Senior Director, R&D AI & Technology Adoption

GlaxoSmithKline; Cambridge, Stevenage; Hybrid; GBP 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Health care

Pension

Job summary

GlaxoSmithKline seeks a Senior Director to shape the R&D approach to AI and technology adoption, connecting behaviour and process change with measurable value. You will build a small internal capability while remaining a hands-on contributor to priority projects and lead adoption across R&D programmes including productivity tools and data platforms.

You will define clear adoption roadmaps, collaborate with senior leaders, and balance internal capabilities with external consulting as needed.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading enterprise technology adoption or digital transformation in a large pharmaceutical R&D environment.
• Delivery of AI, digital tools, data platforms, or technology adoption with measurable value.
• Experience creating and executing change strategies across functions or geographies.
• Strong understanding of how new technology changes business processes, roles and capabilities.
• Experience setting adoption measures and using data to assess progress and value realization.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and influence senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Shape and lead the R&D approach to AI and technology adoption.
• Build and lead a small internal adoption capability while contributing hands-on.
• Establish a hub-and-spoke model coordinating cross-R&D adoption.
• Define adoption roadmaps including stakeholder alignment and readiness.
• Develop reusable methods/tools to improve consistency and reduce bureaucracy.
• Align adoption with programme outcomes and value.
• Advise on internal vs external capabilities and strengthen ownership over time.

Skills

Enterprise technology adoption

Digital transformation

Cross-functional leadership

Change management

AI adoption

Data platforms

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

Senior Director, R&D AI & Technology Adoption R&D Tech Transformation & Operations connects strategy, investment and delivery across priority R&D technology programmes. The team works with scientific, technology and business leaders to strengthen decisions, accelerate value and support consistent adoption across R&D. This role will shape how R&D adopts AI and technology so that new capabilities deliver measurable value and lasting changes in how people work.

You will help establish and may lead a small, hands‑on R&D technology adoption capability. The role combines strategic leadership with direct delivery, including cross-R&D initiatives, practical adoption methods and evidence-based value measurement. You will also help establish a hub-and-spoke model that enables local teams to adapt change approaches to their scientific context.

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.

In this role you will Shape and lead the R&D approach to AI and technology adoption, connecting behaviour and process change with measurable value. Build and lead a small internal adoption capability while remaining a hands‑on contributor to priority projects. Establish a hub‑and‑spoke model that coordinates cross‑R&D adoption while enabling departments to address local needs. Partner with priority technology programmes to assess adoption plans, identify gaps and ensure capable delivery teams are in place. Lead adoption for technologies and ways of working that span R&D, including enterprise productivity tools, data platforms and major cross‑R&D transformation programmes. Define clear adoption roadmaps covering stakeholder alignment, readiness, communications, capability building, process change and reinforcement. Develop practical, reusable methods and tools that improve consistency without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. Define measures that connect adoption, behaviour and process change to programme outcomes and value. Advise on the right balance of internal capability and external consulting support, and strengthen internal ownership over time. Influence senior R&D, scientific and technology leaders, keeping adoption and change visible in portfolio and investment decisions. Support adjacent strategic work when required, applying analytical and project leadership skills beyond a narrow change‑management remit.

Basic Qualifications

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:

• Extensive experience leading enterprise technology adoption, organisational change or digital transformation in a large pharmaceutical R&D environment.
• Demonstrated delivery of AI, digital tools, data platforms, or technology adoption and behaviour change, not solely advisory or methodology development.
• Experience creating and executing change strategies across multiple functions, business areas or geographies.
• Strong understanding of how new technology changes business processes, roles, capabilities and ways of working.
• Experience setting adoption measures and using data to assess progress, outcomes and value realisation.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional projects and influence senior stakeholders without relying on formal authority.
• Strong communication, facilitation and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to make complex topics practical.
• Evidence of operating as a hands‑on contributor while providing strategic direction in an ambiguous environment.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

Please note the following skills are not necessary, just preferred, if you do not have them, please still apply:

• Previous line‑management experience, ideally within a small expert team, alongside strong matrix leadership.
• Experience establishing or professionalising an internal adoption, change or transformation capability.
• Change‑management, project‑management or related professional certification.
• Learning and development, capability academy or workforce upskilling experience.
• Management consulting experience combined with in‑house corporate delivery.
• Ability to contribute to strategic analysis and projects beyond the core adoption discipline.

Closing Date for Applications – 4th October 2026

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. We’re uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together.

Find out more: Our approach to R&D Skills Change Management, Communication, Cross‑Departmental Collaboration, Decision Making, Financial Acumen, Innovation, Leadership, Portfolio Management, Project Management, Project Management Governance, Risk Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Leadership, Visionary Thinking

• If you are based in Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; or San Francisco, CA, the annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges $203,775 to $339,625. The US salary ranges take into account a number of factors including work location within the US market, the candidate’s skills, experience, education level and the market rate for the role. In addition, this position offers an annual bonus and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program which is dependent on the level of the role.
• Available benefits include health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and paid caregiver/parental and medical leave.

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.

We are 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.

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.