Director, Decision Science for Clinical Operations

GSK; Ruislip; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global healthcare company in the UK is looking for a Director of Decision Science for Clinical Operations. This role focuses on shaping how data and analytics influence clinical trial decision-making. The ideal candidate will have a PhD or MSc in a quantitative field and significant experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with skills in data science and advanced analytical models. The position requires on-site presence for 2-3 days a week, offering a strategic leadership opportunity to drive decision quality in drug development.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in a quantitative field.
• Proven expertise in designing decision models.
• Expertise in Python or R with ability to write production-level code.
• Hands-on experience with DevOps best practices.
• Track record of leading technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic discussions with clinical development leadership.
• Synthesize evidence to construct decision models.
• Deliver predictive models for operational challenges.
• Design scalable analytics solutions.

Skills

Data Science

Statistics

Python

R

DevOps practices

Communication skills

Education

PhD or MSc in a quantitative field

Tools

Monte Carlo simulation

Bayesian analysis

Git

Job description

Company Overview

At GSK, we have bold ambitions for patients, aiming to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. Our R&D focuses on discovering and delivering vaccines and medicines, combining our understanding of the immune system with cutting‑edge technology to transform people’s lives. 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. GSK has kicked off 2025 with impressive growth in sales, profits, and earnings. We anticipate five major new FDA product approvals and 15 phase III/pivotal study readouts over the next two years. By uniting science, technology, and talent, we are committed to getting ahead of disease together.

Job Purpose

This is an exciting opportunity to channel your passion for innovation in the field of Statistics and Data Science to help shape the future of the Biostatistics function and transform the way in which GSK uses data and quantitative thinking to drive decision‑making in R&D.

Biostatistics is the single‑largest functional group of Statisticians, Programmers and Data Scientists within GSK R&D, numbering approximately 900 permanent people in the US, UK, Europe and India. Our mission is to put statistical thinking at the heart of R&D decision‑making, to ensure that predictive models and well‑designed experiments and trials deliver robust evidence as the input to those decisions, ultimately making the R&D process more efficient. We are investing in our cutting‑edge innovation capabilities by expanding the Statistics & Data Science Innovation Hub (SDS‑IH) led by Prof Nicky Best. The vision of SDS‑IH is to be the catalyst for innovation and advanced data‑driven decision making. In this role, you will work closely with SDS‑IH to embed sophisticated analytics into Global Clinical Operations (GCO), enabling stakeholders to make timely, informed, and impactful decisions.

As the Director of Decision Science for Clinical Operations, you will serve as a strategic thought partner to senior R&D leadership, architecting the future of how GSK plans and executes clinical trials. Your mission is to embed sophisticated analytics and data‑driven frameworks into the core of GCO. You will lead a high‑performing decision science team to frame and model complex operational scenarios, quantify risks and trade‑offs, and challenge assumptions. By translating analytical insights into clear, actionable strategies, you will drive decision quality and accelerate the delivery of new medicines to patients.

This position requires an on‑site office presence for 2‑3 days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic & Facilitative Leadership
  • Partner with GCO’s Decision Support team to lead high‑stakes strategic discussions with clinical development leadership to frame complex business problems, develop differentiated options, and define clear analytical pathways.
  • Synthesize diverse evidence, including empirical data and expert judgment, to construct cohesive decision models that guide strategy.
  • Influence key investment and operational decisions by translating complex model outputs into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for executive audiences.
• Advanced Modeling & Analytics
  • Implement advanced decision models to quantify risk and identify value‑add opportunities in study timelines and resource allocation.
  • Deliver robust predictive models for critical operational challenges, including patient recruitment, site performance, and milestone attainment, to create value‑optimal and risk‑aware delivery strategies.
  • Identify and champion non‑obvious value‑add opportunities by applying innovative analytical approaches to complex clinical operations challenges.
• Technical Innovation & Capability Development
  • Drive the design and deployment of scalable analytics solutions, including production‑ready models, automated monitoring systems, and real‑time data pipelines.
  • Champion best‑in‑class DevOps practices, including version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing to ensure robust, reproducible, and scalable solutions.
  • Train and mentor colleagues on the use of tools, methods, and structured decision frameworks to build organizational capability.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD (preferred) or MSc in a quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Decision Analysis) with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Proven expertise designing and building flexible decision models (e.g., Monte Carlo simulation, Bayesian analysis, scenario planning, sensitivity analysis) to quantify risk and value trade‑offs.
• Expertise in Python or R with the ability to write production‑level code.
• Hands‑on experience with DevOps best practices, including Git, CI/CD, and testing.
• Track record of leading and mentoring technical teams to deliver data science solutions with measurable business impact.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to distill complex analyses into compelling recommendations for senior leadership in a matrix environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of the drug development lifecycle and Clinical Operations workflows.
• Therapeutic area depth, including knowledge of regulatory requirements and trial design.
• Direct Clinical Operations experience.
• Management consulting experience focused on pharmaceutical strategy or operations.
• Expertise in advanced methods such as Bayesian statistics, machine learning, and enrollment simulation.

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.