Smart Manufacturing Execution Lead

GlaxoSmithKline; Upper Merion Township (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

GlaxoSmithKline seeks a Smart Manufacturing Execution Lead to drive the global Smart Manufacturing strategy and accelerate data‑to‑value using Industry 4.0, AI, and advanced analytics. You will partner with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and IT to identify opportunities, prioritize value, and deliver scalable solutions across our network.

In this role you will build cross‑functional teams, define global standards, and ensure compliant deployments with measurable benefits like improved

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and 6+ years of cross‑functional transformation experience.
• Hands‑on delivery of complex initiatives in regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience with project life cycle from business case to BAU and hyper care.

Responsibilities

• Translate vision into an outcome‑based multi‑year roadmap for Smart Manufacturing.
• Lead multi‑site programs, quantify benefits and manage external partners.
• Deliver Industry 4.0 solutions end‑to‑end across IT/OT, data, and AI initiatives.
• Drive data availability, contextualization, and decision‑making across systems.
• Engage senior leaders, establish KPIs, and ensure benefits realization.

Skills

Change Management

Communication

Cross‑Departmental Collaboration

Decision Making

Financial Acumen

Innovation

Leadership

Portfolio Management

Project Management

Project Management Governance

Risk Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Strategic Leadership

Visionary Thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, Advanced Technology, Automation, Data Science, AI, or a related discipline

Tools

MES/eBR

OT/SCADA/DCS

Cloud & Edge

Job description

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 to help make a positive impact on the health of millions of people. Our supply chain is not just core to our operations; it’s 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 the speed, quality and scale of product supply. We need the very best minds and capability to help us on our journey to make more complex products, harnessing the power of smart manufacturing technologies including robotics, digital solutions and artificial intelligence to deliver for patients.

Position Summary

The Smart Manufacturing Execution Lead is a global role accountable for executing the Smart Manufacturing strategy across the GSC network, accelerating ‘data to value’ through Industry 4.0 capabilities and advanced analytics/AI. The role will support identified GSC manufacturing sites and functions as prioritized by SM wave delivery and business value impact. The role partners with GPS, Manufacturing, Quality, NPI/CMC, Supply Chain, Engineering/Automation, Digital/Tech, Enterprise AI and external partners to identify opportunities, prioritize value, and deliver scalable solutions that deliver business impact and simplify operations across our global supply chain. The role will help to accelerate delivery of the Smart Manufacturing vision of a connected, predictive, agile supply chain, leveraging technology, data and AI to transform work, maximize productivity, enhance performance and accelerate medicines and vaccines to patients.

Responsibilities

• Execute the Smart Manufacturing strategy and translate the Smart Manufacturing vision into an accelerated outcome‑based multi‑year roadmap, aligned to GSC objectives and governance.
• Lead value identification and prioritization at key sites: assess digital maturity, diagnose performance opportunities, quantify benefit ranges, and select projects using a value‑driven approach.
• Deliver high impact Industry 4.0 solutions end‑to‑end (e.g. IT/OT integration, manufacturing data intelligence, connected worker solutions, MES/eBR, SCADA/DCS integration, process analytical technology, advanced analytics, lab automation, model predictive control and AI) in partnership with global and site teams.
• Accelerate ‘data to value’ by improving data availability, contextualization and consumption models so that data is immediately usable from multiple sources for decision‑making, monitoring, optimization and advanced control.
• Build and lead cross‑functional delivery matrix teams (Ops, Quality, MSAT, Supply Chain, Engineering, Automation, Digital/Tech) to design, pilot, scale and embed solutions into standard ways of working.
• Define and maintain global standards and playbooks for solution design, validation, data integrity, cybersecurity, and supplier delivery to ensure compliant, repeatable deployments and in alignment with global stage gate process expectations.
• Own stakeholder engagement and influence: partner with senior leaders and front‑line teams to align priorities, remove barriers, enable change and drive adoption; role model enterprise mindset, collaborative leadership and GSK behaviors.
• Ensure benefits realization: establish KPIs, track value delivery (e.g., productivity, OEE, yield, lead time, deviations, cost of poor quality), and provide clear reporting and insights to governance forums.
• Develop capability and community: build digital/data fluency through training, coaching and knowledge transfer; strengthen the network’s ability to sustain and extend solutions.
• Manage external partners/suppliers to deliver high‑quality outcomes on time and within agreed scope, ensuring interoperability with the broader technology landscape.

Why You?

Basic Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Science, Engineering, Advanced Technology, Automation, Data Science, AI, or a related discipline.
• 6 years + demonstrated hands on experience delivering complex, cross‑functional transformation initiatives that drive value focused innovation and change in a regulated and complex manufacturing environments.
• Experience with full life cycle of projects from business case creation to hyper care/BAU.
• Strong manufacturing operational knowledge (manufacturing operations, process control, MES/eBR, OT/SCADA/DCS, cloud and edge) and ability to work across Quality, Technical/Engineering and Supply Chain interfaces.
• Proven capability in application of advanced analytics, data science, AI to manufacturing and/or supply chain problems (e.g., anomaly detection, predictive monitoring, simulation, optimization, decision support, advanced control).
• Experience leading multi‑site / global programs with external supplier reliance, partner delivery and matrix leadership.
• Background experience in continuous improvement, six sigma and/or lean manufacturing initiatives.

Preferred Qualification

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at all levels; able to communicate complex technical topics in business terms.
• Value realization and financial acumen: ability to build business cases, define KPIs, and track benefits to outcomes.
• Understanding of data integrity, validation expectations (GxP), ISA-95/ISA-88, cybersecurity frameworks, and compliant digital delivery.
• Knowledge of Quality, NPI/CMC and Supply Chain processes and the data/decision flows between them.
• Familiarity with MLOps practices and the challenges of deploying and governing ML models in regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience of primary and secondary manufacturing in small and/or large molecule facilities.
• Excellent communication skills.

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

Benefits Summary

Please visit GSK US Benefits Summary to learn more about the comprehensive benefits program GSK offers US employees.

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.

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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.

Feel free to gladly share your passion at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together. The culture and environment allow people to thrive, feel welcome, valued, and included, to grow and look after their wellbeing. Please visit our career site for more information about the role and how to apply.