas of high unmet need, translational endpoints, biomarker strategies, precision medicine approaches, clinical pharmacology, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling
Previous experience in autoimmune therapeutic areas (autoimmune, inflammatory, and allergic diseases within gastroenterology, rheumatology, dermatology, and respiratory specialties)
Publication record in peer-reviewed journals demonstrating scientific leadership
Experience with business development, licensing, or partnership activities
Previous regulatory interactions and FDA or other health authority meeting experience
Advanced degree or fellowship training in clinical research or pharmaceutical medicine
Experience with innovative experimental medicine trial designs and adaptive study approaches
Demonstrated ability to lead programs, influence strategy, and operate effectively in a fast-moving, high-visibility portfolio environment

Benefits

Comp & perks

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
well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities)

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

early-phase clinical trial designtranslational medicinebiomarker developmentimmunomodulatory approachesclinical pharmacologypharmacokinetic modelingpharmacodynamic modelingregulatory strategyIND submissionsdata analysis

Soft Skills

cross-functional collaborationmatrix leadershipstrategic leadershipmentoringdecision-makinginfluencingrelationship buildingcommunicationaccountabilitycollaboration

Certifications

Medical DoctorDoctor of Osteopathyboard certification in Rheumatologyboard certification in Dermatologyboard certification in Gastroenterologyboard certification in Allergy/Immunology