Associate Director - Occupational Health Services

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 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.

Position Overview The Associate Director is a leadership role with overall accountability for the management, performance, governance and continuous improvement of Occupational Health services at the Kinsale manufacturing site. The role combines departmental leadership with active clinical practice, requiring the post-holder to lead the function while also delivering core Occupational Health clinical activities where required.

The role has direct responsibility for service delivery, people leadership, team capability, clinical governance and operational performance, as well as oversight of contracted staff and outsourced Occupational Health support services.

A key responsibility is to lead change management initiatives within Kinsale Occupational Health, ensuring continuity of service, clinical quality, safety and regulatory compliance throughout.

The Associate Director works in close partnership with Global Employee Health Services and site leadership to deliver responsive Occupational Health services that support site operations, employee wellbeing and business continuity.

The Associate Director will provide visible, credible and direct leadership across the service, with direct accountability for people leadership, performance management, clinical governance, team capability and stakeholder engagement across site leadership, HR, HSE and global teams.

Ways You'll Contribute

Leadership and Operational Management

• Provide overall leadership for the Occupational Health service, setting clear direction, priorities and standards for delivery.

• Be accountable for day-to-day service delivery, staff management, operational performance and clinical governance.

• Lead and manage the Occupational Health team, including workload allocation, workforce planning, staffing coordination, service scheduling, performance management, development and support.

• Maintain a visible presence across the site, with regular engagement in operational areas to understand risks, support teams and ensure Occupational Health services remain responsive to site needs.

Change Management

• Coordinate and lead change management initiatives within Kinsale Occupational Health, acting as the local lead for planning and implementation.

• Align local processes, governance, procedures and incident reporting with Global Employee Health Services requirements.

Operational Performance and Site Partnership

• Develop, monitor and report Occupational Health service KPIs and service demand indicators, using data to drive quality, responsiveness, compliance and operational effectiveness.

• Build strong working relationships with site leadership, HR, HSE and Global Employee Health Services, providing Occupational Health input to relevant forums and decision-making processes.

• Work in close partnership with site leadership to ensure Occupational Health services support local operational needs, workforce health and business continuity.

• Communicate clearly and effectively with stakeholders across local, regional and global structures.

• Participate in relevant Global Employee Health Services operational meetings and initiatives as required.

Occupational Health Clinical Leadership

• Lead the Occupational Health case management programme, ensuring high-quality, consistent and well-governed outcomes.

• Ensure case management supports attendance, safe return to work, employee wellbeing and business continuity.

• Work closely with the Occupational Health Physician and other specialists to support effective escalation, referral and management of complex or high-risk cases.

• Deliver core clinical Occupational Health activities where required, including health surveillance and case management.

People Leadership and Professional Practice

• Provide line management and professional leadership to Occupational Health staff and, where applicable, contracted or outsourced providers.

• Ensure staff maintain appropriate registration, training, competence and professional standards to deliver safe, high-quality practice.

• Support team development, supervision and capability building across the service.

• Address gaps in competence, practice or compliance through coaching, development or escalation as appropriate.

• Promote a culture of professional accountability, reflective practice and continuous improvement.

Clinical Governance, Service Quality and Development

• Lead clinical governance across Occupational Health, ensuring quality, safety and risk are effectively managed.

• Maintain policies, protocols and procedures in line with regulatory and organisational requirements.

• Work with the Occupational Health Physician to ensure appropriate oversight of complex or high-risk cases.

• Maintain an effective audit and assurance programme to support compliance, continuous improvement and accreditation readiness where applicable.

• Drive service quality improvement to ensure occupational health services remain responsive and aligned to site and business needs.

• Partner with site stakeholders and Global Employee Health Services to develop and deliver wellbeing, health promotion and prevention programmes aligned to workforce and business needs.

Vendor and Outsourced Service Management

• Oversee contracted staff and outsourced Occupational Health services, ensuring quality, compliance and effective integration with site operations.

• Support departmental resource management, including equipment, supplies, vendor coordination and operational planning.

• Review and define service scope, standards and performance measures with Procurement and relevant stakeholders.

• Monitor outsourced service performance and act where improvement is needed.

• Ensure clear referral, communication and escalation pathways are in place across internal and outsourced service delivery.

Qualifications & Professional Experience Essential

• Registered Nurse with current NMBI registration.

• Postgraduate qualification in Occupational Health Nursing (e.g. Postgraduate Diploma or MSc in Occupational Health / Occupational Health Nursing).

• Minimum of 10 years’ post-registration clinical experience, including substantive Occupational Health practice.

• Minimum of 5 years’ management experience leading an Occupational Health department, service or function, with direct accountability for operational delivery, people leadership, service performance and clinical governance.

• Demonstrated formal line management experience, including workload allocation, objective setting, performance management, capability development and supervision.

• Proven experience leading and developing Occupational Health services and teams.

• Experience owning and leading core Occupational Health programmes, including case management and compliance-driven services, within a regulated or complex environment.

• Strong knowledge of Irish occupational health legislation, professional standards and clinical governance requirements.

• Proven ability to influence and lead across multi-stakeholder environments, including site leadership, HR, HSE and global or multi-site structures.

• Commitment to maintaining personal clinical competence and undertaking ongoing CPD appropriate to the role.

• Current occupational health competencies relevant to the delivery of health surveillance and occupational health assessments, including certification in audiometry and spirometry, with the ability to personally support clinical service delivery where required.

• Experience overseeing outsourced or contracted Occupational Health services, with accountability for quality, compliance and performance.

• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification; Advanced BLS / Immediate Life Support training is an advantage.

Desirable

• Formal management or leadership qualification (e.g. Certificate or Diploma in Management, healthcare leadership qualification, MBA modules or equivalent).

• Experience leading or supporting service accreditation or inspection readiness, such as SEQOHS or equivalent.

• Experience operating within biotech, pharmaceutical, manufacturing or other highly regulated environments.

• Experience contributing to global or regional Occupational Health or employee health initiatives.

Location: Kinsale, Cork, Ireland. Working Pattern: Full-time, on site; remote working is not available.

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 does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.