Strategy and Operations Director

Strategy and Operations Director

Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Gsk

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead strategy and operations for GSK's oncology team, focusing on improving cancer care.
  • Company: GSK, a global biopharma leader committed to making a difference in health.
  • Benefits: Inclusive workplace, competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and career development opportunities.
  • Other info: Join a diverse team dedicated to innovation and patient care.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on cancer treatment and help shape global health strategies.
  • Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and experience in leading complex projects in a matrix environment.

The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.

This job is with GSK, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

Are you looking for an opportunity to make an impact in the lives of people living with cancer and establish a new standard of care treatment for GastroIntestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST) within the GSK Oncology Franchise?

Job Purpose: Serve as the Strategy & Operations Director for GIST within Global Oncology GPS, accountable for integrating contributions across functions and geographies into a coherent strategy-to-execution system. Independently identify and prioritise business issues, frame options, and mobilise the GIST GPS Lead Team and broader matrix teams to deliver. Drive governance, strategic coherence and decision execution to ensure high-quality outputs are delivered on time and with efficiency.

Role context: The Global Oncology GPS team aims to build a leading position in GI over the next decade, with the intent to serve a broad range of needs for people living with GIST. The role operates at global level across a broad matrix of functions and markets to inform strategy, planning and delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

  • This role owns the commercial operating cadence for the Global Brand Team and ensures cross-functional contributions connect into decision-ready, high-quality outputs delivered on time.
  • Own the asset operating model and governance in an outcome-oriented way aligned to the brand ambition: set the cadence, forums and decision rights across the GPS GIST Lead Team, functions and markets; shape the team agenda and ways of working; and ensure actions and decisions are documented, communicated and driven to closure.
  • Lead integrated brand planning: translate strategy into an aligned set of priorities, milestones, dependencies and deliverables across functions, partnering with asset leaders (incl. the MCL) to ensure launch readiness and launch excellence, geographic expansion, and robust interlocks with associated functions.
  • Enable the MCT focus with a rolling mid-term perspective: connect the dots across functions and markets, raise the bar on integrated strategic thinking and deliverables quality, and challenge teams to deliver against agreed objectives.
  • Convene the team with key markets to define and refine strategy, review progress surface barriers to execution; and, in support of the MCL, translate key messages, decisions and implications from MCT into parallel governance forums (MDT), aligning narratives, hand-offs and decision timing across independent organisations.
  • Connect GPS deliverables to enterprise processes and timelines (e.g., Brand Plan, insight generation plans, performance management/MPR and earnings call briefings): orchestrate inputs, maintain consistency of narrative and data, and ensure on-time, decision-quality submissions.
  • Coordinate the planning and execution of the SG&A budget, ensuring resource allocation is aligned to overarching strategic priorities. Collaborate with individual budget owners to ensure real-time capture of spend and alignment of priorities to enable agile re-allocation of resource where needed.
  • Drive Oncology GPS priorities and peer connectivity across assets: partner with the broader Oncology operating network to coordinate GPS contributions to key forums and initiatives (e.g., Brand Summit), ensuring aligned messages, readiness of materials and follow-through of commitments.
  • Independently surface and resolve cross-functional issues: monitor signals across functions/markets, frame problems and options, and mobilise the right owners (including business partners such as Business Insights/Competitive Intelligence, Market Access, Global Medical and Clinical Development) to remove barriers and unblock delivery.
  • Continuously improve ways of working: simplify processes, clarify ownership, and introduce fit-for-purpose tools/templates to improve quality, timeliness and efficiency across the matrix.

Why You?

Education Qualification: We are seeking professionals with the following required skills and qualifications to help us achieve our goals: Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, life sciences or related field. Fluent in English; working proficiency in other European languages is an advantage.

Basic Qualification: Demonstrated experience leading complex work through others in a matrix (without direct authority), delivering outcomes on time and to a high quality bar. Proven ability to run an operating model: establish governance, decision rights, business cadence, interlocks and disciplined follow-through. Strong business acumen with experience translating strategy into integrated plans (priorities, milestones, dependencies) and driving trade-off discussions. Experience connecting to enterprise rhythms and submissions (e.g., Brand Plan, performance management/MPR, leadership updates/briefings) with consistent narrative and data integrity. Advanced problem framing and structured thinking; able to independently identify issues, quantify impact where possible, and present options and recommendations to senior leaders. Executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills, including facilitation of senior forums and challenging constructively to raise performance. Working understanding of key commercial interfaces (e.g., Business Insights/Competitive Intelligence, Market Access) and end-to-end planning linkages (including S&OP). Experience operating effectively with independent partner organisations (e.g., Global Medical and Clinical Development), ensuring coherent hand-offs and aligned decision timing.

Working Arrangements: This role can be based in either UK (GSK HQ), Switzerland (Baar) or the United States (Philadelphia).

What you will bring: You bring clear, decisive thinking and a collaborative approach. You communicate simply and respectfully. You focus on outcomes that matter to people living with cancer and their loved ones. You learn quickly and adapt to change. You build trust and help others succeed.

How to apply: If you are ready to help shape the global brand strategy and make a meaningful difference for people living with GIST, we encourage you to apply. We value inclusion and welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. We look forward to hearing how your skills can help us get ahead of disease together.

Closing Date for Applications: 21/07/2026 EOD.

Gsk

Contact Details:

Gsk Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Strategy and Operations Director

Dive Into Corporate Strategy Communities

Get yourself involved in online communities or forums focused on corporate strategy. Places like LinkedIn groups or specific Slack channels can hook you up with industry insights, trends, and many potential job leads. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts or ask questions; it’ll boost your visibility!

Attend Industry Conferences and Events

Keep an eye out for corporate strategy conferences or networking events in your area (or online!). These gatherings are gold mines for meeting hiring managers and making impactful connections. Plus, having a few good conversations can lead to job referrals at companies like Gsk!

Showcase Your Strategy Skills

Create content that showcases your knowledge of corporate strategy—think reports, blogs, or even video discussions. Sharing these on platforms like LinkedIn or Medium can demonstrate your expertise and make you stand out to employers looking for fresh talent.

Apply Directly Through Our Website

Don’t forget to apply for the Strategy and Operations Director position at Gsk via our website! This shows your genuine interest, and who knows, you might just land that interview in a matter of days. Keep your application focused on how you can add value to their strategy team.

We think you need these skills to ace Strategy and Operations Director

Strategic Thinking
Project Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Governance and Decision-Making
Business Acumen
Stakeholder Management
Problem Framing

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Us Your Strategic Thinking:When crafting your CV and cover letter, highlight your strategic analysis skills. Focus on past experiences where you've effectively assessed market trends or made impactful recommendations. Evidence-based achievements, like improving processes or contributing to significant projects, will help us see your potential for driving corporate strategy at Gsk.

Tailor Your Narrative:Don’t just send us a generic application! Personalise your cover letter by connecting your experiences and aspirations to Gsk’s mission and goals. We love seeing candidates who genuinely understand what we do; share how your vision aligns with ours and what you can bring to the table.

Highlight Relevant Academic Credentials:In your CV, make sure to showcase your academic background, especially if you have qualifications in business, economics, or analytics. We appreciate candidates who can back up their skills with relevant degrees or certifications, so don’t be shy about flaunting those achievements!

Utilise Professional Language:While we want you to be yourself, remember that corporate strategy roles demand a level of professionalism in communication. Use clear and concise language in your application materials, ensuring that your ideas come across as well-structured and sophisticated. It’s all about making a great impression right from the written application stage!

How to prepare for a job interview at Gsk

Master the Numbers

Corporate strategy often involves data analysis and financial forecasting. Brush up on your quantitative skills, and be prepared to handle case studies or numerical problems during the interview. We might get questions about how to approach market trends or assess the performance of a hypothetical company — so practice these scenarios!

Know Your Frameworks

Familiarity with strategic frameworks like SWOT, PESTLE, or Porter’s Five Forces can set you apart. We should be ready to discuss how we’d apply these tools to real-world business situations — maybe even relating them to Gsk. This shows we’re not just theory-happy but can articulate our practical application.

Engage in Strategic Conversations

In a full-time role like this, it’s crucial to show that we're engaged and informed about current trends in the industry. Keep up with major news and prepare to discuss how recent developments could impact strategic decisions at Gsk. This will demonstrate our passion and proactive approach to the field.

Showcase Relevant Experience

Whether through internships or projects, we should highlight any experience that relates to corporate strategy. Have specific examples ready to talk about how we’ve contributed to strategic growth or improvements. It's about showcasing our unique journey and how it will bring value to Gsk.