This role can be based in any of the following countries:

UK, US, BE, Italy

Start a career with purpose

GSK is a place where outstanding people do amazing things. As a science-led global healthcare company, we exist to help people do more, feel better, live longer. Our goal is to be one of the most innovative, best performing, and trusted healthcare companies.

“Imagine for a moment doing a job as important as helping to save and improve lives around the world, a job where you can use your creativity and passion for science to the table, working with a diverse group of colleagues who impact the lives of millions of people every day.

Join us and start making your impact today.”

Denis Lassance, VP, Head Pipeline Project & Resource Management

Position Summary

GSK is seeking motivated and energetic professionals responsible for the integration of project research and development strategy in the global plan, the optimization of the project critical path, and enabling optimal and efficient execution.

In this position, as an experienced life sciences Project Manager, you will work in close collaboration with the Project Lead to provide operational and strategic leadership to the drug or vaccine matrix team by working with functional area partners to deliver robust, fit for purpose plan, and oversee its execution.

The role is responsible for generating scenario planning for the project team, enabling robust data-driven decision-making, and for the oversight and reporting of development program deliverables and objectives. Alongside the technical project management responsibilities, you will use your ‘soft skills’ to keep the matrix team motivated, aligned and focused on delivering the team’s critical path.

Depending on your experience and the size of the project you manage, you may supervise other Project Managers. You will be assigned to projects belonging to one of our diverse therapeutic areas which include Vaccines, Oncology, Specialty & Primary Care, HIV, and Global Health, and you will have the opportunity to learn and be developed across several of these areas.

We encourage you to bring your disruptive thinking, collaborative spirit, and diverse perspective to our organization.

What you will dive into

In this highly rewarding and visible role you will

Influence the strategy, seamlessly integrate it into an endorsed development plan, optimize the critical path, and oversee its execution

• Be accountable to, and work with, the Project Leader (and Project Team) to translate the strategy into a robust, competitive medicines or vaccines development plan, with an optimized critical path and clear go/no go decision points

• Define opportunities for acceleration and manage the assumptions regarding human resources and budget forecast

• Proactively identify and escalate project risks or issues, and consider options to manage and minimize implications on project timelines, budgets, and goals

• Monitor progress against approved project plans, noting deviations and suggesting corrective actions

• Work with all functional lines to create alignment of overarching project development plans with functional area plans

• Ensure source systems reflect the current project plan assumptions to enable integrated planning across the organization, and ability to track performance against baseline and current plan

Drive scenario planning and enable Governance / Decision- Making

• Drive the preparation of strategic scenario analyses to achieve time, value, and budget advantages

• Lead the preparation of documents for key governance meetings

Manage Resource and Budget

• Identify and manage project resource/budget requirements and anticipated variance, and work with the Project Leader and matrix team to ensure estimates are accurate, gaps are addressed, and progress tracked

Manage the Matrix Team

• Provide operational leadership of project team by overseeing the execution of the strategy

  • Manage project-level team meetings, ensure they have a structure and are effective

  • Document clear decisions/actions (minutes) that are communicated to team members and stakeholders

• Keep the matrix team aligned and focused on the execution of the critical path

• Take action to maintain effective dynamics and creating optimal team environment and performance

Own the Project Communication

• Utilize effective communication skills to facilitate appropriate information exchange between Functional Lines, Project Leader, and senior management; ensuring project information is quickly communicated to the appropriate stakeholders, in an agreed format and cadence, and in compliance with approved standards

Drive continuous development of yourself and the department

• Continuously enhance personal understanding and application of project management tools and methodologies in the pharmaceutical industry

• Participate in process improvement initiatives and bring in external perspective and industry standard practices

• Perform project data analyses and reporting, as needed

Manage other Project Managers

• Drive department and R&D leadership change agenda

• When appropriate, manage line of project managers, providing day to day oversight and coaching

• Ensure appropriate employee development

• Manage performance in alignment with the department leadership team

Why you?

Basic Qualifications:

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

• Advanced degree in life science or business management areas

• Minimum 3-10 years pharmaceutical R&D or related industry experience preferred, depending on level

• Direct experience in successful pharmaceutical project management across multiple phases of research and development (discovery to phase 4), with timeline, management, and budgetary responsibility

• Minimum 3 years of line management experience, if management position is sought

• Strong experience with project management tools such as Planisware and/or MS Project, and computer proficiency (advanced knowledge of MS-Office applications required including Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

• Deep experience in risk, budget, and resource management

• Basic knowledge of multi-disciplinary pharmaceutical drug and/or vaccine development required (oncology, vaccines, specialty & primary care, infectious disease)

Preferred Qualifications (varies on level applied for)

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

• Entrepreneurial spirit, strong judgement, and strong leadership skills including effective communication, emotional intelligence, influencing skills within a matrix and senior management (e.g. influence without authority), motivate others, and manage conflicts

• PMP or equivalent certification

• Agile and distributed decision-making

• Sustaining energy and well-being, building resilience in teams.

• Continuously looking for opportunities to learn, build skills and share learnings, both internally and externally.

• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects with competing priorities

• Ability to foster a strong collaborative spirit internally and externally

• Ability to think critically

• Passion for delivering medicines and vaccines to prevent and treat disease

• Clear understanding of critical path generation, and a drive to find solutions to meet or exceed expected timelines

• Demonstrated ability to act/think strategically and see “the big picture”

Why GSK?

At GSK, we have already delivered unprecedented change over the past four years, improving R&D, becoming a leader in Consumer Healthcare, strengthening our leadership, and transforming our commercial execution. Now, we’re making the most significant changes we’ve made to our business in over 20 years. We’re on track to separate and create two new companies in 2022: New GSK with a leading portfolio of vaccines and specialty medicines as well as R&D based on immune system and genetics science; and a new world-leading consumer healthcare company of loved and trusted brands.

With new ambition comes new purpose. For New GSK, this is to unite science, talent, and technology to get ahead of disease together – all with the clear ambition of delivering human health impact; stronger and more sustainable shareholder returns; and as a new GSK where outstanding people thrive.

Getting ahead means preventing disease as well as treating it. How we do all this is through our people and our culture. A culture that is ambitious for patients – so we deliver what matters better and faster; accountable for impact – with clear ownership of goals and support to succeed; and where we do the right thing. So, if you’re ready to improve the lives of billions, join us at this exciting moment in our journey. Join our challenge to get Ahead Together.

#pipelineproject2022

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