Associate Vice President Global Communications Oncology & Business Development

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: January 26, 2026

Job Description:

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 Vice President (AVP) of Therapeutic Area Communications leads global, end-to-end external and internal communications for a Lilly therapeutic area. The role is accountable for globally setting the communications strategy and ensuring strong, consistent execution in key markets including the U.S. and the International Business Unit (IBU). The AVP partners closely with affiliate and global teams to drive impactful, consumer-centric communications across geographies; steers communications around scientific data, regulatory milestones, launches, and line extensions; and proactively shapes the environment while protecting the brand through agile issues/crisis management. Additionally, the AVP has enterprise-level accountability for Business Development (BD) communications, establishing formal processes and governance to ensure strategic alignment and agile execution across all BD activities. This includes creating cross-functional teams and connecting BD communications to overall business strategy. The AVP serves as a trusted member of the Therapeutic Area Business Leader's extended leadership team, providing strategic counsel to guide business decisions, and leads an agile team of communications professionals. The position reports to the Chief Communications Officer (CCO). Key Responsibilities Therapeutic Area Communications Global Oversight and Responsibilities Owns global external and internal communications for a therapeutic area, setting strategy and driving execution across U.S. and International markets. Set the global communications execution plan for the therapeutic area and drive execution excellence across markets (U.S. and IBU). Provide governance and oversight with colleagues in affiliates and global functions to ensure alignment, measurement, and excellence of execution. Lead environment-shaping communications to support strong launches of new molecules and indications integrated with the relevant Global Customer Offer key capabilities. Provide communications support around key data and regulatory milestones, including scientific disclosures and approvals. Develop and implement innovative, consumer-centric approaches that resonate with patients, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders. Establish and maintain relationships with top-tier and emerging media; engage non-traditional outlets (digital creators, podcasters, niche media) to effectively reach target audiences. Lead executive visibility and communications for the Therapeutic Area Business Leader; provide media training, counsel, and coaching to internal partners. Media training, communications counsel and coaching to internal business partners Manage day-to-day work with PR agencies and other external partners to deliver high-quality outcomes. Anticipate, prioritize, and prepare to manage potential issues in the media; lead agile issues/crisis response. Serve as spokesperson as appropriate; conduct and/or facilitate interviews with local, national, and international media. Business Development Communications Leadership Establish and lead formal governance structure for BD communications, elevating from current execution-level management to strategic enterprise function. Create and implement standardized processes for how BD communications are managed from deal inception through announcement and integration. Serve as primary communications liaison with Corporate Business Development, Investor Relations, and business unit BD leads to ensure early visibility into pipeline. Build and deploy agile communications teams for BD opportunities, pulling together appropriate expertise (legal, regulatory, medical, investor relations, media relations, employee communications) based on deal scope and complexity. Provide strategic counsel on communications implications of potential deals, including reputation considerations, stakeholder impact, and external positioning. Connect BD activities to overall business and communications strategy, ensuring BD communications planning aligns with therapeutic area priorities, enterprise narrative, and investor positioning. Develop playbooks and frameworks for different types of BD announcements (acquisitions, licensing, partnerships, collaborations, divestitures). Drive stakeholder mapping and planning for complex BD transactions, ensuring comprehensive internal and external communications plans. Lead an agile team of communications colleagues and coordinate cross-functional readiness spanning early development through commercialization. Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Healthcare, Science, or Policy Minimum 10 years of experience in Corporate Affairs/Communications or closely related fields (e.g., Government Affairs, Advocacy & Professional Relations, Policy). Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or broader healthcare sectors. Experience managing complex, confidential business transactions and announcements. Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization and/or visas for this role. Required Skills & Competencies Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategic and creative communications plans, including digital and social media. Proven experience setting global communications strategies and driving execution across multiple markets (U.S. and IBU). Executive presence with the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure; strong interpersonal skills across organizational levels. Track record of collaboration, consensus-building, and influencing cross-functional partners. Project management excellence and learning agility; ability to handle multiple priorities and senior stakeholder interactions. Media relations expertise, including engaging A-list media and serving as a spokesperson. PR agency management and vendor oversight. Experience in executive communications/speechwriting and integrated media strategies (traditional and innovative platforms). Issues/crisis management capabilities. Experience building processes, frameworks, and governance structures from the ground up. Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to translate business needs into communications that advance objectives. Preferred Qualifications Experience engaging online patient communities in collaboration with affiliate partners. Direct experience supporting scientific data disclosures, regulatory milestones, and launch preparations. Prior experience in M&A communications, business development communications, or investor relations. Experience working directly with Corporate Development or Business Development functions. Financial acumen and understanding of how business transactions impact company valuation and investor perception. Additional Information Location: Indianapolis (preferred). Travel: Domestic and occasional international travel (10-15%). Reports to: Chief Communications Officer (CCO). 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 $232,500 - $341,000 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. WeAreLilly

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Terre Haute , Associate Vice President Global Communications Oncology & Business Development, PR / Public Relations , Indianapolis, Indiana