Group Leader, Packaging & Distribution Development

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. The Delivery, Device, and Connected Solutions (DDCS) organization at Eli Lilly designs, develops, and commercializes drug delivery systems, devices, and packaging that bring medicines to patients around the world. DDCS enables nearly $4 billion in pharmaceutical sales and continues to grow. Position Overview: This role leads our Secondary Packaging and Product Distribution team, which owns packaging, shipping qualification, and cold-chain distribution solutions that protect Lilly's clinical and commercial portfolio from development through patient delivery — including drug product and drug-device combination products. We're looking for an experienced packaging and distribution leader with strong combination product development expertise to build and grow a high-performing team responsible for secondary packaging design (cartons, trays, labels, printed components) and product distribution systems (cold-chain and ambient shipping qualification). This role integrates packaging and shipping deliverables directly into drug and combination product design control, giving this leader the technical depth to represent packaging within the broader device-drug development lifecycle. It's a strategic leadership role with the influence to shape patient-centered packaging design, drive cross-functional alignment with Device Development, CMC, Quality, and Regulatory, and elevate the technical capability of the team. Key Responsibilities: Team Leadership & Talent Development Lead, coach, and grow a team of packaging and distribution engineers, building deep technical bench strength and clear career paths. Set team strategy and priorities that align with Lilly PR&D and enterprise portfolio goals. Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, and patient-centered thinking. Manage workload, capacity planning, and succession planning across the team. Represent DDCS packaging and distribution capabilities in cross-functional governance and portfolio planning forums. Coach team members on combination product design control principles, building the team's fluency in device-drug integration alongside core packaging engineering skills. Technical Strategy — Packaging & Distribution Innovation Set the long-term strategy for secondary packaging and product distribution platforms, including cold-chain and ambient shipping solutions. Ensure "full-process" integration of shipping and secondary packaging deliverables to inform and derisk product design, process development, and verification and validation for Lilly's clinical portfolio (both drug product and drug-device combination products). Champion new technologies and design innovations that improve product protection, sustainability, and the patient experience. Design and develop innovative, technically sound packaging solutions for new devices (including sterile device components), container platforms, and new drug modalities. Develop and implement AI and automation technologies to scale the team's work and gain efficiency across packaging design, documentation, testing, and distribution qualification workflows. Define and verify product stability requirements against shipping hazards such as vibration, shock, vacuum, and thermal stress. Develop robust secondary packaging solutions (including cold chain packaging) and distribution processes. Guide th…

View the full posting and apply