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Lilly

Director - Heart Failure Research

US, Indianapolis IN Full time

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 Diabetes, Obesity and Complications Therapeutic Area (DOCTA) of Eli Lilly and Company focuses on new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diabetes, obesity and cardiometabolic diseases. Starting from an idea, we work with partners across Lilly to discover and develop novel biologic, small molecule and nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Our focus is the patient: by understanding the biology and pathophysiology underlying disease states, we aim to address the root cause of disease, and develop breakthrough therapies. We have one of the strongest pipelines in the industry and a track record of delivering impactful medicines that improve people’s lives.

Scientific and research leadership

  • Provide strategic vision and direction for heart failure drug discovery and development programs, from target identification through IND-enabling studies.
  • Lead and advise on the design, execution, and interpretation of in vivo and in vitro pharmacology studies to assess the efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and safety of therapeutic candidates with the team.
  • Identify robust animal models of heart failure (including HFpEF and HFrEF) and other cardiovascular diseases using internal and external resources.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert on heart failure biology, pathology, current treatments and next generation approaches to therapeutics.
  • Stay current with scientific literature, technology advancements, and external competitor progress to ensure the company's research remains innovative and competitive. 

Team and project management

  • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of junior and senior scientists, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and innovative culture.
  • Manage strategies, priorities, timelines and resource allocation to ensure program achievements are met efficiently.
  • Develop comprehensive project plans and risk mitigation strategies to address scientific and operational challenges.
  • Communicate program progress, risks, and results to senior management and cross-functional partners.
  • Enable outsourcing activities with contract research organizations (CROs) for specialized studies, ensuring quality and prompt execution. 

Collaboration and strategy

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including medicinal chemistry/genetic medicines/bioproducts, toxicology/ADME, bioinformatics, and regulatory affairs, to integrate data and drive program strategies.
  • Represent the preclinical team in external meetings with scientific experts, key opinion leaders, and potential partners.
  • Contribute pharmacology data to regulatory filings, including Investigational New Drug (IND) submissions.
  • Support business development efforts by evaluating external opportunities for potential in-licensing. 

Basic Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in cardiovascular biology, pharmacology, molecular biology, or a related field
  • 5+ years of industry experience in preclinical drug discovery and development, with a proven track record of advancing therapeutic programs.
  • Strong expertise in heart failure, including a deep understanding of its pathophysiology, preclinical models, and current therapeutic landscape. 

Additional Skills/Preferences

  • Demonstrated leadership and people-management skills, with experience mentoring and developing scientific talent.
  • Ability to make data-driven decisions and find innovative solutions to overcome scientific and operational obstacles.
  • Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage complex research programs with multiple workstreams. 
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific data to diverse audiences.
  • Strong interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with internal teams, external partners, and vendors. 

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 proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, 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 are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

$148,500 - $257,400

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including 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; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

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