Sylvia Nwosu
Indianapolis,IN
Summary
Experienced leader with 15+ years of expertise leading cross-functional teams, external partnerships, and strategic program integration in biologics, small molecules, and emerging modalities. Skilled at translating complex scientific and operational challenges into scalable solutions, navigating ambiguity, and fostering alignment among stakeholders. Trusted for delivering impactful results through innovation, cultural assimilation, and inclusive leadership practices.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sr. Director – External Development Team, Bioproducts R&D
Eli Lilly & Company
10.2022 - Current
- Designed and operationalized an agile external development organization, overseeing global CDMO partnerships and delivering complex First Human Dose (FHD) milestones, including Lilly’s first ADC FHD.
- Defined operating models and integration processes in partnership with cross-functional leaders to align external program delivery with internal strategy.
- Established onboarding and governance frameworks to improve execution efficiency, role clarity, and program scalability.
- Acted as key liaison between external partners and internal governance, ensuring alignment on deliverables, timelines, and risk mitigation.
- Led talent development, career coaching, and workforce planning across a newly formed organization.
Director – Engineering, Bioproducts R&D
Eli Lilly & Company
06.2014 - 10.2022
- Directed cross-functional teams to deliver biologics clinical trial material for early and late-stage pipelines.
- Developed innovative microbial and mammalian harvest strategies, increasing scalability and reliability of manufacturing processes.
- Facilitated seamless integration of development and manufacturing by designing effective handoff strategies between functions.
- Accelerated timelines by resolving technical bottlenecks through close engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
Associate Senior Engineering Consultant – Small Molecule Design & Development
Eli Lilly & Company
08.2012 - 06.2014
- Led process development, scale-up, and tech transfer of small molecule assets to external manufacturing partners.
- Partnered with business development and technical teams to support asset readiness assessments and transition planning.
Education
Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering
University of Kansas
07-2012
M.S. - Environmental Science and Engineering
Gannon University
12-2006
B.S. - Chemical Engineering
University of Florida
08-2005
Skills
- External collaboration leadership
- Cross-functional operational strategy
- Engagement with multiple organizational stakeholders
- Strategic hiring and mentoring
- Comprehensive CMC expertise
Affiliations
- STEM Advisory Board Member – The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Lilly Rep.)
- Member – National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
- Member – Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Member – American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Certification
- Prosci Certified Change Practitioner – Lilly-based program focused on organizational transformation, stakeholder alignment, and change adoption
- Leadership Series – Training in Situational Leadership, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Executive Influence, and Strategic Decision-Making
- Inclusive Leadership & DEI Workshops – Applied training on building high-performing, psychologically safe teams
- MIT Bioprocessing Short Courses – Upstream and Downstream Bioprocess Design and Optimization
Timeline
Sr. Director – External Development Team, Bioproducts R&D
Eli Lilly & Company
10.2022 - Current
Director – Engineering, Bioproducts R&D
Eli Lilly & Company
06.2014 - 10.2022
Associate Senior Engineering Consultant – Small Molecule Design & Development
Eli Lilly & Company
08.2012 - 06.2014
Ph.D. - Chemical Engineering
University of Kansas
M.S. - Environmental Science and Engineering
Gannon University
B.S. - Chemical Engineering
University of Florida
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