Senior Director of Brand Activations & Partnerships

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.

About the Job

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. If you’re passionate about bold thinking, collaboration, and putting health above all, this is where your work can make an impact.

Position Overview

Lilly is seeking a Senior Director of Sports & Entertainment Marketing to lead the strategy, partnerships, and activation of Lilly’s global presence across sports, entertainment, and culture. This role sits within the Global Media & Partnerships team and will oversee a portfolio spanning athletes, teams, leagues, celebrity talent, entertainment content, and cultural partnerships.

Reporting to the Vice President of Global Media & Partnerships, this leader will define how Lilly authentically shows up in culture — leveraging sports and entertainment platforms to elevate the Lilly brand, support disease education, and build trust with patients, healthcare providers, and broader audiences.

This role will supervise a team responsible for managing sports and entertainment partnerships, talent collaborations, and integrated brand activations across Lilly’s enterprise. The Senior Director will ensure all partnerships deliver strategic value while maintaining a balance between Lilly’s brand intent and the authentic voice of athletes, talent, and creators.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and collaborative leader with deep experience in sports and entertainment marketing, partnership development, talent management, and integrated brand storytelling. They should have a consistent track record of building high-impact partnerships, leading agencies and teams, and navigating complex cross-functional environments within regulated industries.

Key Responsibilities

Sports & Entertainment Strategy

• Define and lead Lilly’s global sports and entertainment marketing strategy, identifying how partnerships across athletes, teams, leagues, entertainment talent, and cultural platforms can advance Lilly’s brand and business priorities.
• Establish a significant role for the Lilly brand within sports and entertainment, ensuring partnerships align with Lilly’s purpose, reputation, and strategic priorities.
• Identify and evaluate new partnership opportunities across sports leagues, teams, athletes, entertainment platforms, streaming content, and cultural moments that support Lilly’s enterprise objectives.
• Develop long-term partnership frameworks that improve impact across brand building, disease awareness, and business growth.

Talent & Partnership Leadership

• Oversee Lilly’s global athlete, celebrity, and talent engagement strategy, ensuring partnerships reflect authentic storytelling and align with Lilly’s brand values.
• Lead negotiations and strategic management of partnerships with athletes, sports leagues, teams, entertainment talent, studios, and cultural organizations.
• Ensure talent collaborations balance brand intent with authentic voice and lived experience, building trust and cultural relevance.
• Collaborate with teams to develop talent storytelling strategies that reinforce Lilly’s mission to improve health outcomes and advance understanding of disease.

Cultural Activation

• Collaborate with creative, media, and PR teams to bring partnerships to life through content, experiential marketing, media integrations, and storytelling platforms.
• Oversee creative integration of sponsorships and talent into sports programming, entertainment content, and cultural moments.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Lead and develop a team responsible for sports partnerships, talent management, and entertainment marketing initiatives.
• Provide strategic direction and mentorship to ensure high-performing execution across partnership portfolios.
• Develop a culture of collaboration, creativity, and opera