Head of China Early Development and Site Lead - ExploR&D

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.

• Location: China
• Reports to: CMO, ExploR&D

Travel: 40-50% domestic and international travel

About Lilly

At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

About Explor&D

At the 2024 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Lilly announced Catalyze360, our external innovation platform designed to accelerate biotech collaboration and unlock transformative science. Catalyze360 is built on three strategic pillars: Lilly Ventures, Lilly Gateway Labs, and ExploR&D.

ExploR&D is Lilly’s translational engine for external innovation—designed to harness our world-class scientific and operational capabilities to help biotech partners advance their programs from early development to meaningful value inflection and ultimately to patients. By combining dedicated resources with flexible global expertise, ExploR&D creates shared value, strengthens Lilly’s innovation network, and positions Lilly as the partner of choice for biotechs worldwide.

In China, ExploR&D is pioneering a new model of global value creation—leveraging the country’s dynamic drug discovery ecosystem to drive translational and early-stage development. This role is a key part of the Catalyze360 team, serving as Lilly’s bridge to China’s entrepreneurial life sciences community. It fosters deep scientific exchange and collaboration to develop medicines that help people live longer, healthier, and more active lives. Crucially, this role will leverage Lilly’s expertise to identify, grow, and accelerate opportunities into the global Lilly portfolio.

In This Role, You Will:

1. 1. Build and Lead the China Site with APAC Partnership
2. 2. Drive Full Life Cycle Strategy for Local Early Development
3. 3. Deliver High-Impact Results Through Functional Leadership
4. 4. Serve as China Explo R&D Site Head and Inspire Team Excellence
5. 5. Champion Partnerships & Ecosystem Engagement

• Establish and lead a high-performing, cross-functional team with direct and matrixed reports across key translational functions (e.g, Regulatory, CMC, Operations, Medical).
• Provide strategic oversight for ExploR&D activities in China and the broader APAC region, ensuring alignment with Lilly’s external innovation strategy.
• Serve as a key connector between Lilly and China’s biotech ecosystem, fostering scientific exchange and collaboration.
• Evaluate and expand early clinical development capabilities across APAC, with an initial focus on China.
• Lead the design, planning, and execution of China-led early development programs, ensuring strategic alignment with global priorities.
• Provide expert guidance to partner programs to optimize value creation, leveraging both local insights and Lilly’s global infrastructure.
• Conduct rigorous scientific and operational due diligence on external biotech opportunities in collaboration with the ExploR&D External Partnering team.
• Support IND preparation and early-phase clinical trial design across diverse modalities and therapeutic areas.
• Manage relationships with local vendors to support a dynamic and fast-paced development portfolio.
• Cultivate a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusion, and respect across the team.
• Ensure site operations meet Good Clinical Practice standards, local regulatory requirements, and Lilly’s quality expectations.
• Provide mentorship and leadership to support team capability development and continuous improvement.
• Represent ExploR&D at partnering meetings, industry conferences, and academic forums to elevate Lilly’s presence in China.
• Build and nurture relationships with biotech leaders, academic institutions, and regulatory bodies to bring cutting-edge science into Lilly’s portfolio.
• Pilot innovative R&D approaches emerging from China that can inform and enhance global development strategies.
• Facilitate the flow of external opportunities into Lilly’s early development pipeline through strategic engagement.

Role Requirements

• MD (or equivalent) with a minimum of 5 years clinical practice; advanced degree (Master’s/PhD) in translational science, clinical pharmacology, or related field preferred.
• 15+ years industry experience in early drug development, (Pharma, Biotech, CRO) with a proven track record in early clinical development and IND preparation.
• Deep understanding of China’s biotech and regulatory landscape; strong local network preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership of cross-functional teams; prior experience as a site head or local GM preferred.
• Demonstrated success working across cultures and time zones in a matrix environment. Focus on excellence in science and people, and a culture based on leadership and teamwork that creates a work climate and culture exemplifying Lilly values.
• Fluent in English and Mandarin, with exceptional interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.

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 does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

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