Senior Director, Vaccines Platform Lead

We make and supply medicines and vaccines all around the globe and our teams own every production stage, from creating quality products at our manufacturing sites to designing effective supply forecasting and regulatory inspections; all powered by digital, data and analytics. We operate at impressive scale, producing over 2.3 billion packs of medicines and doses of vaccines in 2023.  ​

We continue to modernise, so we can launch even more new products at speed whilst continuing to deliver across our entire portfolio through our relentless focus on quality, safety, and service. The way we work will change. For some, the shift in technology and products will be revolutionary. Our R&D pipeline demands a new kind of supply chain, and 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.

Job purpose:

The Platform Lead – Vaccines is a senior position (Senior Director level) and has a leading role in providing leadership in the advancement of the Vaccines platform technologies within the MSAT (Manufacturing Science and Technology) organisation. The role is responsible for the definition and execution of the platform technology strategies for MSAT, ensuring the necessary capabilities are in place or planned and aligned to the needs of the GSK product pipeline and future ambitions. The scope covers the key technology platforms required to support the vaccines product portfolio, covering GSC (Global Supply Chain) and linkages to external partners. The position will be a key part of the MSAT Vaccines leadership team, with a requirement to interface with a number of senior leaders across the wider GSK organisation, namely R&D, Strategy, Quality, Engineering and Manufacturing Supply Chain

Key responsibilities:

This position leads a global team of subject matter experts located at different sites with the major responsibilities that includes and are not limited to:

• Provide global technical leadership for the advancement of vaccines platform technologies, collaborating with the wider MSAT LT and MSAT site teams to ensure the necessary technical capabilities are in place to meet the needs of the evolving business
• Defines the specific platform strategies, working in collaboration with partners across the GSK business. Articulating the required capabilities to deliver on the key priorities of GSC and delivery of the evolving new product pipeline – this role needs to influence both GSC and R&D business leaders including Strategy, Engineering, Quality and Manufacturing Supply Chain
• Member of the MSAT Vaccines Leadership Team and will need to operate at an enterprise level on behalf of the MSAT organisation – leadership of the vaccine platform technologies
• Provides strategic recommendations across the vaccine portfolio including R&D in support of Global Supply Chain business goals pertaining to the evolving product portfolio and where a platform approach is required for new technologies, or where current established technologies need to evolve
• Be the single point of contact within the MSAT organisation for vaccine platform technologies across the Supply Chain business, R&D organisation, External Manufacturing and the respective sites, connecting with other teams in MSAT to ensure the appropriate SME / specialist support is secured and engaged

Basic Qualifications:

• BSc, MSc or PhD in a related scientific discipline such as chemical engineering, chemistry, pharmacy, or pharmaceutical engineering
• Ph.D. 15+ years’ experience or MS 18+ years’ or BS 20+ years’ in a Scientific, Biochemistry, chemical or pharmaceutical engineering, or related field and 7-10+ years of experience in leading technical teams across multiple geographical areas
• In depth knowledge of vaccine manufacturing platforms and technology evolutions
• Deep working knowledge of scale-up, technical transfer and process change management / improvement, with knowledge in current Good Manufacturing Practices and US/EU/ROW regulations
• Working knowledge and experience in the application of digital solutions across vaccine unit operations / technology
• Extensive experience and in-depth scientific/technical knowledge of pharmaceutical products whether in process development, product development, scale-up, or operations 
• Excellent management, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to set ambitious goals and successfully drive results, define priorities, manage and influence individual and team performance, and demonstrated ability to organize people and activities to achieve goals

Preferred Qualifications:

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus:

• Ability to work independently and follow through on assignments and delivery of the GSK GCS strategy without direction
• Ability to perform within a dynamic and stressful environment and to be able to remain calm under pressure and during conflict
• Background and experience in leading platform / technology / manufacturing teams – leading and managing groups with specialist expertise
• Ability to analyse problems, practices, or procedures in order to define the problem or objective, identify relevant concerns or factors, identify patterns, tendencies and relationships, formulate logical and objective conclusions and recognize alternatives and their implications
• Ability to interact effectively and appropriately with customers in other functions and beyond, senior management and co-workers

*LI-GSK

If you have a disability and require assistance during the course of the selection process, you will have the opportunity to let us know what specific assistance you require in order to make suitable arrangements.

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.

 
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