Associate Director - Optimization Lead

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 GBS Capability Optimisation and Automation (GCOA) organisation is a strategic function focused on transforming finance operations through intelligent automation and AI. GCOA acts as a centralised capability hub, enabling scalable, secure, and compliant solutions that deliver measurable business value.  

GCOA partners with finance and technology teams to:  

• Identify automation opportunities. 

• Design innovative solutions. 

• Embed automation as a core enabler of operational excellence and digital transformation. 

Role Overview - Associate Director - Lead Optimization (P4) 

The Associate Director – Lead Optimization within GCOA serves as a strategic partner bridging the business functions and the GBS organisation.  You are responsible for the Optimization team managing a portfolio of transformation projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives, and driving the successful delivery of key programmes, ensuring solutions are implemented efficiently, on schedule, and to the highest quality standards. Your leadership will foster a culture of continuous improvement, compliance, and portfolio management excellence.  

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Optimization specialists, facilitating skills development and knowledge sharing. 

• Collaborate with business partners, quality leaders, and infrastructure teams to understand needs, provide regular updates, and ensure alignment with evolving business needs and compliance standards. 

• Provide hands-on direction, troubleshooting, and support to team members, championing best practices in portfolio delivery. 

• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks throughout the project lifecycle. Monitor solution quality, and ensure compliance to robust testing and validation processes, and regulatory and security standards. 

• Allocate resources effectively, balancing team skills and project demands. Track performance metrics, delivery milestones, and KPIs to ensure projects remain on track and deliver measurable business value. 

• Drive process improvements, champion new automation technologies, and facilitate the adoption of innovative solutions that deliver tangible impact to users and the organisation. 

• Foster a culture of agility, learning, and iterative delivery. Facilitate retrospectives, encourage feedback, and help teams reflect and improve their ways of working. 

• Coordinate adherence to maintaining clear documentation of project plans, roadmaps, user stories, and technical designs. Ensure governance protocols are followed, including change control and compliance reviews. 

• Establish and maintain robust programme governance structures, including regular portfolio reviews, risk management, and escalation processes. 

The Optimization Lead role is central to the success of GCOA’s automation initiatives, leading our engagement relationship with business stakeholders, translating functional needs into actionable delivery plans, drive sustained business value, compliance, and innovation across the organization. 

Essential Qualif