Discovery Disease Area Lead, Neurology

Site Name: UK – Hertfordshire – Stevenage, USA – Pennsylvania – Upper Providence
Posted Date: Jan 15 2025

At GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), we are dedicated to improving the quality of human life by leveraging scientific advancements to develop better medicines with reduced attrition. Through our Discovery Disease Area Leads (DDAL), we enable target identification, selection, and validation at scale, driving innovation and excellence across our R&D landscape.

Job Purpose:

As the Discovery Disease Area Lead, Neurology, you will be at the forefront of our mission, driving the discovery and validation of therapeutic targets in neurological diseases. You will lead a cross-functional, highly matrixed team of scientists, clinical staff, and pharma experts to identify and validate high-quality targets using large-scale experimental and in silico approaches. Your efforts will ultimately contribute to translating human disease phenotype information into actionable therapeutic innovations.

Key Responsibilities:

The responsibilities listed below outline the scope of the position. The application of these tasks may vary, based upon evolving business needs.

Portfolio Execution

• Portfolio Generation and Oversight: Generate and oversee the pre-Commit to Target (C2T) project portfolio in neurology.

• Target Delivery: Regularly deliver small pools of high-potential targets that fulfill all C2T quality criteria based on therapeutic area-defined target medicine profiles for bespoke target validation.

• Senior Management Interface: Influence Senior R&D management by identifying and communicating portfolio risks and opportunities.

• Strategy Execution: Drive development and implementation of key components of the neuroscience strategy in RTech for the Research Units.

• Team Representation: Ensure appropriate representation of lines/functions within the operational matrix team.

Neuroscience Expertise

• Neuroscience Expertise: Apply deep experience in Neuroscience drug discovery, focusing on clinically relevant target identification through human-first discovery approaches.

• Scientific Excellence: Drive best-in-class science across Research Technologies and Research Units (RUs).

• Strategic Partnership: Partner proactively with Research Units and Research Technology Leadership to provide strategic scientific input into disease phenotype discovery and therapeutic target identification.

• External Engagement: Maintain connection with neuroscience experts, KOLs, and societies to ensure solid strategic guidance on the emerging neuroscience understanding which could impact the portfolio and priorities.

• Clinical Insight: General understanding of clinical treatments for ALS, PD and AD, and emerging innovative trial design and biomarkers.

• Business Case Development: Lead the creation of strong business cases that align with RU and RTech strategies.

• External Opportunities Assessment: Collaborate with Business Development to assess external opportunities.

Strategic Alignment

• Framework Adherence: Ensure adherence to decision frameworks up to C2T, incorporating relevant stakeholders.

• Resource Coordination: Coordinate resources from RTech and RUs to cover all steps from patient identification, strategic ideation, target screening, triage, large-scale validation, and presentation.

• Risk Management: Elevate resource challenges, project risks, pipeline risks, and opportunities to Research Tech LT.

• Resource Allocation: Make recommendations to department heads (RTech and RUs) on areas to reduce, postpone, or stop.

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Minimum of an MD or PhD degree or extensive drug discovery and development experience.

• Experience: Extensive years of progressive pharmaceutical experience required, including key project leadership roles in programs that progressed to the clinic and/or approval for neurological indications.

• Leadership Skills: Proven track record of exceptional team and cross-functional leadership.

• R&D Expertise: Experience with neuroscience R&D programs, scientific and clinical strategies.

• Research Program Design: Ability to design a comprehensive drug discovery program to reach a critical milestone.

• Data Interpretation: Strong data interpretation and report/presentation writing skills.

• Global Mindset: Demonstrated ability to assimilate complex science quickly and work globally.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to work cross-functionally, cross-geography, and with high-level managers and executives.

• Communication Skills: Excellent executive communication skills.

• Time Management: Ability to manage multiple demands and priorities on time, lead teams, gain alignment, and drive decision-making.

• Networking: Access to internal and external networks of experts.

• Travel Requirement: Up to 20% travel (mostly international).

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Why GSK?

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

GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and the use of new platform and data technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/ immunology and oncology).

Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued, and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are open to all talent. In the US, we also adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to neurodiversity, race/ethnicity, colour, national origin, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class*(*US only).

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on or 0808 234 4391. The helpline is available from 8.30am to 12.00 noon Monday to Friday, during bank holidays these times and days may vary.

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