Sr. Principal - Engineer - Process (Environmental Control)

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Houston
Posted on: March 19, 2026

Job Description:

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. Lilly is currently constructing an advanced manufacturing facility for production of API molecules located in Houston, TX. This facility is intended to provide APIs for current and future products, including new modalities. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of the startup team for a greenfield manufacturing site, and the successful candidate will help to build the processes and facility to enable a successful startup into GMP manufacturing operations. Main Purpose and Objectives: The Sr. Principal/Principal Process Engineer for Environmental Control (ECU) will support the Lilly Houston API manufacturing site and will be responsible for tank farm operations, solvent recovery systems, and air emissions systems. Responsibilities Facility Start-Up: Provide engineering support to the Global Facility Delivery Team (Lilly’s global large scale capital delivery team) with a strong focus on right first time and on-schedule facility start-up. This includes design reviews, process safety assessments, user requirements, C&Q support, unit operation shakedown and start-up, facility operational readiness. Define and own relevant aspects of the overall integrated operational readiness plan (e.g. SOP development, maintenance strategy, automation optimization, pre-startup safety reviews, alarm requirements, performance qualification requirements, protocol development, etc.) Own the qualified state of equipment for respective area of responsibility Support initial operations training requirements as the equipment and area SME Develop and implement unit operation and equipment control strategy to sustain and optimize ECU systems in support of manufacturing operations Facility Operations: Provide engineering support in ECU operations through application of chemical and/or mechanical engineering fundamentals Monitor, assess, and document equipment performance to maintain ongoing qualification Develop and maintain the basis of safety for equipment as required Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities related to equipment and processes as core member of cross-functional process team Utilize root cause analysis techniques to investigate process and equipment issues and deliver robust and sustainable corrective and preventative actions Collaborate with maintenance teams to plan and execute scheduled maintenance activities, including equipment calibration and testing Integrate mechanistic modeling, process simulation and analysis into current and future processes to enhance process understanding and control Basic Qualifications: Bachelors Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Biochemical preferred) 7 years of relevant experience in manufacturing operations (Prefer chemical or pharmaceutical) 3 years’ experience working in Process Safety Management (PSM) regulated environment (distillation preferred) 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. Additional Skills/Preferences: Deep technical interest and understanding in the field of Chemical Engineering Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a process team consisting of a diverse group of management, production, science, and engineering professionals Creativity to identify improvement opportunities and the tenacity/initiative to see them implemented Menoring/guidance of others in technical processes Flexibility to meet business needs Other Information: Occasional travel required 5 – 10% Required to be working onsite Required to be on call Occasional shift work may apply 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 Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups. Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $66,000 - $209,000 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. WeAreLilly

Keywords: Eli Lilly and Company, Texas City , Sr. Principal - Engineer - Process (Environmental Control), Engineering , Houston, Texas