VIDRU Business Programs Strategy Director

Business Introduction
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

Position Summary
The Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Research Unit (VIDRU) Business Programs Strategy Director is accountable for translating vision and priorities into coherent enterprise-wide programs, ensuring strategic initiatives are prioritized, integrated, and executed to deliver measurable business value. Through data-driven insight, cross-functional collaboration, and effective governance, the VIDRU Business Programs Strategy Director enables informed decision-making and supports sustainable growth and performance in line with GSK's goals for Innovation, Trust, and Performance. The ideal candidate should have substantial strategic thinking, business acumen and enterprise mindset to build effective engagement with senior leaders and executive stakeholders. 

Responsibilities
This role will provide YOU the opportunity to lead key activities to progress YOUR career. These responsibilities include some of the following:

• Translate VIDRU vision into strategy through an integrated set of programs and initiatives, ensuring they deliver the intended strategic outcomes and business value.

• Synthesize inputs across functions into clear, enterprise‑level recommendations, even where trade‑offs are complex or contentious.

• Builds strategic capability across VIDRU by partnering with leaders to frame priorities, assess trade‑offs, and manage portfolios, strengthening enterprise thinking and decision quality

• Lead enterprise‑level strategic planning cycles, including framing choices, facilitating leadership discussions, and synthesizing decisions

• Lead cross-functional matrix teams of Senior Leaders.

• Establish governance structures for key strategic programs (steering committees, decision forums, cadence, and standards).

• Use data and insight (financial, operational, market) to inform strategic choices and track performance against company goals.

• Develop high‑quality strategic narratives, papers, and presentations for VIDRU Leadership Team (LT), executive and Board‑level audiences.  

• Identify strategic risks, dependencies, and issues across programs

• Providing leadership and direction to direct reports and program/project teams.

• Managing stakeholder relationships and ensuring effective communication throughout the organization.

• Monitor external trends, competitive moves, and internal performance to propose strategic adjustments and new opportunities.  

• Coach and influence cross‑functional teams to shape strategy and ensure enterprise mindset

• Partner with the VIDRU Change Management Director and the VIDRU Business Programs Delivery Director to ensure successful adoption of transformation initiatives.

Why You?

This role is hybrid with regular on-site presence required and is based in the United States or UK posted locations. You will work in a matrixed environment and report to a senior leader in VIDRU. We seek practical, collaborative leaders who are transparent, outcome-focused, and comfortable with ambiguity. You will gain exposure to senior stakeholders, cross-functional delivery, and opportunities to grow in strategy and operational leadership.

Basic Qualification
We are seeking professionals with the following required skills and qualifications to help us achieve our goals:

• Master's degree in Science, Engineering or Business Administration/Management

• 10 or more years of proven experience in consultancy, strategy teams or relevant leadership roles

• Experience in strategy definition of large-scale transformation within the pharmaceutical or life sciences R&D industry

• Experience leading functional and cross-functional matrix teams

• Experience working directly with senior leaders, including preparing and delivering high‑impact presentations and strategic papers

• Experience managing and coaching cross‑functional teams; able to influence without direct authority

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

• MBA or PhD on Science, Engineering or Business Administration/Management

• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to translate vision and data into clear choices, plans, and priorities. 

• Strong leadership skills to inspire and motivate teams of Senior Leaders through strategy definition. This includes the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.

• Advanced analytical and problem‑solving skills; comfortable with quantitative analysis, financial modelling, and scenario planning.

• Strong change leadership skills, including senior stakeholder engagement and driving adoption across functions and geographies

• Familiarity with common strategic and operational frameworks (e.g., market/competitive analysis, value creation levers, operating model design).

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, to effectively convey the vision, goals, and progress of transformation projects to stakeholders. This includes presenting to executives and board members.

• Strong analytical skills to assess vision statements and translate them into opportunities and anticipate future benefits of transformation initiatives.

• Ability to think critically and creatively to solve complex problems and overcome obstacles.

• Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances and evolving business environments. This includes being comfortable managing high degree of complexity/uncertainty/ambiguity and open to new ideas and approaches.

What success looks like
You will translate VIDRU strategy into clear plans and measurable results. You will reduce friction across teams, speed decision making, and help leaders in the adoption of better ways of working. Success means delivered benefits, trusted stakeholder relationships, and visible improvements in performance.

#GSKCareers

• 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 $170,775 to $284,625. 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. If salary ranges are not displayed in the job posting for a specific country, the relevant compensation will be discussed during the recruitment process.

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.

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