AI Director, Development Global Clinical Operations

GSK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 135,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Health and retirement benefits

Paid holidays and leave

Job summary

GSK is seeking an AI Director within DP&I to set the AI-native Development Operations strategy. You will work hands-on to prototype workflows, lead evidence-backed scaling decisions, and collaborate with enterprise AI and technology teams to deploy capabilities at scale.

You will partner with business SMEs to validate AI-enabled workflows and shape buy/build/partner decisions with commercial rigor. You will drive measurable outcomes in clinical operations, advising leaders across R&D and

Qualifications

• Bachelor?s degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
• Hands-on design and build of AI solutions in a professional setting.
• Strong understanding of agentic AI systems and their reliability.

Responsibilities

• Drive AI-native Development Operations strategy and roadmap anchored to clinical outcomes.
• Lead 0-to-1 incubation: frame hypotheses, build working AI prototypes on real workflows, define evidence to scale.
• Design and build AI systems from the ground up and oversee production deployment with engineering teams.

Skills

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Large Language Models (LLMs)

Machine Learning (ML)

Python (Programming Language)

Solution Architecture

Education

Bachelor?s degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

This role sits within DP&I (Development Operations Platforms & Innovation), part of Development Global Clinical Operations at GSK. DP&I is building the capability to deploy AI at scale across clinical operations and the wider Development Operations function, with a mandate to help reshape how GSK plans, delivers, and continuously improves clinical trials.

DP&I develops and deploys scalable, AI-native capabilities, shared foundations, and new ways of working across Development Operations. Working across clinical operations, technology, product, data, and external partners, the team builds the platforms, products, and partnerships needed to turn innovation into measurable value.

Job Purpose

As AI Director, you will drive the AI-native Development Operations strategy: defining where AI can create meaningful value across Development Operations, building working prototypes hands-on to prove it, and working with enterprise AI and technology teams to take priority capabilities from prototype into production and scaled deployment. You will work directly with business SMEs to build and pressure-test AI-enabled workflows. Where external capability is needed, you will lead vendor evaluation and shape build-buy-partner decisions with commercial rigour. This role combines strategy, hands-on solution building, and deployment judgement. It requires structured problem-solving, strong commercial and enterprise credibility, and technical depth in building agentic AI. This role reports into the Head of Asset Acceleration and AI.

You will shape how GSK uses AI to accelerate trial delivery and improve outcomes for patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive the AI-native Development Operations strategy and roadmap, anchored to measurable clinical trial outcomes.
• Lead 0-to-1 incubation: frame hypotheses, build working AI prototypes hands-on on real workflows, and define the evidence to scale, reshape or stop.
• Design and build AI systems from the ground up, then oversee handover and production deployment with our technology teams: solution architecture, evaluation, regression testing, observability, guardrails, security controls and GxP validation.
• Lead prioritisation of AI opportunities with leaders across R&D: identify priority workflow bottlenecks, define measurable outcomes, and drive alignment behind the AI-native strategy.
• Define how AI capabilities are built: the evaluations that show a solution performs, the choice of models, how agentic systems are structured, and the shared, reusable components that let builds scale, then deliver them with enterprise technology teams.
• Define the build-buy-partner approach for each priority capability, including vendor evaluation, balancing speed, differentiation, risk, cost and long-term platform value.
• Build and defend business cases with clear ROI, payback logic and success criteria; enforce stage-gates, including stopping or reshaping initiatives that do not deliver.
• Redesign the workflow around each priority capability with business SMEs and frontline users, so that deployment changes how the work is done and value is realised at scale.
• Scan the landscape for emerging AI capabilities, frontier tools and vendor offerings, translating them into implications for strategy, priorities and build-buy-partner choices.

Stakeholder Management:

• Leaders across R&D to shape strategy, priorities, secure sponsorship and align on value.
• Enterprise AI, technology, security and quality teams to build and deploy at scale.
• External vendors and technology providers to assess capabilities and shape partnerships.
• Frontline users across Development Operations so solutions solve real problems at scale.

Why You?

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• Strong experience in applied AI/technology or Pharma strategy, gained at a leading AI or technology consultancy, the AI practice of a top-tier strategy consultancy, or a comparable applied-AI environment, including hands‑on design and build of AI solutions.
• Technical depth in how agentic AI systems are built and where they break, including retrieval and context, tool use, orchestration, evaluation and reliability, with the credibility to design and build alongside engineering teams.
• Able to code in Python and SQL, with working knowledge of LLM APIs, embeddings, agent frameworks, MCP, data pipelines and cloud platforms (Azure, AWS).
• Deep understanding of clinical operations and wider clinical development, gained in industry, consulting or other relevant settings.
• Strong knowledge of industry trends and technologies shaping the future of clinical trials.
• Demonstrated experience building business cases and delivering AI-enabled transformation programmes with measurable business outcomes.
• Hands‑on experience building solutions leveraging frontier agentic development tools (e.g. Claude Code, Codex).
• Strong commercial judgement and experience shaping enterprise vendor decisions.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with the ability to translate complex strategic and technical topics for senior, non‑technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (PhD, MBA, MSc, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
• Experience taking AI from prototype into production with enterprise technology teams.
• A record of self‑initiated builds outside the day job, such as agents, tools or prototypes.
• Track record of taking AI beyond pilot to scaled adoption and portfolio‑level impact.
• Broad knowledge of Pharma R&D processes and the regulatory, scientific and operational challenges unique to the sector.
• Knowledge of GxP and compliance frameworks for deploying AI in clinical operations.

#LI-GSK*

Skills

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Machine Learning (ML), Python (Programming Language), Solution Architecture

If you are based in Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; or San Francisco, CA, the annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges $179,850 to $299,750. The US salary ranges take into account a number of factors including work location within the US market, the candidate’s skills, experience, education level and the market rate for the role. In addition, this position offers an annual bonus and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program which is dependent on the level of the role. Available benefits include health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and paid caregiver/parental and medical leave. If salary ranges are not displayed in the job posting for a specific country, the relevant compensation will be discussed during the recruitment process.

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.

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 at [e-mail] where you can also request a call.

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 Recruitment FAQ guide. Click the Link where you will find answers to multiple questions we receive

Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, GSK may be required to capture and report expenses GSK incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure GSK’s compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements. For more information, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/