Associate Director- Cold Chain Transportation COE

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.Position SummaryThe Associate Director actively drives the Global Transportation and Cold Chain strategic and operational agenda. The role combines driving strategic and operational initiatives as well as hands-on operational execution for transportation activities with project management leadership for key COE initiatives that advance Lilly's global logistics network. This role will actively support the transportation transformation initiative enabled by the implementation of Regional Transportation Hubs.This is a working leadership role for a candidate who can move fluidly between operational problem-solving (carrier issues, excursion management, customs holds, lane performance) and structured project delivery (productivity initiatives, cold chain qualifications, compliance programs). The ideal candidate brings deep cold chain and transportation expertise, working knowledge of GDP, and the discipline to support Transportation Quality and regulatory processes across multiple geographies.Key ResponsibilitiesTransportation Center of ExcellenceExecute the global transportation strategy across all temperature-controlled lanes and modesMaintain GDP/GMP-compliant standards for cold chain shipments across marketsMaintain and execute business continuity plans for transportation disruptionsDrive IoT monitoring use and own the operational response to temperature excursionsOversee multi-modal transportation operations (air, ocean, ground, parcel)Provide operational oversight of carriers, freight forwarders, and 3PLs against SLAs and KPIsSupport import/export operations including customs clearance, documentation andnINCOTERMS application,Optimize lanes and networks for cost, service, sustainability, and complianceCollaborates with TMS adoption, real-time visibility tooling, and analytics rolloutsPartner with Import/Export Compliance teams to ensure trade, customs, and hazmat compliance across jurisdictionsSupport thermal packaging selection, qualification, and lane-specific validationsOperational ExecutionServe as the COE's operational point of accountability for transportation business processesTriage and resolve in-flight transportation issues, escalations, and exceptionsRun operational governance cadences (carrier reviews, lane performance, excursion reviews)Drive root-cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions on recurring operational issuesProject Management for Key InitiativesLead end-to-end project management for COE initiatives (scoping, planning, stakeholder alignment, execution, closeout)Manage cross-functional workstreams across Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Trade Compliance, IT, and CommercialMaintain integrated project plans, risk/issue logs, and executive-ready status reportingApply structured PM methodology (stage-gate, Agile, or hybrid) appropriate to each initiativeTransportation Quality & Regulatory ComplianceApply GDP knowledge to support compliance with Transportation Quality and regulatory processesPartner with Quality on deviations, CAPAs, change controls, and audit readiness for transportation activitiesEnsure sound risk analysis and documentation for our transportation processesSupport inspections and audits (internal, regulatory, customer) related to transportation and cold chainLeadership & Cross-Functional ResponsibilitiesOperational ExcellenceSupport KPI definition and governance across the COE's global transportation and cold chain operationsDrive continuous improvement using Lean / Six Sigma methodsSupport the Global Transportation transformation initiative, including the Regional Transportation Hubs rolloutStakeholder EngagementPartner daily with Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Trade Compliance, and Commercial teamsMaintain working relationships with logistics service providers and cold chain solution providersRepresent the COE in cross-functional forums and operational reviewsChange ManagementChampion adoption of new transportation processes, systems, and digital toolsBuild cross-functional alignment on operational changes driven by COE initiativesCoach and develop more junior team members and matrixed contributors on transportation operations and project deliveryBasic RequirementsBachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Science or related field5+ years in global transportation or logistics operations with direct accountability for carrier management, lane performance, and cross-border shipment execution — including 3+ years specifically in cold chain or temperature-controlled logistics in a regulated industryQualified 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 or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.Additional PreferencesMaster's degree in Supply Chain Management or MBAHands-on TMS experience (SAP TM, Oracle TMS, MercuryGate, or equivalent) and IoT monitoring platforms (Sensitech, Berlinger, Controlant, or equivalent)Import/export operational experience: trade documentation, INCOTERMS, customs clearance across multiple jurisdictionsAccountable project lead on cross-functional initiatives with defined scope, schedule, and stakeholder reporting from initiation through closeoutPharmaceutical or regulated-industry background on the shipper side — not exclusively CDMO or 3PLAPICS CSCP, CLTD, or CTL certificationPM