Principal Software Engineer

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.

About the Technology Organization
Technology at Lilly builds and maintains capabilities using pioneering technologies like many prominent tech companies. What differentiates Technology at Lilly is that we create new possibilities through technology to advance our purpose, creating medicines that make life better for people around the world, through initiatives such as data-driven drug discovery and connected clinical trials. We hire the best technology professionals from a variety of backgrounds, so they can bring an assortment of knowledge, skills, and diverse thinking to deliver solutions in every area of our business. About the Business Function
The Software Product Engineering (SPE) team is a specialized engineering group that delivers strategic solutions and differentiated capabilities. We take a forward-thinking approach, focusing on an enterprise platform and product mindset, ensuring that the solutions we build can be leveraged across Technology teams for broader impact and efficiency.

Role Summary
We are looking for a passionate and driven Software Engineer to join our AI & Platform team. In this role, you will design, build, and scale intelligent systems that leverage the latest advances in Generative AI and Large Language Models. You will work closely with product, data science, and infrastructure teams to deliver robust, production-grade solutions that power real-world use cases across the organization. You should be comfortable working across the stack, from crafting clean backend services to contributing to frontend experiences and be excited about the rapidly evolving landscape of agentic AI, model-context protocols, and cloud-native architecture.

What You’ll Be Doing

Key Responsibilities

1. Design, develop, and maintain scalable software across backend and frontend components Build and integrate Generative AI and LLM-powered capabilities into production systems Implement agent-based AI workflows aligned with MCP and A2A-style protocols

2. Containerize and deploy applications using Docker and cloud platforms 3. Collaborate with cross-functional teams in Agile/Scrum environments

4. Write clean, testable, and maintainable code using object-oriented principles 5. Contribute to architectural decisions involving microservices and cloud-native patterns Participate in code reviews, technical discussions, and knowledge-sharing activities
Required Qualifications

1. Hands-on experience with at least one programming language: Python, Go, or TypeScript Experience building or integrating Generative AI or LLM-based solutions

2. Understanding of object-oriented design principles and common design patterns

3. Familiarity with agentic AI concepts and frameworks (MCP, A2A, or similar) 4. Experience with Docker and container-based development Working knowledge of cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP Experience with both SQL and NoSQL databases Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

5. Experience with frameworks such as React, Next.js, or FastAPI Knowledge of microservices and distributed system design Experience with BDD or TDD practices

6. Familiarity with authentication and authorization mechanisms (OAuth, JWT, SAML, etc.) Exposure to Kubernetes or container orchestration platforms Experience working in Agile/Scrum delivery models

7. AI-Enhanced Development Leverage AI tools like GitHub Copilot and Claude Code to accelerate development workflows, improve code quality, and reduce boilerplate. Demonstrate proficiency in prompt engineering to effectively guide AI tools in generating optimal and context-aware code solutions.

8.Use AI-assisted pair programming to support rapid prototyping, test case generation, and debugging. Stay informed about the evolving landscape of AI-powered development tools and integrate best practices into day-to-day engineering work.

9.Encourage and mentor team members on responsible and secure use of AI in the software development lifecycle.

Basic Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s degree in computer science , or a related technical field. 8+ years of hands-on software development experience across frontend and backend systems.

2. Demonstrated ability to lead code reviews, guide junior engineers, and build production-grade software.

3. Strong foundation in computer science fundamentals, software architecture, and cloud-native patterns.

4. Soft Skills Effective verbal and written communication skills Ability to work collaboratively across backend, frontend, DevOps, and product teams A high degree of intellectual curiosity and commitment to continuous learning

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.