Associate Director, Decision Science for Clinical Operations

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Associate Director, Decision Science for Clinical Operations

This is an exciting opportunity to channel your passion for innovation in the field of Statistics and Data Science to help shape the future of the Biostatistics function and transform the way in which GSK uses data and quantitative thinking to drive decision-making in R&D.

Biostatistics is the single-largest functional group of Statisticians, Programmers and Data Scientists within GSK R&D, numbering approx. 900 permanent people in the US, UK, Europe and India. Our mission is to put statistical thinking at the heart of R&D decision-making, to ensure that predictive models, well-designed experiments, and trials deliver robust evidence as the input to those decisions, ultimately making the R&D process more efficient. We are investing in our cutting-edge innovation capabilities by expanding the Statistics & Data Science Innovation Hub (SDS-IH) led by Prof Nicky Best. The vision of SDS-IH is to be the catalyst for innovation and advanced data-driven decision making. In this role, you will work closely with SDS-IH to embed sophisticated analytics into Global Clinical Operations (GCO), enabling stakeholders to make timely, robust, and impactful decisions.

As the Associate Director of Decision Science for Clinical Operations, you will serve as a strategic thought partner to senior R&D leadership, architecting the future of how GSK plans and executes clinical trials. Your mission is to embed sophisticated analytics and data-driven frameworks into the core of GCO. You will frame and model complex operational scenarios, quantify risks and trade-offs, and challenge assumptions to discover and unlock added value for high-impact R&D projects. By translating analytical insights into clear, actionable strategies, you will drive decision quality and accelerate the delivery of new medicines to patients.

In this role you will be involved in...

Strategic & Facilitative Leadership

• Partner with GCO's Decision Analytics team to lead high-stakes strategic discussions with clinical development leadership to frame complex business problems, develop differentiated options, and define clear analytical pathways.
• Synthesize diverse evidence, including empirical data and expert judgment, to construct cohesive decision models that guide strategy.
• Influence key investment and operational decisions by translating complex model outputs into compelling narratives and actionable recommendations for executive audiences.

Advanced Modeling & Analytics

• Implement advanced decision models to quantify risk and identify value-add opportunities in study timelines and resource allocation.
• Deliver robust predictive models for critical operational challenges, including patient recruitment, site performance, and milestone attainment, to create value optimal and risk-aware delivery strategies.
• Identify and champion non-obvious value-add opportunities by applying innovative analytical approaches to complex clinical operations challenges.

3. Technical Innovation & Capability Development

• Drive the design and deployment of scalable analytics solutions, including production-ready models, automated monitoring systems, and real-time data pipelines.
• Champion best-in-class DevOps practices, including version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing to ensure robust, reproducible, and scalable solutions.
• Train and mentor colleagues on the use of tools, methods, and structured decision frameworks to build organizational capability.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications & Skills:

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

• PhD (preferred) in a quantitative field (e.g., Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Decision Analysis) or MSc with equivalent experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Proven expertise designing and building flexible decision models (e.g., Monte Carlo simulation, Bayesian analysis, scenario planning, sensitivity analysis) to quantify risk and value trade-offs.
• Expertise in Python or R with the ability to adapt models.
• Knowledge of the drug development lifecycle and Clinical Operations workflows.
• Track record of leading and mentoring technical teams to deliver data science solutions with measurable business impact.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to distill complex analyses into compelling recommendations for senior leadership in a matrix environment.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

Please note the following skills are not necessary, just preferred, if you do not have them, please still apply:

• Hands-on experience with DevOps best practices, including Git, CI/CD, and testing.
• Therapeutic area depth, including knowledge of clinical development and trial design.
• Direct Clinical Operations experience.
• Decision Analysis or Management Consulting experience focused on pharmaceutical strategy or operations.
• Expertise in advanced methods such as Bayesian statistics, machine learning, and enrollment simulation

Closing Date for Applications - 24th February 2026

Please take a copy of the Job Description, as this will not be available post closure of the advert.

When applying for this role, please use the 'cover letter' of the online application or your CV to describe how you meet the competencies for this role, as outlined in the job requirements above. The information that you have provided in your cover letter and CV will be used to assess your application.

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.

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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.

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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