Portfolio Data Science Director

GlaxoSmithKline; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GlaxoSmithKline in the UK seeks Head of Data Science, Analytics and AI to lead a multidisciplinary team delivering decision-ready analytics across R&D, portfolio and strategic resource management. You will set vision, talent standards and technical direction.

You will partner with senior leaders across development operations, research and finance to translate business needs into robust analytics products, govern data quality and champion responsible AI in a regulated environment.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or Master’s with extensive experience in quantitative disciplines.
• Demonstrated people-leadership experience building data science teams.
• Proven ability to deliver analytics applications to business users.
• Deep expertise in data science, analytics and AI with business judgement.
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders to guide investments.
• Experience managing a tech portfolio with clear delivery timelines.

Responsibilities

• Define and own strategy for data science, analytics and AI in R&D.
• Shape roadmap of models, analytics apps and capabilities.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams of data scientists, analysts and engineers.
• Deliver robust analytics applications to internal users from concept to production.
• Ensure production-grade solutions with documentation and ownership.
• Governance, data quality and responsible-AI across the function.

Skills

People leadership

Data science & analytics

Analytics applications delivery

Stakeholder partnering

Strategic roadmap

Education

Doctoral degree

Master's degree

Tools

Python/R

Cloud

CI/CD

Containerisation

Job description

Portfolio Data Science Director Business Introduction GSK remains committed to achieving bold commercial ambitions for the future. By 2031, we aim to deliver £40 billion in annual sales, leveraging our existing strong performance momentum to significantly increase our positive impact on the health of billions of patients globally. Our Ahead Together strategy is centred on early intervention to prevent and alter the course of disease, thereby protecting people and supporting healthcare systems. Our diverse portfolio consists of vaccines, specialty medicines, and general medicines. Through continuous innovation and a dedicated focus on scientific and technical excellence, we strive to develop and launch new, groundbreaking treatments that address critical health challenges.

Position Summary

The Head, Data Science, Analytics, and AI sets the vision for, builds and leads the data science, analytics and AI capability that underpins R&D portfolio and strategic resource-management decisions. A peer to the Senior Director, Portfolio Projects, you will own the strategy, talent, standards and delivery of a multidisciplinary team —Portfolio, Finance and Strategic Resource Management teams — and be accountable for turning data into decision-ready analytics applications that internal business users rely on every day. This is a senior people-leadership role. You will lead, grow and develop a team of data scientists, analysts and engineers; set technical direction across data science and analytics projects; and partner with senior leaders across development operations, research units, finance and technology to translate business need into high-impact, responsibly built solutions.

Responsibilities

• Strategy & vision
  • Define and own the strategy for data science, analytics and AI in support of R&D portfolio investment and strategic resource-management decisions.
  • Shape the roadmap of models, analytics applications and capabilities, balancing near-term delivery with long-term capability build.
  • Act as a peer to the Senior Director, Portfolio Projects, aligning the analytics agenda with portfolio, finance and operational priorities.
• People & technical leadership
  • Lead, hire, grow and develop a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, analysts and engineers, to support analytics across multiple teams including the Finance, Portfolio and Strategic Resource Management teams.
  • Set technical direction and standards across data science and analytics projects; manage prioritisation, delivery and quality across a portfolio of work.
  • Provide coaching, career development and performance management, building a high-performing, inclusive team culture.
• Delivery of analytics applications to business users
  • Be accountable for delivering robust, usable analytics applications and products to internal business users — from valuation and forecasting tools to resource-planning and KPI dashboards.
  • Ensure solutions are production-grade, well-supported and adopted, with clear ownership, documentation and user enablement.
  • Drive reusable platforms, patterns and standards that scale analytics delivery across the function.
• Partnership, governance & responsible AI
  • Partner with and influence senior and executive stakeholders, presenting analysis, trade-offs and recommendations that shape investment and resourcing decisions.
  • Own analytical governance, data quality and methodological rigour across the function’s deliverables.
  • Champion the responsible, compliant use of Gen AI and advanced analytics in a regulated environment.

Qualifications/Skills

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in a quantitative or scientific discipline (e.g. statistics, computer science, engineering, operations research, economics, physical or life sciences) with 10+ years of relevant experience; or a Master’s degree with extensive years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated people-leadership experience, leading and developing teams of data scientists and technical/analytics project teams.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver analytics applications to internal business users, from concept through production adoption.
• Deep expertise across data science, analytics and AI methods, with the judgement to match methods to business decisions.
• Experience partnering with and influencing senior and executive stakeholders through structured, data-backed recommendations.
• Experience managing prioritisation and delivery across a portfolio of technical projects to agreed timelines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in pharmaceuticals, biotech or another R&D-intensive industry, ideally with exposure to portfolio, investment or resource-management decision-making.
• Track record of building or scaling a data science / analytics function, including platforms, standards and ways of working.
• Hands-on grounding in modern data science and software delivery (e.g. Python/R, cloud, app development frameworks, CI/CD, containerisation).
• Experience establishing responsible-AI, model-governance and data-quality practices.
• Experience with Generative AI tools and frameworks and their responsible application to business problems.
• Experience working in a matrixed, global organisation.

Work Location: This role can be based from GSK HQ London or Upper Providence, or Durham NC USA and offers a hybrid working model, combining on-site and remote work.

Closing Date for Applications: 14th October 2026

Our approach

We value clear, practical thinking and constructive collaboration. We want people who care about building others, who explain complex ideas simply and who focus on delivering high-quality, trustworthy analyses that improve patient outcomes.

Skills

Continuing Learning, Influencing Without Authority, Leadership, Problem Solving, Statistical Methods

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.

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 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. Find out more on our career site.