Project Controls Director - EU, UK

GSK; Badminton; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharma company in the UK is seeking a Project Controls Director to lead capital projects in Europe. This role ensures efficient project management across multiple locations, leveraging advanced planning and controls strategies. Candidates should have significant experience in project delivery and stakeholder engagement. The position encourages a hybrid work model and aims to impact healthcare positively. Join a company committed to innovation and patient care.

Qualifications

• Considerable experience delivering advanced planning and project controls on high-visibility projects.
• Expert knowledge of stage-gate models and cost management.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement project controls strategy across the pharma capital project portfolio.
• Oversee detailed cost estimates, budgets, and forecasts for large-scale projects.
• Partner with cross-functional teams and act as key advisor to project sponsors.

Skills

Project controls capability

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Cost management

Education

BSc/BEng or equivalent

MSc or PhD (preferred)

Tools

SAP

Oracle P6

Monte-Carlo simulation tools

Job description

Project Controls Director - EU, UK

Business Introduction

We manufacture and supply reliable, high‑quality medicines and vaccines to meet patients’ needs and drive our performance. Our network of 37 medicines and vaccines manufacturing sites delivered 1.7 billion packs of medicines and 409 million vaccine doses in 2024, helping to make a positive impact on the health of millions of people. Our supply chain is vital to bringing our innovations to patients as quickly, efficiently and effectively as possible. Technology is transforming how we manufacture medicines and vaccines, enabling us to increase speed, quality and scale of product supply. We need the very best minds and capability to help us create more complex products, harnessing the power of smart manufacturing technologies – robotics, digital solutions and artificial intelligence – to deliver for patients.

Position Summary

This role is a truly exciting leadership position. The Project Controls Director ensures all capital projects across Europe and the UK have the right capability, capacity and ways of working within the project controls discipline. The director plays a critical leadership role in ensuring the successful delivery of capital projects through oversight of cost, schedule, risk, change and document management processes. Responsibilities include supporting multi‑site, multi‑phase projects such as facility expansions, technology transfers and greenfield developments across manufacturing, R&D and supply chain operations. The role reports directly to the Head of Project Controls (PC) and is part of the Global Project Controls leadership.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership – Define and implement project controls strategy across the pharma capital project portfolio; lead a team of project controls professionals across global or regional sites; provide coaching and mentoring for key resources; ensure alignment with the GCP Project Management framework; engage with leading project control service providers globally.
• Cost & Schedule Management – Oversee detailed cost estimates, budgets and forecasts for projects ranging from GBP 10 M to 500 M+; ensure integrated project schedules reflect critical GMP milestones, commissioning, validation and regulatory timelines; apply Earned Value Management (EVM) and other performance metrics to track progress.
• Risk & Change Control – Implement proactive risk management strategies; apply Quantified Risk Analysis and Monte‑Carlo simulation methodologies; lead change control processes ensuring traceability and impact assessment.
• Governance & Reporting – Provide executive‑level reporting and dashboards to senior leadership, including capital steering committees; maintain transparency and traceability of project performance, risks and financials; perform project reviews and health checks.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement – Partner with cross‑functional teams (Engineering, Quality, Procurement, Finance, Regulatory Affairs); act as key advisor to project sponsors; possess hands‑on experience with project management tools such as SAP, Oracle P6, MSP, Sypro, Monte‑Carlo simulation tools.

Qualifications / Skills

• Basic Qualifications – Considerable experience delivering advanced planning and project controls capability on high‑visibility projects across multiple geographies; BSc/BEng or equivalent; expert knowledge of stage‑gate models, planning, cost management, commercial and contract management; strong stakeholder management and influencing capabilities; rich experience in project management, construction management and value engineering.
• Preferred Qualifications – MSc, PhD or relevant professional qualification; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; understanding of GSK project processes; solid knowledge of GSK project frameworks and quality systems; certifications such as PMP, CCP, PMI‑SP, Lean Six Sigma or similar.

Work Location

The role is based in the United Kingdom (GSK HQ, London), Irvine, Scotland, Wavre, Belgium, Evreux, France or Parma, Italy and offers a hybrid working model that combines on‑site and remote work.

Closing Date for Applications – 22 January 2026

Why GSK?

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. Our culture is ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and committed to doing the right thing.

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military service or other protected status in accordance with applicable laws.