The Senior Program Director – Huntsville – GFD position at Eli Lilly and Company offers an exceptional leadership opportunity for experienced engineering and project management professionals seeking to lead large-scale capital projects within the global pharmaceutical industry. Based in Huntsville, Alabama, this full-time role is part of Lilly’s Global Facilities Delivery (GFD) organization, where successful candidates will oversee the delivery of complex engineering projects that support the company’s mission of developing life-changing medicines and strengthening global healthcare infrastructure.
With a competitive salary ranging from $159,000 to $255,200 per year, comprehensive employee benefits, performance bonuses, and opportunities to work on multi-billion-dollar capital projects, this role is ideal for senior professionals with extensive experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing, and project delivery.
About Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global healthcare organization headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, dedicated to discovering, developing, and delivering innovative medicines that improve lives worldwide. The company combines scientific innovation with a commitment to patient care, community service, and continuous improvement.
The Global Facilities Delivery (GFD) organization plays a critical role in delivering new and renovated capital assets that support pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical innovation, and global supply chain expansion.
About the Senior Program Director Role
The Senior Program Director will lead large-scale capital investment programmes valued at USD $1 billion or more, managing multidisciplinary teams responsible for delivering highly business-critical engineering projects.
Projects may involve both greenfield and brownfield developments, covering every phase from conceptual planning and design through construction, qualification, and operational readiness.
The successful candidate will work closely with Lilly employees, contractors, business partners, governance teams, and external stakeholders to ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with quality standards.
Key Responsibilities
The Senior Program Director will be responsible for:
Leading Major Capital Projects
- Managing programmes valued at $1 billion or more.
- Delivering capital assets from conceptual design through operational qualification.
- Leading multidisciplinary project teams composed of Lilly and external professionals.
Stakeholder Communication
- Coordinating communication between project teams and corporate leadership.
- Facilitating issue resolution.
- Managing project scope changes.
- Ensuring project delivery with safety, quality, speed, and value.
Compliance and Governance
- Implementing structured project management practices.
- Ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures.
- Maintaining project governance throughout the project lifecycle.
Safety and Environmental Leadership
- Developing project safety and environmental execution plans.
- Ensuring compliance with safety regulations.
- Overseeing contractors and subcontractors throughout project execution.
Minimum Qualifications
Applicants should possess:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field such as Project Management.
- At least 15 years of experience delivering capital projects within industrial or manufacturing environments.
- Experience leading projects or multiple projects valued at more than USD $100 million.
- Previous experience managing greenfield projects.
- Willingness to relocate and travel as required.
Preferred Qualifications
Lilly also values candidates with:
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing experience.
- Experience delivering projects involving:
- Bulk API manufacturing.
- Sterile manufacturing facilities.
- Secondary packaging.
- Medical devices.
- Laboratory facilities.
- Knowledge of:
- GMP manufacturing.
- LEAN methodologies.
- Automation.
- Construction quality.
- Project controls.
- Engineering disciplines.
- Safety management.
- Scheduling.
- Professional Engineer (PE) registration or equivalent certification.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
- Foreign language proficiency.
- International work or living experience.
- Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
Travel and Relocation
The position requires:
- Approximately 15% to 30% domestic and international travel.
- Occasional weekend travel.
- Multi-week international assignments when necessary.
- Full relocation to the project location during later phases of project execution due to onsite responsibilities.
Salary and Benefits
The anticipated salary range is:
- USD $159,000 – $255,200 per year
Eligible employees may also receive:
- Annual company performance bonuses.
- 401(k) retirement plan.
- Pension benefits.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Prescription drug coverage.
- Flexible spending accounts.
- Life insurance.
- Paid vacation and leave benefits.
- Employee assistance programmes.
- Wellness initiatives.
- Employee clubs and activities.
Compensation is determined based on education, experience, skills, and geographic location.
Diversity and Inclusion
Eli Lilly is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace and provides equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, national origin, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.
The company also supports employees through a variety of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including:
- Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network.
- Black Employees at Lilly.
- Chinese Culture Network.
- Japanese International Leadership Network.
- Lilly India Network.
- Organization of Latinx at Lilly.
- PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies).
- Veterans Leadership Network.
- Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly.
- enAble (employees with disabilities).
Why Consider This Opportunity?
This role offers experienced engineering leaders the opportunity to:
- Lead billion-dollar global capital projects.
- Work within one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.
- Contribute to expanding healthcare manufacturing capacity.
- Collaborate with international engineering and construction teams.
- Receive highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.
- Advance leadership experience in global project delivery.
Final Thoughts
The Senior Program Director – Huntsville – GFD position at Eli Lilly and Company is an outstanding opportunity for experienced engineering and project management professionals with expertise in large-scale capital project delivery. With responsibility for billion-dollar pharmaceutical infrastructure projects, strong executive leadership responsibilities, international collaboration, and an attractive compensation package, this role offers a rewarding career path for professionals committed to excellence in engineering, manufacturing, and healthcare innovation.
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