Digital & Automation Engineering Director

GSK•King of Prussia, PA

About The Position

The Digital Director – Global Capital Projects is responsible for defining and embedding advanced digital capabilities within the scope of capital projects globally, fully aligned with GSK’s digital ambition. This role ensures digital is embedded as a core enabler of project design and engineering delivery, driving innovation, performance, and value. Operating within GCP Project Engineering, the role shapes the digital content of project scope, ensuring assets are designed and delivered with appropriate automation, data capability, and digital functionality. The role may be seconded into priority projects as Digital Lead, providing direct leadership to ensure digital scope is effectively defined, integrated, and delivered within complex project environments. The role ensures capital projects deliver future-ready, digitally enabled facilities, maximizing long-term operational performance and business value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Digital, IT, or related discipline required (Master’s preferred)
10+ years of experience in digital, automation, or technology roles within capital-intensive or regulated industries (e.g., pharma, biopharma, manufacturing)
Experience supporting or delivering technology scope within large-scale capital projects or complex manufacturing environments
Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the following domains: Smart Manufacturing and/or Automation systems (e.g., PLCs, SCADA, MES), Data and digital platforms (e.g., cloud, data pipelines, analytics platforms), IT/OT architecture and industrial infrastructure integration
Proven track record of designing and implementing scalable digital or automation solutions for operational environments

Nice To Haves

Experience ensuring technology and digital solutions are designed for long-term operational use and scalability
Proven ability to translate business and operational needs into effective digital scope and system design
Experience working across global, matrix organizations
Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at senior level
Strong systems thinking and engineering mindset
Ability to balance innovation with practical, fit-for-purpose solutions
Strong influencing and decision-shaping capability
Ability to operate across multiple projects and complexity levels
Excellent communication skills across technical and business stakeholders
Experience working with external vendors, integrators, and technology partners
Strong focus on long-term value and operational performance

Responsibilities

Define and drive digital scope and requirements within capital projects, aligned to GSK’s enterprise digital and smart manufacturing strategies.
Provide central leadership on digital design principles, standards, and scope definition across the project portfolio.
Collaborate closely with the Business Smart Manufacturing Organization to ensure digital scope is fully aligned with business strategies and roadmaps.
Deploy into key projects as Digital Lead (as required), influencing engineering design and scope decisions to ensure appropriate inclusion of: Automation systems, Digital platforms and data architecture, Smart manufacturing capabilities, IT/OT infrastructure.
Ensure digital requirements are embedded from early project phases (FEED and design) and carried through execution and commissioning.
Challenge and optimize project scope to ensure fit-for-purpose, future-ready digital capabilities, avoiding under- or over-specification.
Partner with Engineering, Tech SMEs, and Digital teams to ensure alignment with enterprise standards, architectures, and long-term operational needs.
Ensure digital and technology components are fully integrated, scalable, and aligned to enterprise platforms.
Support definition of data strategies and digital architectures required for operational readiness and lifecycle value.
Drive clarity on value and benefits linked to digital scope decisions, particularly in operational efficiency, quality, and flexibility.
Capture and scale best practices to establish consistent digital design principles and standards across capital projects.