Discovery Disease Area Lead - Hepatology

1054 GlaxoSmithKline Services Unlimited; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A global biopharmaceutical company is seeking a Discovery Disease Area Lead for Hepatology to drive innovative drug discovery initiatives. This role involves leading cross-functional teams and developing strategies for identifying and validating new therapeutic targets, significantly impacting the R&D landscape. The candidate will ensure adherence to project goals while fostering collaboration across various units.

Qualifications

• Progressive pharmaceutical experience with leadership roles.
• Proven ability in designing drug discovery programs.
• Experience in hepatology R&D programs.

Responsibilities

• Drive therapeutic target discovery for chronic diseases.
• Lead a matrixed team for target validation in hepatology.
• Manage project risks and communicate portfolio updates.

Skills

Team Leadership

Drug Discovery

Data Interpretation

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

PhD

Job description

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Discovery Disease Area Lead - Hepatology, Stevenage

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Client:

1054 GlaxoSmithKline Services Unlimited

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Job Category:

Other

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EU work permit required:

Yes

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Job Reference:

c6e926e32687

Job Views:

4

Posted:

29.06.2025

Expiry Date:

13.08.2025

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Job Description:

Job Title: Discovery Disease Area Lead, Hepatology

Company Overview: At GlaxoSmithKline (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.

Job Purpose: As the Discovery Disease Area Lead, Hepatology, you will be at the forefront of our mission, driving the discovery and validation of therapeutic targets for a range of chronic diseases such MASH, NAFLD and ALD. 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 Disease Area Lead, Hepatology will be expected to spend at least 2-3 days / week on site

Key Responsibilities:

• Portfolio Generation and Oversight: Generate and oversee the pre-Commit to Target (C2T) project portfolio in the Hepatology therapy area.
• Target Delivery: Regularly 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 hepatology research strategy in RTech for the Research Units.
• Team Representation: Ensure appropriate representation of lines/functions within the operational matrix team.

Hepatology expertise –

• Hepatology Expertise: Apply deep experience in hepatology disease indications drug discovery, focusing on clinically relevant target identification through human-first discovery approaches.
• Scientific Excellence: Drive best-in-class science across Research Technologies and Research Units (RUs).
• Strategic Partnership: Partner proactively with Research Units and Research Technology Leadership to provide strategic scientific input into disease phenotype discovery and therapeutic target identification.
• External Engagement: Maintain connection with hepatology 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 MASH, NAFLD and ALD and emerging innovative trial design and biomarkers.
• Business Case Development: Lead the creation of strong business cases that align with RU and RTech 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 RTech 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 Research Tech LT.
• Resource Allocation: Make recommendations to department heads (RTech and RUs) on areas to reduce, postpone, or stop.

Basic Qualifications:

• Education:PhD
• Experience: Progressive pharmaceutical experience required, including key project leadership roles in programs that progressed to the clinic and/or approval for hepatology indications.
• Leadership Skills: Track record of exceptional team and cross-functional leadership.
• R&D Expertise: Experience with hepatology R&D programs, scientific and clinical strategies.
• Research Program Design: Proven ability to design a comprehensive drug discovery program to reach a critical milestone

Preferred Qualifications:

• Data Interpretation: Strong data interpretation and report/presentation writing 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.
• 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.

Why GSK?

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

GSK is 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. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and the use of new platform and data technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/ immunology and oncology).

Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued, and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.

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.