Principal Project Engineer- Design Lead

Job ID: R-108353Company: LillyLocation: Houston, Texas, United States of AmericaJob Type: Full TimeCategory: EngineeringPosted Date: 2026-07-07At 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. 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.The Global Facilities Delivery (GFD) Organization, part of Corporate Engineering and Continuous Improvement, delivers new and renovated capital assets around the world. Our mission is accomplished through a highly leveraged organization of design, construction and qualification contractors. Many of the assets delivered focus on medical innovation and delivering innovative solutions to patients. Some of the assets delivered will support an expansion in supply of existing medicines or making the supply chain more robust. The Design Lead (DL) will serve in the following capacity:Responsibilities:Lead in the identification of the applicable Engineering Design Standards, Engineering Functional Standards, Engineering Specifications and Regulatory requirements and guidance (both internal and external).Be responsible for the overall design delivery for capital project(s).Coordinate all design for the Project Manager during all design phases of the project and be responsible in delivering the conceptual design review and basic design review.Direct the development of the design requirements.Assist in development and maintenance of the design schedule to meet the project needs.Participate in the selection of the A/E firms.Coordinate with A/E firms to develop earned value progress systems to measure progress by discipline (monitor work versus invoice amounts).Expedite design decisions and coordinate information flow between the design team and system owners.Be responsible for ensuring the design meets approved intent through interactions between the design firm, design specialists, engineering tech center disciplines, and end user/customer.Be responsible for design activities and governance, resolving design-related problems.Examine areas of inefficiency and develop strategies for improvement to direct the design team to meet or improve on the design hours plan.Assist in the development of standard operating procedures, project delivery work instructions, and/or best practices related to design/verification and ensure they remain current with industry best practices.Review and approve along with the respective Project Manager the key design project personnel (both internal and external resources). Work with Engineering Tech Center resources and other key project team technical/constructability resources to address and resolve design issues.Ensure replication is achieved during design when applicable.Support the Project Manager for value engineering exercises efforts to maximize project opportunities.Review design-related invoices prior to approval and participate in KPI reviews/assessments.Participate in the selection of the verification professional services.Accountable for the development of the Project Verification Plan, Traceability Matrix, and risk assessments (not necessary lead the execution).Basic Requirements:BS in Engineering (Chemical or Mechanical preferred)Minimum of 8-years manufacturing and/or engineering experience in support of pharmaceutical or API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) networksQualified 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-1Additional Preferences:Pharmaceutical process or project engineer experienceStrong project management skillsAbility to effectively facilitate conflict to resolutionAbility to influence all levels of the project and site personnelUnderstanding of the capital project delivery process, A/E design activities, and the understanding of the available Lilly technical resources (user reps, Engineering Tech Center resources, and design specialists)Demonstrated values that are consistent with the Lilly valuesAble to frame complex decisions/analyses, facilitate to a decision, and implement according to the planAbility to create creditability and influence to align decision agreements between site(s), corporate engineering, A/E firm decision-makers, and stakeholders who have differing opinionsExperience facilitating issue resolution, anticipating scope changes, and implementing projects safely with quality, speed and valueWillingness to relocate and/or travel to locations outside of home state/country and have the demonstrated ability to work from long distances with little supervisionComfortable maintaining an in-office presence 3-4 days per weekAdditional Information:Travel can be both domestic and international, on average about 25%, depending on the phase of the projectThe potential of co-location at the A/E firm or the job site to support C&Q activities for periods of time could occur based on project needsLilly 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 () 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 (View email address on click.appcast.io), 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$66,000 - $171,600Full-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.#WeAreLillySkillsengineering design standardscapital project deliverypharmaceutical process engineeringproject managementearned value managementrisk assessmentverification and traceabilitystandard operating proceduresvalue engineeringa/e coordinationstakeholder managementconflict resolutiondesign review facilitationdesign governanceinvoice reviewkpi assessmenta/e firm selectiondesign schedule developmentdesign requirements developmentdesign problem resolution