AI Director, Development Global Clinical Operations

GSK • Rockville, MD

1d • $179,850 - $299,750

About The Position

The AI Director sits within DP&I (Development Operations Platforms & Innovation), part of Development Global Clinical Operations at GSK. DP&I builds and deploys scalable, AI-native capabilities, shared foundations, and new ways of working across Development Operations, working with clinical operations, technology, product, data, and external partners.

The role drives GSK’s AI-native Development Operations strategy: identifying where AI can create meaningful value, building and testing concepts with frontier tools, and shaping priority capabilities from concept through scaled deployment. The AI Director partners with business subject-matter experts and enterprise technology teams to prototype, pressure-test, and deploy AI-enabled workflows. The role also leads vendor evaluation and shapes build-buy-partner decisions when external capabilities are needed, applying structured problem-solving, commercial judgement, enterprise credibility, and hands-on fluency with frontier agentic development tools. It reports to the Head of Asset Acceleration and AI.

The position aims to help measurably accelerate clinical trial delivery and improve outcomes for patients. It covers strategy and opportunity prioritisation, external landscape assessment, business cases and stage-gate decisions, deployment strategy and solution architecture, cross-functional alignment, hands-on incubation and prototyping, and adoption planning for scaled AI-native capabilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Extensive experience in applied AI/technology or Pharma strategy, gained at a leading AI or technology consultancy, the AI practice of a top-tier strategy consultancy, or a comparable applied-AI environment.
• Deep understanding of clinical operations and wider clinical development, gained in industry, consulting, or another relevant setting.
• Strong knowledge of industry trends and technologies shaping the future of clinical trials.
• Demonstrated experience building business cases and delivering AI-enabled transformation programmes with measurable business outcomes.
• Technical depth across AI, data, and technology, with credibility to design and build alongside technical teams.
• Strong commercial judgement and experience shaping vendor decisions in complex enterprise settings.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex strategic and technical topics to senior, non-technical audiences.
• Hands-on experience with AI-native development tools, including frontier agentic development tools such as Claude Code or Codex, and rapid prototyping practice.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (PhD, MBA, MSc, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
• Track record of driving AI-enabled value beyond pilot through scaled adoption and measurable portfolio-level impact.
• Broad knowledge of Pharma industry processes, particularly R&D, clinical development, or drug discovery, and familiarity with sector-specific regulatory, scientific, and operational challenges.
• Knowledge of GxP, regulatory pathways, or compliance frameworks relevant to deploying AI in clinical operations.

Responsibilities

• Drive the AI-native Development Operations strategy and roadmap, anchored to measurable clinical trial outcomes.
• Prioritise AI opportunities across Development Operations in line with the strategy and R&D priorities.
• Scan emerging AI capabilities, frontier tools, vendor offerings, and new ways of working; translate relevant developments into implications for strategy, portfolio priorities, and build-buy-partner choices.
• Define the build-buy-partner approach for each priority capability and evaluate vendors and partners as needed, balancing speed, differentiation, risk, cost, and long-term platform value.
• Build and defend business cases with clear ROI, payback logic, and success criteria; apply stage-gate discipline, including stopping or reshaping initiatives that do not demonstrate value.
• Shape deployment strategy, roadmaps, and solution architecture with enterprise AI, technology, data, security, regulatory, and quality teams to enable scalable, compliant delivery using shared foundations.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and endorsement for the AI-native Development Operations strategy across the enterprise.
• Partner with R&D leaders to identify workflow bottlenecks, define measurable outcomes, and shape AI-native capabilities.
• Lead 0-to-1 incubation for priority opportunities by framing hypotheses, building and testing working prototypes with technology teams and business SMEs, and defining evidence required to scale, reshape, or stop.
• Define adoption strategies for priority AI-native capabilities, including workflow redesign, user readiness, and change interventions for scaled deployment.
• Engage R&D leaders, enterprise AI and technology teams, security and quality teams, vendors, consulting partners, technology providers, and frontline Development Operations users to align priorities, enable deployment, and realise value.

Benefits

• Annual bonus.
• Eligibility to participate in a share-based long-term incentive programme, dependent on role level.
• Health care and other insurance benefits for employees and their families.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid holidays and vacation.
• Paid caregiver, parental, and medical leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director