Associate Director - Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement at Eli Lilly and Company

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 Associate Director of Operational Excellence (OE) and Continuous Improvement (CI) will be responsible for leading OE efforts and driving continuous improvement across the site by combining knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing with CI principles and tools. Results will include improvement across all aspects of safety, quality, environmental, reliable supply, new product commercialization, productivity, speed, and cost as well as to employee morale across all levels as more time will be spent on patient value-added activities. Methods used to deliver these improvements include both event-based (e.g., Kaizen events) as well as non-event-based daily improvements.

This role will be reporting to the Site Head. Main responsibilities include

Key Objectives/Deliverables:

• Lead the establishment of the OE & CI management systems (e.g., Lilly Operational Excellence Management System, the Lean Production systems and the associated digital integration) within assigned areas of responsibility, including the components and their interactions. 
• Establish an operational excellence roadmap for the manufacturing site
• Establish enhanced dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track performance in all key dimensions
• Act as project manager for the site integration within Lilly, ensuring that all the cross-functional focus areas are captured in the Operational Excellence Roadmap (capture focus areas, partner with functional stakeholders to define site response/timeline, facilitate site leadership review, report and communicate)
• Facilitate the deployment of system standards.

• Facilitate and execute the process of systems governance and assessment – i.e., health, maturity, and performance – as well as the continuous improvement of the systems.

• Capture benefits of CI program and report to site and executive leadership teams.
• Contribute to the OE & CI program strategy within assigned areas of responsibility.
• Collaborate with central OE & CI to provide input into the OE & CI systems design.

• Facilitate OE & CI training across all levels of employees within assigned areas of responsibility to support deployment and ongoing sustainability of OE & CI /Lean ways of working.
• Collaborate with central OE & CI to establish and actively maintain/improve training content and curricula for the key roles and capabilities necessary for the OE & CI systems.
• Serve as technical coach for other OE & CI associates to build their Lean/Six Sigma and project management skill set.

• Provide ongoing coaching and mentorship to key roles in the organization regarding the practical application of principles/tools as well as the related critical thinking skills and behavioral characteristics necessary for role effectiveness and development.
• Leverage results of systems assessment with associated feedback processes and follow-up governance mechanisms to coach key roles in the organization.

• Lead and/or partner on a variety of engagements across the site as well as within other areas of the Global Manufacturing & Quality organization.
• Serve as CI coach and partner with Site Lead Team and business area leads to facilitate the chosen methodology for a given project (e.g., Lean lighthouse, Kaizen event).
• Provide support to ensure robust organizational change management and monitoring plans are in place to sustain improvements.
• Engage routinely with sponsors to provide status updates and escalate where appropriate as issues arise.
• Ensure Lean principles and tools are integrated into both project execution and solution design.
• Partner with site leadership/functions, including site lead team and other governance forums, to identify and prioritize major productivity improvement opportunities. Leverage internal and external networking.

• Facilitate and promote internal benchmarking and the sharing of best practices related to OE & CI systems, practices, and developments through formal and informal mechanisms (e.g., events, networking, etc.).
• Participate in external Lean programs to continuously improve Lilly’s Lean approach.
• Represent the OE & CI function in a variety of forums, primarily internally, to cultivate awareness, promote direction, seek out best practices and ideas, identify and recruit talent, and facilitate relationships/partnerships that further the OE & CI mission and its own continuous improvement.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline (e.g., business, operations, supply chain, engineering, sciences).
• Seven (7) years of relevant professional experience in Operational Excellence, project management, or related field.
• Experience with leading projects/improvement initiatives using continuous improvement methodology/tools, including coaching, teaching, and mentoring.

Additional Skills/Preferences:

• Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Master Black Belt, or similar level of Lean Coach/Practitioner Certification.
• Experience in a formal leadership/direct supervisory position in manufacturing organizations (e.g. former roles in operations, quality, engineering)
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with ability to influence across organizational levels and to facilitate teaching and training of others.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change while managing multiple, shifting priorities.
• Demonstrated learning agility and ability/willingness to adapt to continual change within a startup environment.
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills.
• High level of self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
• Pharmaceutical industry specific experience/ knowledge.

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the job requirements at the time it was prepared.  The job requirements of any position may change over time and may include additional responsibilities not specifically described in the job description. For GMP purposes, the job description should be updated for significant changes.  As always, you should consult with your supervisor regarding your actual job responsibilities and any related duties that may be required for the position.

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 an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, 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 help our company develop talented individuals for future leadership roles. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, African American Network, Chinese Culture Network, Early Career Professionals, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinos at Lilly, PRIDE (LGBTQ + Allies), Veterans Leadership Network, Women’s Network, Working and Living with Disabilities. Learn more about all of our groups.

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