Senior Director, AI & Tech Adoption (R&D) — Hybrid

GlaxoSmithKline; Upper Providence (Delaware County); Hybrid; USD 204,000 - 340,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus

Healthcare and wellbeing programmes

Pension plan membership

Shares and savings programme

Hybrid working model

Job summary

GlaxoSmithKline is seeking a Senior Director to lead R&D AI and technology adoption, shaping strategy and driving practical change across global R&D functions. The role combines hands-on leadership with strategic direction to deliver measurable value from technology programs.

You will build an internal adoption capability, coordinate cross-R&D initiatives, and define roadmaps that align stakeholders, readiness, communications, and capability building for major transformations.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading enterprise technology adoption, organisational change or digital transformation in a large pharmaceutical R&D environment.
• Delivery of AI, digital tools, data platforms, or technology adoption and behaviour change.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Enterprise technology adoption

Organisational change

Digital transformation

Change strategies

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder influence

Communication skills

Hands-on contributor

Job description

GlaxoSmithKline is seeking a Senior Director to lead R&D AI and technology adoption, shaping strategy and driving practical change across global R&D functions. The role combines hands-on leadership with strategic direction to deliver measurable value from technology programs.

You will build an internal adoption capability, coordinate cross-R&D initiatives, and define roadmaps that align stakeholders, readiness, communications, and capability building for major transformations.