Senior Director, R&D AI & Technology Portfolio

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Senior Director, R&D AI & Technology Portfolio

As the Senior Director, R&D AI & Technology Portfolio, you will provide strategic oversight, portfolio analytics and decision support for GSK's R&D AI and technology investments. Working closely with the SVP, R&D Technology Transformation and Operations, you will connect insights across priority programmes, strengthen transparency and value assurance, and help senior leaders make informed investment choices. This is a highly influential senior individual contributor role, operating across R&D through collaboration and influence rather than direct ownership of programme delivery.

This senior role is based in the United States. It is hybrid, combining regular on-site collaboration with remote work flexibility. You will need to be available for on-site meetings as required.

For candidates seeking to be located at our Stevenage site, this role will temporarily be based at Stevenage. However, the Company plans to relocate its offices to Cambridge, UK. The location of this role will therefore subsequently change to Cambridge, UK in accordance with timelines to be set by the Company. The relocation is currently proposed to take effect by early 2029.

This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career. These responsibilities include some of the following:

• Shape the portfolio view for priority AI and technology investments across the R&D value chain, aligned with scientific and business priorities.
• Support investment prioritisation by assessing delivery progress, expected value, strategic alignment, risks and cross-programme dependencies.
• Lead the Technology Investment Board secretariat, including agenda development, decision-ready content and preparation of programme teams.
• Provide independent analysis and recommendations to the SVP, R&D Technology Transformation and Operations and other senior leaders.
• Evaluate strategic choices, including whether capabilities should be built internally, bought, developed with partners or explored through acquisition.
• Build effective relationships across R&D, Finance and programme teams to create transparency and turn cross-functional input into action.

In this role you will

• Own portfolio analytics and reporting, creating a credible view of programme status, investment, benefits, risks and delivery confidence.
• Identify common capabilities, dependencies and risks across the portfolio, and recommend actions that improve collective value and delivery.
• Lead the content and operating cadence for Technology Investment Board meetings, ensuring topics and submissions are ready for senior decisions.
• Work with programme teams to test assumptions, challenge optimistic reporting constructively and improve the quality and consistency of evidence.
• Track the external AI and technology ecosystem, peers and potential partners, translating insights into implications for portfolio strategy.
• Mobilise ambiguous, cross-functional work without formal authority, establishing governance, securing outputs and communicating clear recommendations.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications & Skills:

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience in strategy, portfolio management, life sciences, technology or transformation.
• Minimum 10 years of experience providing strategic oversight or analysis across a complex portfolio of programmes, investments or transformation initiatives.
• Understanding of pharmaceutical R&D and the ability to work credibly across different stages of the R&D value chain.
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills, including the ability to turn complex evidence into executive-level recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and deliver outcomes through matrix teams without relying on formal authority.
• Experience establishing governance, mobilising ambiguous cross-functional work and driving tangible outputs with limited supervision.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

Please note the following skills are not necessary, just preferred, if you do not have them, please still apply:

• Background in management consulting, R&D strategy, corporate strategy, business development or enterprise transformation.
• Experience with AI or technology strategy, portfolio management, or assessing external technology and competitive developments.
• Experience supporting build, buy, partner or acquisition assessments involving technology capabilities or vendors.
• Experience preparing content for an investment board, executive committee or similar senior governance forum.
• Experience partnering with Finance on investment performance, portfolio metrics, benefits tracking or value assurance.
• Confidence using AI-enabled productivity and analytical tools, such as Microsoft Copilot, to improve insight and efficiency.

What we value

We act with transparency, respect and accountability. We look for people who are curious, practical and focused on outcomes that help patients. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to inclusion.

Ready to apply?

If you are motivated to shape strategic decisions across a high-impact R&D AI and technology portfolio, we encourage you to apply. We look forward to hearing from you.

Closing Date for Applications – 27th September 2026

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Please take a copy of the Job Description, as this will not be available post closure of the advert. 

When applying for this role, please use the ‘cover letter’ of the online application or your CV to describe how you meet the competencies for this role, as outlined in the job requirements above. The information that you have provided in your cover letter and CV will be used to assess your application.

At GSK, we have bold ambitions for patients, aiming to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. Our R&D focuses on discovering and delivering vaccines and medicines, combining our understanding of the immune system with cutting-edge technology to transform people’s lives. GSK fosters a culture ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and committed to doing the right thing, making sure that we focus our efforts on accelerating significant assets that meet patients’ needs and have the highest probability of success. We’re uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together.

Find out more:  

Our approach to R&D

Skills

AI Ops, Change Management, Communication, Consulting, Cross-Departmental Collaboration, Decision Making, Financial Acumen, Innovation, Investment Management, Leadership, Portfolio Management, Portfolio Management Strategies, Project Management, Project Management Governance, Risk Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Leadership, Visionary Thinking

 

 

Please visit  GSK US Benefits Summary to learn more about the comprehensive benefits program GSK offers US employees.

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines. We focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases – to impact health at scale.

People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we’re committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people.

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