Director – Small Molecule External Innovation

Eli Lilly and Company

Director/Senior Director leading external innovation in small molecule discovery at Lilly. Sourcing and evaluating external capabilities while guiding partnerships and collaborations.

Posted 5/18/2026full-timeIndianapolis • California, Colorado, Massachusetts • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $148,500 - $217,800 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Source and evaluate external capabilities, technologies, and assets across all three pillars, drawing on your drug discovery expertise and understanding of LSMD's strategic needs
Maintain a structured pipeline of external opportunities — including potential asset acquisitions, research collaborations, and discovery partnerships — with clear status tracking, strategic fit assessment, and next steps
Build and sustain relationships across the biotech, venture capital, academic, and CRO ecosystems to surface opportunities aligned with LSMD's priorities
Represent SM E&I at partnering events (JPM, BIO, BioEurope), venture showcases, and scientific conferences
Lead cross-functional scientific due diligence by coordinating input from LSMD experts across medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, automation, pharmacology, biophysics, and AI/ML
Author structured evaluation reports, investment theses, and governance presentations for senior leadership
Own and maintain a living competitive landscape across SM E&I's key technology domains — tracking partnership activity, asset licensing transactions, technology acquisitions, and emerging science that may shift LSMD's priorities
Translate landscape intelligence into clear, actionable strategic recommendations for LSMD leadership
Partner closely with Therapeutic Area Search & Evaluate teams, Lilly Research Labs, Lilly's venture ecosystem (Catalyze360), and Corporate BD to ensure portfolio coherence and execution quality

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD (with 7+ years of experience), Master degree (with 10 + years of experience) in pharmaceutical or biotechnology R&D, with a foundation in drug discovery or translational science
3+ years of experience in external innovation, search and evaluation, business development scouting, or a similar function involving systematic evaluation of external scientific opportunities
Broad scientific literacy across drug discovery fields — chemistry, biology, pharmacology, AI/ML, automation, and translational science — with the ability to coordinate and synthesize specialist input
Experience conducting or leading structured scientific due diligence for licensing, collaboration, or investment opportunities
Strong written communication skills, with experience preparing evaluation reports or governance materials for senior leadership
Familiarity with the external biotech and health-tech ecosystem, including experience engaging venture-backed and early-stage companies
Familiarity with at least two technology areas such as: macrocyclic drug design, targeted protein degradation, AI/ML driven drug discovery, automation, protein–protein interaction modulators, or DNA-encoded libraries
Exposure to deal structures (research collaborations, licensing, option agreements, asset acquisitions) sufficient to contribute meaningfully to strategic deal discussions
Strong business sense with demonstrated ability to persuade, and influence across internal and external partners
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with a track record of building trust and influencing across functions and seniority levels
Ability to manage multiple concurrent evaluations in a dynamic environment
Collaborative personality well-suited to a small, high-autonomy team

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

drug discoverytranslational sciencescientific due diligencemacrocylclic drug designtargeted protein degradationAI/ML driven drug discoveryautomationprotein–protein interaction modulatorsDNA-encoded librariesbusiness development scouting

Soft Skills

strong written communicationinterpersonal skillscollaborative personalityability to persuadeinfluence across functionsbuilding trustmanaging multiple evaluationssynthesizing specialist inputstrategic recommendationsdynamic environment adaptability

Certifications

PhDMaster's degree