Executive Director - Biology, Head of Hepatology

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.
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Job purpose:

The Respiratory, Immunology, and Inflammation Biology Unit (RIIBU) is seeking a talented and inspiring Executive Director, Hepatology to lead a team of biologists in the preclinical validation of targets, mechanism of action studies, identification of target-based biomarkers, indication expansion, and combination studies for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and alcohol-related liver disease (ALD).  The Executive Director, Hepatology will report into the Head of RIIBU and work closely within the broader RII Research Unit and GSK matrix for internal research.  The successful candidate will be accountable to identify and help to establish external academic collaborations and review business development opportunities to accelerate the hepatology portfolio.  This role requires both a deep understanding of mechanisms driving disease progression and unmet need as well as expertise in human-derived preclinical model systems (e.g., complex in vitro models, tissues, and ex vivo studies) in MASH and ALD.

Key Responsibilities:

• Scientific Leadership to optimally and efficiently progress an existing preclinical and clinical portfolio for MASH and ALD and to work with colleagues in Research Technologies (human genetics, genomics, and scaled target validation) to identify and progress novel targets addressing patient need.  Monitor research and market trends, competitive landscape, and customer insights to identify opportunities and risks, and develop appropriate strategies to maximize market share and revenue.

• Leadership for Hepatology Biology Team to:

  • Provide focus, direction and aligned clarity and create a culture of accountability, ensuring the team’s resources are deployed in an efficient manner and aligned with the RII Research Unit strategy.

  • Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the hepatology team and across the organization.

  • Create a culture of growth and development, ensuring the hepatology team develops and maintains the skills required to deliver in a digital age.

  • Build an engaged and resilient team, developing the managers in the hepatology team to provide the care, focus, motivation and development that every GSK employee deserves.

• Cross-functional collaborations to perform efficient target selection and progression and support the existing clinical portfolio with key internal partners including the other disease-focused biology lines within RII Biology Unit, the clinical and translational teams within RII Research Unit, and Research Technology. 

• External partnerships:  Establish and maintain strategic collaborations with academic institutions, contract research organizations (CROs), and other external partners to access cutting-edge technologies, complex model systems, bio-samples, and research capabilities.  Foster a network of external experts and key opinion leaders to build an innovative, next generation preclinical portfolio and advance the existing clinical portfolio.  Contribute to evaluation and diligence of business development opportunities. 

• Compliance and quality:  Drive the discovery of innovative hepatology assets in MASH and ALD, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and adherence to quality standards. 

• Budget accountability:  Lead the budgeting and resource allocation process for the hepatology portfolio, ensuring optimal utilization of resources and cost-effectiveness.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications:

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:

• Ph.D. in relevant scientific discipline (e.g., Cell/Molecular Biology, Genetics, Pharmacology, Physical Chemistry or related field) with extensive experience in hepatology biology and pharmaceutical research.

• More than 7 years of experie