Senior Director - Patent Counsel

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Indianapolis
Posted on: March 3, 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. Lilly is seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director - Patent Attorney passionate about providing solutions-oriented advice and counselling for issues facing Lilly in discovery, development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Individual must be motivated by working in a dynamic environment with broad responsibility. This position reports to the Associate Vice President and Assistant General Patent Counsel of Cardiometabolic Health and peptide modalities and requires close collaboration with other members of the Lilly Legal Patent team and business leadership. Responsibilities Draft and prosecute pharmaceutical patent applications in all jurisdictions, primarily related to peptides and biologic therapeutics in accordance with business requirements, patent laws and Lilly policies and procedures. Proactively analyze risks and develop sound strategic and tactical approaches/solutions with appropriate consideration of business objectives and the environment. Advise teams and senior management about exclusivity, freedom to operate, due diligence, contract, licensing, and litigation risks in a manner consistent with the law, ethics, and Lilly policies; communicate advice in a clear and concise manner. Develop, coordinate, support and, optionally, lead inter and ex parte challenges in all jurisdictions related to Lilly and/or third-party portfolios. Participate and contribute to overall strategy established through departmental mentorship forums related to patent procurement or litigation strategies. Lead with a continuous improvement mindset by remaining proficient in global laws, court precedents, and regulations pertinent to pharmaceutical products; apply knowledge appropriately in carrying out individual responsibilities as well as opportunities within the team and organization. Prioritize, lead, and manage projects; contribute to the implementation of new policies and procedures; lead task-directed teams. Contribute to efficiency, collegiality, and collaboration. Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field that together with prior work experience, provides sufficient background for effective communication with scientists and management about scientific aspects of discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule products. Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) Degree Minimum of four years of post-JD experience as a patent attorney in a law firm or industry. At least 4 years of experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications relating to prosecuting peptide and biologics (large molecule), and some experience preparing and prosecuting small molecule patent applications. Licensed to practice law in at least one of the 50 States and licensed to represent clients in patent matters before the USPTO 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 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 Skills/Preferences Highly motivated and collaborative partner with the ability to work effectively with team members and members of management across all levels of the organization. Demonstrated leadership and efficiency in working with senior leadership. Experience in the pharmaceutical industry in a scientific position in drug discovery or development or demonstrated significant experience with and knowledge of drug discovery and development, and/or with patent litigation relating to pharmaceutical products. Innovative and proactively sees opportunities and looks for new, creative solutions. Ability to influence and lead ambitiously in a dynamic environment. High learning agility, including: creatively solving problems; having ability to deal with complexity; dedication to expand knowledge and adapt to a changing environment; and having the ability to make the sophisticated understandable. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence others. Demonstrated ability to appropriately handle confidential information. Additional Information: Preference is this role will be Indianapolis based. 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 $154,500 - $226,600 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, Bloomington , Senior Director - Patent Counsel, Science, Research & Development , Indianapolis, Indiana