AI Director, Development Global Clinical Operations

GSK • Rockville, MD

10d • $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 across clinical operations, technology, product, data, and external partners, the team creates platforms, products, and partnerships that turn innovation into measurable value.

The role drives GSK’s AI-native Development Operations strategy by identifying where AI can create meaningful value, building hands-on prototypes to demonstrate it, and working with enterprise AI and technology teams to move priority capabilities into production and scaled deployment. The director works with business subject-matter experts to develop and pressure-test AI-enabled workflows, and leads vendor evaluation and build-buy-partner decisions where external capabilities are needed. The position combines strategy, hands-on solution building, and deployment judgement, and reports to the Head of Asset Acceleration and AI.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• Strong 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, including hands-on design and build of AI solutions.
• Technical depth in agentic AI systems, including retrieval and context, tool use, orchestration, evaluation, and reliability, with the ability to design and build alongside engineering teams.
• Ability to code in Python and SQL.
• Working knowledge of LLM APIs, embeddings, agent frameworks, MCP, data pipelines, and cloud platforms such as Azure and AWS.
• Deep understanding of clinical operations and wider clinical development, gained in industry, consulting, or other relevant settings.
• 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.
• Hands-on experience building solutions using frontier agentic development tools such as Claude Code or Codex.
• Strong commercial judgement and experience shaping enterprise vendor decisions.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex strategic and technical topics for senior, non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (PhD, MBA, MSc, or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.
• Experience taking AI from prototype into production with enterprise technology teams.
• A record of self-initiated builds outside the day job, such as agents, tools, or prototypes.
• Track record of taking AI beyond pilot to scaled adoption and portfolio-level impact.
• Broad knowledge of Pharma R&D processes and the sector’s regulatory, scientific, and operational challenges.
• Knowledge of GxP and compliance frameworks for deploying AI in clinical operations.

Responsibilities

• Drive the AI-native Development Operations strategy and roadmap, anchored to measurable clinical trial outcomes.
• Lead 0-to-1 incubation by framing hypotheses, building working AI prototypes on real workflows, and defining the evidence needed to scale, reshape, or stop initiatives.
• Design and build AI systems, then oversee handover and production deployment with technology teams, including solution architecture, evaluation, regression testing, observability, guardrails, security controls, and GxP validation.
• Prioritise AI opportunities with R&D leaders by identifying workflow bottlenecks, defining measurable outcomes, and aligning stakeholders behind the strategy.
• Define how AI capabilities are built, including evaluations, model choices, agentic system structure, and reusable components, and deliver them with enterprise technology teams.
• Define build-buy-partner approaches for priority capabilities, including vendor evaluation and assessment of speed, differentiation, risk, cost, and long-term platform value.
• Build and defend business cases with ROI, payback logic, and success criteria; enforce stage-gates and stop or reshape initiatives that do not deliver.
• Redesign workflows with business subject-matter experts and frontline users so deployment changes how work is done and value is realised at scale.
• Monitor emerging AI capabilities, frontier tools, and vendor offerings, and translate them into implications for strategy, priorities, and build-buy-partner decisions.
• Work with R&D leaders to shape strategy and priorities, secure sponsorship, and align on value.
• Work with enterprise AI, technology, security, and quality teams to build and deploy at scale.
• Assess external vendors and technology providers and shape partnerships.
• Engage Development Operations frontline users to ensure solutions address real problems and work at scale.

Benefits

• Annual bonus
• Eligibility to participate in a share-based long-term incentive program, dependent on role level
• Health care and other insurance benefits for employee and family
• Retirement benefits
• Paid holidays
• Vacation
• Paid caregiver, parental, and medical leave

What This Job Offers

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