Executive Medical Director - Physician - Early Clinical Development, Aesthetic Medicine

Executive Medical Director, Early Clinical Development

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 workbut 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.

We are seeking a high-impact physician scientist and emerging industry leader to join our Aesthetic Medicine team as Executive Medical Director, Early Clinical Development. This role is designed for a clinical translational leader ready to step into enterprise influence, bridging the critical gap between discovery science and clinical application, driving the development of transformational medicines for people seeking aesthetic and dermatologic treatments.

The successful candidate will serve as a strategic and scientific leader, connecting discovery scientists, translational/biomarker experts, early clinical physicians, clinical pharmacologists, and late-stage clinicians to craft compelling therapeutic hypotheses and efficiently test them in early clinical development with line of sight to full development and approval. This role requires strong matrix leadership, executive presence, and the ability to inspire high-performing teams, influencing cross-functional partners and advancing both internal and external portfolio opportunities to bring transformational treatments to people seeking aesthetic medicine solutions.

This position is ideal for a proven industry Director/Sr Director seeking broader leadership scope, enterprise visibility, and the opportunity to help build a dynamic and growing Aesthetic Medicine organization at Lilly.

Primary Responsibilities

Strategic Portfolio Leadership

Collaborate with discovery, translational medicine, and clinical teams to develop and refine therapeutic hypotheses for aesthetic medicine indications, including skin health and quality, facial aesthetics, and body aesthetics

Participate in prioritization of target and modality selection, integrating scientific rigor with clinical feasibility, unmet needs, and commercial potential, with particular attention to transformational potential of proposed programs

Evaluate and diligence external discovery and early clinical opportunities for potential partnerships or acquisitions

Provide scientific and clinical expertise to portfolio strategy to ensure a robust pipeline of transformational medicines in aesthetic medicine

Act as a visible strategic leader within the aesthetic medicine portfolio, influencing direction, investment decisions, and development priorities

Clinical Development Excellence

In collaboration with stakeholders, design early clinical studies that efficiently test therapeutic hypotheses

Collaborate with clinical pharmacology, biostatistics, regulatory affairs, operations, Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), and other stakeholders to optimize study design and execution

Integrate translational endpoints, biomarker strategies, and validated aesthetic scales and patient-reported outcome measures to accelerate and maximize learning from early clinical studies and enable early decision-making

Contribute to regulatory interactions, including pre-IND, IND submissions, interactions with ex-US health authorities, as well as regulatory strategy development

Monitor patient safety and ensure compliance with GCP, FDA, ICH guidelines, and company policies

Drive innovative experimental medicine approaches and accelerate progression from first-in-human through proof-of-concept

Cross-Functional Leadership & Influence

Serve as scientific and medical expert across multiple therapeutic programs simultaneously

Lead early clinical strategy in cross-functional teams through matrix influence, aligning diverse stakeholders around common objectives

Facilitate decision-making processes across discovery, development, and commercial functions

Mentor and develop junior team members while building scientific capabilities across the organization

Operate as a culture-shaping leader who elevates performance, accountability, and collaboration across teams

External Partnerships & Scientific Exchange

Establish and maintain relationships with key opinion leaders and scientific experts in aesthetic medicine, dermatology, and plastic surgery

Represent Lilly at scientific conferences, advisory boards, and industry forums

Support business development activities through clinical scientific due diligence

As appropriate, identify, evaluate, and execute strategic partnerships with CROs, biotech companies, academic institutions, and research organizations to enable the discovery and early development portfolio and strategy

Enhance Lilly's external scientific presence as a thought partner and collaborator in aesthetic medicine innovation

Regulatory & Medical Affairs Support

Partner with regulatory colleagues on IND strategy, FDA interactions, and global development planning

Contribute medical expertise to regulatory submissions and agency communications

Support risk management planning and safety signal evaluation

Participate in data analysis, scientific publications, and medical communications

Help shape development strategy and regulatory positioning for early-stage aesthetic medicine assets

Minimum Qualifications

Medical Doctor or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Must be board eligible or certified in Dermatology, Plastic Surgery, or related specialty or have completed the comparable level of post-medical school clinical training relevant to the country of hiring. US trained physicians must have achieved board eligibility or certification. Physicians trained outside the US who are not US board eligible or certified may be hired directly for employment in the US at the discretion of the hiring manager.

Non-US trained physicians must have completed education and training at a medical school that meets the requirements of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

Preferred Qualifications

Minimum 5 years of pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry experience with progression to Director or Sr Director responsibilities in early clinical development

PhD in Skin Biology, Regenerative Medicine, Pharmacology, or related field strongly preferred

Demonstrated experience in early-phase clinical trial design and execution in aesthetic indications

Strong background in translational medicine and biomarker development or application

Track record of successful cross-functional collaboration and matrix leadership

Deep understanding of skin biology, the pathophysiology of aging and aesthetic conditions, and the current aesthetic medicine therapeutic landscape

Experience with novel aesthetic and dermatologic therapeutic approaches (injectables, neuromodulators, biostimulatory agents, biologics, small molecules, regenerative medicines, device-based treatments)

Knowledge of regulatory requirements for early clinical development (IND/IDE strategy, FDA interactions, global regulatory agencies)

Familiarity with target identification/prioritization through causal human biology in areas of high unmet need, translational endpoints, biomarker strategies, precision medicine approaches, clinical pharmacology, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling

Previous experience in aesthetic medicine, dermatology, or plastic surgery therapeutic areas

Publication record in peer-reviewed journals demonstrating scientific leadership

Experience with business development, licensing, or partnership activities

Previous regulatory interactions and FDA or other health authority meeting experience

Advanced degree or fellowship training in clinical research or pharmaceutical medicine

Experience with innovative experimental medicine trial designs and adaptive study approaches

Demonstrated ability to lead programs, influence strategy, and operate effectively in a fast-moving, high-visibility portfolio environment

Key Competencies

Scientific Leadership:

Ability to synthesize complex scientific data and translate into actionable clinical strategies

Strategic thinking and hypothesis generation capabilities

Critical evaluation of competitive landscape and market opportunities

Matrix Leadership & Influence:

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills

Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and build consensus across diverse teams

Strong negotiation and conflict resolution capabilities

Cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively in a global environment

Executive presence with the ability to engage senior stakeholders

Execution Excellence:

Autonomous work style with strong project management capabilities

Results-oriented mindset with focus on patient impact and business objectives

Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, evolving environment

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

External Engagement:

Ability to build and maintain relationships with external scientific and clinical community

Strong presentation and public speaking capabilities

Professional network within the aesthetic medicine, dermatology, and plastic surgery research community

Credibility as an emerging external scientific leader in aesthetic medicine

Additional information and expectations

Travel: 10