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- Tasks: Lead drug discovery projects from target validation to candidate selection.
- Company: GSK is a global biopharma company focused on improving health for billions.
- Benefits: Enjoy an agile working culture with opportunities for flexibility and growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in healthcare while collaborating with diverse teams.
- Qualifications: PhD, MD, or MSc in a relevant scientific field with significant drug discovery experience.
- Other info: GSK values diversity and offers equal opportunities for all applicants.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 84000 £ per year.
Overview
Join to apply for the Director- Discovery Project Leader role at GSK
Site Name: UK – Hertfordshire – Stevenage, USA – Pennsylvania – Upper Providence
Posted Date: Sep 1 2025
Are you a strategic, collaborative and visionary leader looking to drive discovery projects to key inflection points?
We’re seeking experienced Project Leaders to join the team on a permanent, full-time basis. Project Leaders within the Discovery Project Leadership Team are dedicated to the end-to-end leadership of projects spanning the entire drug discovery process, from target validation through to the selection of leads for optimization. The Discovery Project Leader (PL) is the single point of accountability to strategically lead the discovery project from target validation. This is a decision-making position with high visibility and direct interaction with senior leaders. You will lead a multidisciplinary team which will define, implement, and oversee the discovery strategy for an asset. Collaboration and influence are critical to this position as you will be working with various stakeholders across R&D, obtaining and managing resources, and delivering evidence to support candidate discovery and go/no-go decisions. The PL is accountable for leading and driving teams to perform to their best. You will use your drug discovery and development experience to develop the medicine profile drawing from your scientific, development, and business knowledge or experience.
This role will provide you the opportunity to lead key activities to progress your career, these responsibilities include some of the following.
Responsibilities
- Project Leadership – Develop a medicine vision and value proposition for the program
- Partner with subject matter experts to develop a plan to deliver on the medicine vision
- Lead the team to identify core risks to the delivery of the molecule and path to the medicine itself and put plans to mitigate these risks
- Understand next steps for the project and proactively engage appropriate subject-matter experts to plan and execute
- Responsible for establishing the decision / inflection points that enable data driven project decision-making
- Define and execute the target validation, lead identification and lead optimization strategies for your projects
- Able to reconcile data, at times with conflicting data, to make informed recommendations
Matrix Leadership
- Build and nurture high performing project teams
- Lead and inspire, be curious and strategic, and clearly communicate to the team and senior leaders
- Drive urgency across your teams to deliver timely data-driven project recommendations
- Identify and proactively address diminishes of team performance
Portfolio Context
- Understand the strategic positioning of the program to the internal portfolio and competitor landscape
- Communicate the project value proposition relative to the GSK portfolio and competitive landscape
- Recommend when GSK should continue to invest in the medicine vision, when to accelerate, and when to terminate projects in the portfolio
- Solicit engagement from the internal and external scientific community, engaging in robust dialogue that generates insight and advances scientific understanding of your projects
Why you?
Basic Qualifications
- PhD, MD, MSc, or BSc in a scientific discipline of relevance to drug discovery
- Significant years of drug discovery experience
- Extensive previous experiences of project leadership evidenced by delivering clinical candidates or justified terminations
- A demonstrable track record of developing and delivering successful outcomes through a diverse team
- A demonstrable ability to influence without authority in a highly matrixed environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Drug discovery expertise in oncology, neuroscience, renal, hepatic, respiratory and cellular & molecular immunology
- Strategic thinking and ability to lead across functions in a matrix environment
- Familiarity with modality selection and screening strategies for discovery projects
- Ability to lead a multi-discipline team including biology, chemistry, safety, computational sciences, clinical scientists, translational scientists, and others
- Ability to align resources (people and financial) to the vision; identify and fill resource gaps
- Create and lead an empowered, motivated team with diverse thinking
- Able to engage and leverage internal and external networks to drive performance
- Experience with all phases of early drug discovery from target validation to candidate selection
- Understanding of R&D across discovery and development
- Experience with multiple drug modalities, primarily small molecules and biologics
- Experience leading projects that delivered candidates for clinical progression
- Experience leading multiple projects concurrently
Why GSK?
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 focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases – to impact health at scale. We are committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture is ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing, as the foundation for delivering for patients, shareholders and our people.
Equal Opportunity
GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.
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 UKRecruitment.Adjustments@gsk.com 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.
Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments, we will not be able to support you through these channels. However, we have created a UK Recruitment FAQ guide. Click the link and scroll to the Careers Section where you will find answers to multiple questions we receive.
GSK does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact GSK\’s commercial and general procurement/human resources department to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to GSK. The obtaining of prior written authorization is a condition precedent to any agreement between the employment business/agency and GSK. In the absence of such written authorization any actions undertaken by the employment business/agency shall be deemed to have been performed without the consent or contractual agreement of GSK. GSK shall therefore not be liable for any fees arising from such actions or any referrals.
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Director- Discovery Project Leader employer: Gsk
Contact Detail:
Gsk Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director- Discovery Project Leader
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the drug discovery field, especially those who have experience in project leadership. Attend industry conferences or webinars to connect with potential colleagues and mentors who can provide insights into GSK's culture and expectations.
✨Tip Number 2
Familiarise yourself with GSK's current projects and therapeutic areas, particularly in oncology and immunology. This knowledge will help you demonstrate your understanding of their strategic goals during discussions and interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples from your past experiences where you successfully led multidisciplinary teams. Highlight how you managed resources and made data-driven decisions that led to successful outcomes in drug discovery.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your ability to influence without authority by sharing stories of how you've navigated complex team dynamics. Emphasise your collaborative approach and how it has led to improved project performance in previous roles.
We think you need these skills to ace Director- Discovery Project Leader
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights your relevant experience in drug discovery and project leadership. Emphasise your ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and your track record of delivering successful outcomes.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, clearly articulate your vision for the role and how your background aligns with GSK's goals. Mention specific projects you've led and how they relate to the responsibilities outlined in the job description.
Highlight Leadership Skills: Since this role requires strong leadership, provide examples of how you've successfully influenced teams and stakeholders in a matrix environment. Use concrete examples to demonstrate your strategic thinking and decision-making abilities.
Showcase Relevant Qualifications: Ensure you list your academic qualifications and any relevant certifications prominently. If you have experience in oncology, neuroscience, or other preferred areas, make sure to highlight this as it aligns with GSK's focus.
How to prepare for a job interview at Gsk
✨Showcase Your Leadership Experience
As a Director- Discovery Project Leader, you'll need to demonstrate your project leadership skills. Prepare specific examples of how you've successfully led multidisciplinary teams in the past, focusing on your ability to inspire and drive performance.
✨Understand the Drug Discovery Process
Familiarise yourself with the entire drug discovery process, from target validation to candidate selection. Be ready to discuss your experience in these areas and how you can apply that knowledge to GSK's projects.
✨Prepare for Strategic Discussions
Since this role involves high-level decision-making, be prepared to engage in strategic discussions. Think about how you would approach project inflection points and resource allocation, and be ready to share your insights during the interview.
✨Demonstrate Collaborative Skills
Collaboration is key in this role. Highlight your ability to work with various stakeholders across R&D. Prepare examples of how you've successfully influenced others without direct authority, showcasing your interpersonal skills.
