Cardio-Renal Discovery Disease Area Lead

GlaxoSmithKline; Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Healthcare

Pension plan

Share plan

Hybrid work model

Job summary

GlaxoSmithKline is seeking a Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal, to guide target identification and validation at scale within a matrixed R&D environment. You will lead a cross-functional team of scientists, clinical staff, and pharma experts to translate human phenotype data into actionable therapeutic targets focused on renal and cardio-renal diseases.

You will drive strategy development, oversee portfolio execution, and collaborate with Research Units to align with RU and R&D

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in a relevant field; extensive drug discovery and development experience preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years in pharmaceutical industry with progressive leadership roles.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and strategic planning capabilities.
• Experience in renal or cardiovascular R&D programs and target discovery.
• Excellent communication and ability to work across geographies.

Responsibilities

• Lead discovery and validation of therapeutic targets in renal and cardio-renal areas.
• Direct cross-functional teams of scientists, clinicians, and pharma experts.
• Define and drive strategy for renal/cardiovascular research programs.
• Communicate portfolio risks and opportunities to senior R&D management.
• Develop robust business cases aligning with R&D unit strategies.
• Engage with external experts, KOLs, and societies for strategic input.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Scientific communication

Global mindset

Travel willingness

Education

PhD or equivalent

Job description

We create a place where people can grow, be their best, be safe, and feel welcome, valued and included. We offer a competitive salary, an annual bonus based on company performance, healthcare and wellbeing programmes, pension plan membership, and shares and savings programme. We embrace modern work practises; our Performance with Choice programme offers a hybrid working model, empowering you to find the optimal balance between remote and in-office work.

Discover more about our company wide benefits and life at GSK on our webpage Life at GSK | GSK Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal Diseases At 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 (DDALs), we enable target identification, selection, and validation at scale, driving innovation and excellence across our R&D landscape. As the Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal, you will be at the forefront of our mission, driving the discovery and validation of therapeutic targets for a range of diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis and cardiovascular conditions that are associated with metabolic dysfunction. 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.

Location: This role will be based at one of GSK’s R&D hub sites, in Stevenage, UK, or Upper Providence, PA, USA. The Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal will be expected to spend at least 2-3 days / week on site. For candidates seeking to be located at our Stevenage site, this role will temporarily be based at Stevenage. However, the Company plans to relocate its offices to Cambridge, UK. The location of this role will therefore subsequently change to Cambridge, UK in accordance with timelines to be set by the Company. The relocation is currently proposed to take effect by early 2029.

Annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges $202,125 to $336,875 (if based in Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; or San Francisco, CA). In addition, this position offers an annual bonus and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive programme which is dependent on the level of the role. Benefits include health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and paid caregiver/parental and medical leave.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Execution – Portfolio Generation and Oversight: Generate and oversee the pre-Commit to Target (C2T) project portfolio in the Renal and Cardio-Renal therapy area.
• Target Delivery: Systematically deliver 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 renal and cardio-renal research strategy in R&D Tech for the Research Units.
• Team Representation: Ensure appropriate representation of lines/functions within the operational matrix team.
• Cardiovascular / renal / metabolic disease expertise - Nephrology and/or Cardiovascular Expertise: Apply deep experience in renal and cardio-renal disease indications drug discovery, focusing on clinically relevant target identification through human-first discovery approaches.
• Scientific Excellence: Drive best-in-class science across R&D Technologies and Research Units (RUs).
• Strategic Partnership: Partner proactively with Research Units and R&D Technology Leadership to provide strategic scientific input into disease phenotype discovery and therapeutic target identification.
• External Engagement: Maintain connection with renal biology experts, KOLs, and societies to ensure solid strategic guidance on emerging therapeutics, understanding which could impact the portfolio and priorities.
• Clinical Insight: General understanding of clinical treatments for renal, cardio-renal and associated diseases and emerging innovative trial design and biomarkers.
• Business Case Development: Lead the creation of strong business cases that align with RU and R&D Tech 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 RDTech and RUs to cover all steps from the patient identification, strategic ideation, target screening, triage, large-scale validation, and presentation.
• Risk Management: Elevate resource challenges, project risks, pipeline risks, and opportunities to RDTech LT.
• Resource Allocation: Make recommendations to department heads (RDTech and RUs) on areas to reduce, postpone, or stop.

Basic Qualifications & Skills

• Education: Minimum of PhD degree or extensive (15+ years) drug discovery and development experience.
• Experience: Minimum of 15 years of progressive pharmaceutical experience required, including key project leadership roles in programs that progressed to the clinic and/or approval for renal / cardiovascular indications.
• Leadership Skills: Proven track record of exceptional team and cross-functional leadership.
• R&D Expertise: Experience with renal or cardiovascular 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 writing/presentation 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).

Why you?

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals and bring exceptional value to our discovery efforts.

Closing Date for Applications – 4th October 2026

Why GSK?

Find out more: Our approach to R&D Skills Biotechnology, Business Strategies, Cell Biology, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Drug Development, Drug Discovery Process, Influencing Without Authority, Interpersonal Communication, Life Science, Market Opportunities, Matrix Leadership, Molecular Biology, Renal Pathology, Scientific Research, Scientific Writing, Strategic Alignment, Target Discovery. GSK fosters a culture ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and committed to doing the right thing, making sure that we focus our efforts on accelerating significant assets that meet patients’ needs and have the highest probability of success. We’re uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. 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. Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities, you can contact us at [e-mail]. GSK’s recruitment policies prohibit employment agencies from referring candidates. For more information, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/. We are 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. Getting ahead means preventing disease as well as treating it, and we aim to impact the health of 2.5 billion people around the world in the next 10 years. Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and