[Hiring] Associate Creative Director @Lilly

Role Description

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.

As Lilly's in-house agency, Thread Collective, we fuse data, creativity, and technology to turn bold ideas into work that moves people worldwide. We deliver human-centric experiences that build trust, deepen understanding, and drive measurable outcomes.

Thread Collective is elevating creative excellence through sharp ideation, strategic rigor, operational craft, emerging technology, and empowered teams. We’re seeking an Associate Creative Director with global agency and pharmaceutical account experience to bridge Lilly and our external creative agencies.

What We Are Looking For

• Agency-Seasoned Creative Leader — Global creative agency veteran with a portfolio of distinctive, insight-driven, multi-channel campaigns, including TV and video.
• Pharma Industry Navigator — Healthcare creative fluent in medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) review and workflows.
• Critic & Educator — Confident communicator who gives rigorous, constructive critique and models Lilly processes for new-to-pharma agencies.
• Quality-Driven Brand Steward — Meticulous professional who ensures consistency, quality, and brand alignment in every deliverable.

What You’ll Work On

• Serve as the embedded creative leader to agencies new to Lilly from scoping through completion.
• Help sharpen briefs and consumer insights, pressure-test concepts for MLR viability and distinctiveness.
• Give constructive critique that pushes agency work past typical pharma conventions toward human, differentiated ideas.
• Help define what agencies and Thread Collective each own, execute, consult on, QC.
• Join pre-production and shoots as needed, and guide work back from launch dates to set asset needs and delivery.
• Verify agency handoff packages, then brief Thread Collective studio teams and oversee pull-through of tactics through final approval.
• Connect creative to results that turn learnings into reusable standards that meet brand, accessibility, and regulatory guidelines.
• Guide staff to generate case studies, sizzle reels and other documents promoting Thread Collective partnerships.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years as Creative Director, Associate Creative Director, or equivalent, including global creative agency experience and a portfolio of award-winning work.
• Link to portfolio required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Pharmaceutical or healthcare marketing experience, including MLR or similar regulatory review.
• Proven ability to evaluate and elevate creative concepts developed by others.
• Strong consulting and presentation skills to educate and influence partners at all levels.
• Working knowledge of TV and video production, from pre-production to final asset delivery.
• Experience with Adobe Suite, Figma, Microsoft Office, Claude, and other relevant apps.
• Effective capacity management across multiple concurrent agency engagements.
• Ability to swiftly diagnose process pain points and implement solutions via project planning.
• Agency experience on the Eli Lilly account or other similar pharmaceutical companies.
• Understanding of healthcare marketing, including the rigorous claims compliance review process.
• Hands-on experience with annotation, launch-readiness processes, and documentation and cross-functional reviews.
• Experience moving work between agency and in-house teams, including playbook handoff, and campaign pull-through.
• Strong collaborative presence with an ego-free approach to driving results through influence versus direct authority.
• Fluency in brand, content and omnichannel strategy.

Other

• Position based in Indianapolis; remote work options may be considered. Relocation package provided.
• Travel up to 15% is expected.
• Lilly may provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role for internal applicants only.
• Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce.
• Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status.

Compensation and Benefits

• Anticipated wage for this position is $132,000 - $193,600.
• Eligible for a company bonus based on performance.
• Comprehensive benefit program including 401(k), pension, vacation benefits, medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits.
• Flexible benefits including 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.