At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic initiatives and drive digital transformation for GSK UK.
- Company: Join a leading pharmaceutical company committed to excellence and growth.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, diverse work environment, and opportunities for professional development.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team focused on innovation and performance.
- Why this job: Shape the future of healthcare while empowering teams to excel.
- Qualifications: Senior commercial experience in pharmaceuticals and strong leadership skills.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 150000 € per year.
As Senior Director, Business Strategy & Operations for UK Commercial you will play a critical, highly visible role in shaping the future of GSK UK. You will lead a diverse, high‑impact organisation across performance, strategy, insights, capabilities, and operations, with accountability for driving excellence and delivering against our ambitions for growth and our exciting new launches. You will be driving digital transformation, including AI acceleration to unlock enhanced impact and efficiencies across the organisation in line with core operations and processes. This role partners directly with the UK Commercial General Manager and UKLT. You will help steer the UK business through data‑driven insights, operational excellence, and strategic clarity—ensuring the organisation is aligned, performing, and accelerating delivery against our objectives.
Mission & Vision
Mission: To unleash excellence and drive growth across the UK organisation—elevating performance, accelerating strategic progress, and enabling teams to operate at their very best.
Vision: To be proactive performance enhancers—constantly hunting opportunities to make the boat go faster; We unlock insights, modernise operations, build capability, and create the conditions for high‑performance teams to win.
Core Areas of Leadership & Focus
- Driving digital transformation, including AI acceleration to enhance effectiveness & efficiencies across all core areas of focus.
- Enhancing our in‑field competitiveness through all aspects of Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE) and Sales Force Incentives (SFI) including maximising effectiveness in our high‑impact channels such as HCP meetings.
- Supporting customer‑facing teams with core platforms and processes (Veeva, NBA, etc.) whilst innovating to ensure future fitness.
- Driving enterprise‑wide capability uplift across commercial, analytical and execution excellence.
- Embedding global data, analytics, and market research into UK strategic and operational needs.
- Driving a data‑driven mindset and enabling predictive, diagnostic, and AI‑enhanced insight generation.
- Leading the UK Performance Management Process, ensuring a strong, transparent performance culture.
- Ownership of the UK Commercial Governance Framework.
- Ensuring safe, compliant, and high‑quality commercial operations.
Chief of Staff to the UK Leadership Team
- Strategic thought partnering for the UK GM and UKLT to identify organisational wide opportunities to enhance UK performance.
- Coordinate monthly UKLT meetings, setting agendas and facilitating effective discussion.
- Lead Monthly Performance Review (MPR) preparations with Region.
- Partner across the UKLT to ensure decisions are followed through to impact.
- Lead preparation for senior leader country visits, working closely with global/regional Chiefs of Staff.
- Driving continuous improvement in operating rhythms, routines, and performance discussions.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Senior commercial experience within the pharmaceutical industry.
- Demonstrated success leading commercial or operational teams.
- Proven ability to build strong relationships with senior stakeholders.
- Experience working cross‑functionally.
- Experience in omnichannel and digital transformation.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Demonstrated problem‑solving capability.
- Strong data acumen and proficiency with platforms (IQVIA, PowerBI, Azure).
- Experience with transformation & change management.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience across local, regional, and/or global pharmaceutical roles.
- Global/Regional exposure.
- MBA or equivalent strategic/leadership qualification.
Overall Impact
This role is a unique opportunity to shape the performance, strategy, and operating rhythm of one of GSK’s most important markets. You will build the conditions for organisational success—strengthening insights, capabilities, operations, governance, and strategic clarity—while empowering teams to deliver excellence and growth.
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
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.
Senior Director, Business Strategy and Operations employer: Gsk
GSK is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation and excellence are at the forefront of our mission. As a Senior Director in Business Strategy and Operations, you will have the opportunity to lead transformative initiatives that drive growth and operational efficiency, all while collaborating with a diverse team committed to high performance. With a strong focus on employee development and a culture that values data-driven insights, GSK empowers its employees to thrive and make a meaningful impact in the pharmaceutical industry.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Director, Business Strategy and Operations
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to connections in the industry, especially those who work at GSK or similar companies. A friendly chat can open doors and give you insider info that could help you stand out.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into GSK's recent projects and initiatives. Show us you’re not just familiar with the company but genuinely excited about how you can contribute to their mission and vision.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your storytelling skills! Be ready to share specific examples of how you've driven digital transformation or led teams to success. We love hearing about real experiences that showcase your impact.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team and contributing to our growth.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Director, Business Strategy and Operations
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in digital transformation and operational excellence. We want to see how your skills align with our mission to drive growth and enhance performance.
Showcase Your Leadership Skills:As a Senior Director, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to lead diverse teams and build strong relationships with senior stakeholders. Share specific examples of how you've successfully led teams or projects in the past.
Highlight Data-Driven Insights:Since this role involves a strong focus on data and analytics, be sure to include any relevant experience you have with platforms like PowerBI or IQVIA. We love seeing candidates who can leverage data to drive strategic decisions.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application through our website for the best chance of being noticed. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and ensure it gets to the right people!
How to prepare for a job interview at Gsk
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you thoroughly understand GSK's mission and vision, especially how they relate to the role of Senior Director, Business Strategy & Operations. Familiarise yourself with their recent initiatives in digital transformation and AI acceleration, as these will likely be hot topics during your interview.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that demonstrate your experience in leading commercial or operational teams. Highlight specific instances where you've driven performance improvements or successfully managed change, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. This will show that you can lead a diverse organisation effectively.
✨Data-Driven Mindset
Since this role emphasises a data-driven approach, be ready to discuss how you've used data analytics to inform strategic decisions in the past. Bring up any experience you have with platforms like IQVIA or PowerBI, as well as how you've embedded insights into operational processes.
✨Build Relationships
GSK values strong relationships with senior stakeholders, so think about how you can demonstrate your interpersonal skills. Prepare to discuss how you've collaborated cross-functionally in previous roles and how you can foster a transparent performance culture within the team.
