Finance Innovation Leader

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.

The Finance Innovation Lead (Sr. Manager) will be responsible for leading end-to-end digital transformation of the Finance function in China, with a core focus on scaling automation and AI initiatives to drive operational efficiency, cost optimization, and data-driven decision-making. This role requires strategic ownership, cross-functional leadership, and deep expertise in translating business needs into scalable automation solutions—while aligning with global standards and empowering local teams. 

Strategy Development & Execution

Design, implement and define the short-term and long-term digital innovation strategy for China Finance, focusing on automation, AI and data integration—aligning with global Finance objectives and local business priorities.​

Drive continuous optimization of the innovation roadmap, adapting to market changes, regulatory requirements, and emerging technologies (e.g., generative AI for finance use cases).​

Own the end-to-end governance of automation projects, including risk assessment, compliance validation, and post-implementation review to ensure sustained value.

Project Leadership

Lead the development and deployment of AI and automation projects across Finance processes in China. as project manager to deliver complex, cross-functional automation/AI projects—setting clear goals, delegating responsibilities, and fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.​

Drive agile project delivery, ensuring flexibility to adapt to changing requirements while maintaining timeline, quality, and scalability of solutions.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams and global Finance to provide technical, automation and AI solutions that enhance team working efficiency.

Capability Building and Team Enabling

Drive upskilling of Finance teams in automation and AI technologies, designing and executing a comprehensive, phased digital upskilling program to build proficiency in automation tools, data literacy, and AI-enabled finance processes.​

Lead organizational change management initiatives to drive adoption of new automation/AI solutions—addressing resistance, communicating value, and establishing feedback loops to refine user experience.​

Foster a culture of innovation within Finance, encouraging team members to identify automation opportunities, test new technologies, and share best practices across global and local teams.

System Ownership & Data Integration

Serve as the global-local liaison for core Finance systems and local automation platforms, owning system performance, integration, and continuous improvement.​

Lead the Integration and optimization of  local financial big data platforms with global data standards

Global Collaboration & Representation

Represent China Finance in global automation/AI steering committees, advocating for local needs and sharing best practices to influence global strategy.

Collaborate with global/IBU automation leads to ensure consistency in technology standards, process design, and knowledge sharing—while customizing solutions to address China-specific business requirements

Measure and communicate the business impact of automation initiatives (e.g., cost savings, cycle time reduction, error rate improvement) to global and local leadership, using data to justify further investment in innovation.

Qualification/Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Information Technology, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Proven experience in automation, AI implementation, and digital transformation within Finance.

Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills.

Excellent communication skills in English and Mandarin.

Ability to work collaboratively across global and local teams.

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.

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