Operations Supervisor - Visual Inspection (Night Shift)

Company: Eli Lilly and Company
Location: Durham
Posted on: January 8, 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. Organization Overview: At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. For more than 140 years, we have worked tirelessly to discover medicines that make life better. These discoveries start in Lilly Research Laboratories, where our scientists work to create new medicines that will help solve our world’s greatest health challenges. Lilly is designing and building a new state of the art Parenteral, Device Assembly, and Packaging Facility in Raleigh-Durham North Carolina. This is an exciting opportunity to help build a state-of-the-art facility and Quality System from the ground up. Responsibilities: This position will start on an 8 hour, M-F schedule for onboarding, and is expected to transition to a 12-hour, 2-2-3 rotating night schedule within 2-3 weeks. The transition to night shift is a requirement of this position. During the project phase, the Operations Supervisor – Visual Inspection will support commissioning/qualification activities required to bring automated and semiautomated inspection lines into service, as well as supporting site operational readiness activities. This role is expected to be an on-the-floor leader and will be a subject matter expert for the visual inspection process. This role may have the opportunity to be directly involved with hiring team members. Concurrent with project phase, the Operations Supervisor – Visual Inspection is responsible for shift leadership for multiple drug product inspection lines within the area, as well as developing technical expertise of manufacturing employees. This individual must ensure that the manufacturing lines are adequately staffed with trained/qualified employees. Strict adherence to safety and quality rules and procedures is required. This is direct line supervision for line leaders and operators on a 12-hour shift rotation schedule. Key Objectives Support Site Leadership to build a diverse, inclusive, and capable site organization by delivering area operational procedures, quality processes and controls for Parenteral areas Responsible for hiring/managing 10 direct reports working across multiple manufacturing lines Responsible for maintaining a safe work environment, working safely, and accountable for supporting all HSE goals Ensures qualified/trained staffing for operators working on the manufacturing lines Communicate with the area Manager on quality, equipment, and operational issues and areas for improvement Responsible for the coaching, development, and performance evaluation of operators/technicians Originate/Investigate deviations or operational quality issues Collaborate with support functions to achieve a consensus for unexpected events during manufacturing Act as both administrator and technical leader for operations, setting a good example through demonstrated knowledge of procedures, compliance with quality systems and use of proper technique Responsible for shop floor execution as it relates to business plan and current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) conformance Basic Requirements: High School Diploma or equivalent 2 years previous experience in operations or directly supporting a pharmaceutical manufacturing operation Demonstrated leadership experience with an emphasis on respect for people Skills in providing/receiving feedback and creating employee development plans Basic computer skills (desktop software) are required Strong understanding of FDA guidelines and cGMP requirements Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills Strong organizational skills and ability to handle and prioritize multiple requests Strong technical aptitude and ability to train and mentor others Ability to work overtime as required Ability to travel Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position Additional Skills/Preferences: Bachelor’s Degree in science, engineering, or technical field Previous experience with automated, semiautomated, and manual visual inspection processes/equipment Previous experience in facility/area start-up environments Previous experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems and electronic batch release Experience with root cause analysis/technical writing Organizational and motivational skills Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles Additional Information: Position may include short duration assignments in Indianapolis or internationally to establish specific process knowledge, establish global contacts, and provide production support Ability to wear safety equipment (safety glasses, safety shoes, protective gloves etc.) 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 $35.33 - $51.83 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, Durham , Operations Supervisor - Visual Inspection (Night Shift), Science, Research & Development , Durham, North Carolina