Sr. Principal Associate - HSE - Environmental (Water SME)

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. 

This role provides strategic and technical water management expertise within Global HSE, supporting global manufacturing, research, and other relevant business operations. The position advances company standards and long-term strategies for wastewater management, water use and recycling, groundwater quality, and drinking water compliance, while translating emerging regulatory and industry developments into practical, risk-based global solutions that support evolving business needs. The role provides senior-level expertise for complex and high-risk water issues, serves as a technical resource on regulatory matters, and contributes to enterprise policy, capital planning, and long-term environmental risk reduction through technical judgment, governance, and cross-functional leadership.

• Define and advance global water management strategies, requirements, and performance standards for manufacturing, research, and other relevant operations through ownership of enterprise technical requirements.

• Assist new sites in obtaining environmental permits and in identifying and implementing operational and engineering controls.

• Establish and evolve global water program data, tools, and metrics — including water use analytics, site self-assessments, and corporate audit findings — to track performance, benchmark progress, and drive sustainable improvement.

• Anticipate, interpret, and influence external water policy, legislation, and regulatory developments, translating them into actionable internal requirements and guidance that advance environmental stewardship and operational flexibility.

• Provide technical support to influence legislation and regulations involving technology-based and water quality-based standards.

• Partner with site and functional HSE teams to strengthen capability, providing the tools, technical guidance, and consultation required to sustain compliance and drive local continuous improvement in water pollution control.

• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to water pollution control professionals across global sites, including leadership of technical forums and communities of practice.

• Represent Lilly, as appropriate, in external industry groups, trade associations, and regulatory forums.

• Coordinate technology initiatives such as best available technique/technology determinations.

• Provide senior-level expertise for complex, high-risk deviation events and permitting oversight upon request.

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline

• 10+ years of progressive experience in water pollution control practices, treatment technologies, and regulatory affairs in complex regulated environments.

• Expertise in US Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Oil Pollution Prevention Act statutes and regulations, EU IPPC licensing, and applicable international requirements.

• Experience in pharmaceutical API manufacturing or another highly regulated industry, including site-based operational experience.

• Expertise in wastewater treatment technologies, water reuse and recycling, and groundwater quality management.

• 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.

• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in engineering, environmental science, or a related technical discipline preferred.

• Strong working knowledge of risk assessment methodologies and their application to environmental decision-making.

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders through technical credibility, sound judgment, technical writing, and disciplined project execution.

• Demonstrated ability to translate technical and regulatory complexity into clear recommendations for diverse audiences, including senior leadership, regulatory agencies, and elected officials.

• Experience establishing standards, governance, or enterprise-wide environmental programs in a global, multi-site organization.

• Experience engaging with regulatory agencies, industry associations, and third-party environmental service providers.

• Experience using data, metrics, and digital tools to assess performance, communicate risk, and support environmental decision-making.

• Travel: 10–20% annually; domestic and international travel to manufacturing sites, external conferences, and industry working groups

• Standard business hours with occasional flexibility required to support global time zones.

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 (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

$115,500 - $184,800

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.

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