SMART Manufacturing Director / Site Lead

GlaxoSmithKline; Barnard Castle; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharma company in Barnard Castle is seeking a Smart Manufacturing Site Lead to drive digital transformation initiatives. The role focuses on aligning global solutions to local needs, fostering innovation, and leading significant CAPEX projects. The ideal candidate should possess a degree in science and extensive experience in cross-functional leadership and digital transformation. This position offers competitive compensation and a chance to shape the future of biopharma manufacturing.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible working options

Health insurance

Qualifications

• Proven experience delivering complex cross-functional transformation initiatives.
• Strong capability in designing and delivering digital capability and training programs.
• Exceptional relationship management skills across diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Understand site and network business priorities for strategic vision.
• Assess current digital capabilities and set maturity targets.
• Develop multi-year digital master plans with KPIs.

Skills

Digital transformation

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Industry 4.0 principles

Training and development

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Science or equivalent

Tools

CAPEX project management

Job description

Site Name: UK - County Durham - Barnard Castle
Posted Date: Aug 1 2025

SMART Manufacturing Site Lead

Location: Barnard Castle

Job Purpose:

Be You. Be Digital. Shape the Future of GSK Manufacturing.

Are you an experienced and influential leader with a passion for driving digital transformation? Do you thrive on solving complex challenges, empowering teams, and delivering impactful change? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Smart Manufacturing (SM) initiative, a key programme shaping the future direction of GSK’s Global Supply Chain.

About the Role

As theSmart Manufacturing (SM) Site Lead, you will be at the forefront of GSK’s digital transformation journey, strategically and operationally driving the delivery of SM solutions at the manufacturing site. You will play a pivotal role in building targeted digital maturity, enabling the site to achieve current business objectives while unlocking its full performance potential.

Your role will encompass aligning global SM solutions to local infrastructure and processes, embedding a culture of digital innovation, and fostering collaboration across functions to accelerate value creation. You will also have the unique opportunity to help shape the future of Industry 4.0 in the biopharma sector by driving strategy and execution of significant CAPEX projects and co-authoring the architecture and digital strategy of the future. This is a rare opportunity to lead transformation efforts that will not only support GSK’s 2030 ambition but also contribute to the company’s growth and supply chain excellence.

The SM Site Lead will strategically and operationally drive the digital transformation through delivery of SM solutions at the site to build targeted digital maturity that will help the site to deliver current business objectives and maximise site performance potential.

In this role you will:

• Strategic Vision:Understand site and network business priorities, balancing short-term impact delivery with long-term transformation opportunities.

• Digital Maturity:Assess current digital capabilities, set maturity targets aligned with global goals, and identify high-value streams for transformation.

• SM Master Plan:Develop and execute multi-year digital master plans, tracking progress against KPIs and financial metrics, and reporting at local and global governance forums.

• Deployment Leadership:Partner with global teams to deploy standard SM solutions, ensuring alignment with site business needs and accelerating value delivery.

• Industry 4.0 Expertise:Leverage your expertise in Industry 4.0 to help define and execute strategies for significant CAPEX projects and co-develop the architecture and digital roadmap for the future of GSK’s biopharma manufacturing.

• Culture & Mindset:Build a digital-first culture at the site, driving simplification, cultivating data-to-value translation, and fostering innovation.

• Stakeholder Engagement:Lead immersive engagement processes for site leaders, build communication plans, and transfer knowledge effectively across teams.

• Skills Development:Develop SM skill sets within the site workforce, creating training pathways to embed digital transformation in daily operations.

• Audit Readiness:Ensure site readiness for SM-related audits, serving as the site’s primary SM representative.

• Advocacy & Leadership:Champion the power of digital transformation across the site and GSK, role-modelling GSK Behaviours, and building inclusive teams.

Why you?

• Required qualifications and skills.
  Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Advanced Technology, Automation, Data Science, AI, or equivalent experience.

• Proven experience delivering complex cross-functional transformation initiatives.

• Strong capability in designing and delivering digital capability and training programs.

• Exceptional relationship management skills, with the ability to manage diverse stakeholders and balance competing priorities.

• Solid understanding of business drivers, objectives, and financial acumen, including business case creation and results delivery.

• Experience working across different cultures, fostering collaboration and building relationships.

• Demonstrated leadership, change management, and people skills.

• Accountability mindset with a results-driven approach.

• Well-versed in Industry 4.0 principles within the biopharma industry, with a proven ability to drive strategy and execution of significant CAPEX projects and co-author architecture and digital strategies.

Preferred qualifications and skills

• Relevant experience or qualification in Digital Transformation.

• Lean/Six Sigma qualification or relevant experience (Orange Belt certified).

Closing Date for Applications: 15th August 2025 (COB)

At GSK, we 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 are a focused biopharma company. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and advanced technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas: infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/immunology, and oncology.

Our Ahead Together strategy means intervening early to prevent and change the course of disease, helping to protect people and support healthcare systems.

If you would like to learn more about our company wide benefits and life at GSK we would suggest looking at our webpage Life at GSK | GSK.

If you require an accommodation or other assistance to apply for a job at GSK/ViiV Healthcare, please submit a request to HR via the Service Portal

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.

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.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [e-mail] or 0808 234 4391. The helpline is available from 8.30am to 12.00 noon Monday to Friday, during bank holidays these times and days may vary.

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 UK Recruitment FAQ guide. Click the link and scroll to the Careers Section where you will find answers to multiple questions we receive

Important notice to Employment businesses/ Agencies

GSK does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact GSK's commercial and general procurement/human resources department to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to GSK. The obtaining of prior written authorization is a condition precedent to any agreement (verbal or written) between the employment business/ agency and GSK. In the absence of such written authorization being obtained any actions undertaken by the employment business/agency shall be deemed to have been performed without the consent or contractual agreement of GSK. GSK shall therefore not be liable for any fees arising from such actions or any fees arising from any referrals by employment businesses/agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site.

Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, GSK may be required to capture and report expenses GSK incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure GSK’s compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements. For more information, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/