Senior Director, Hepatology Translational Biology
About The Position
GSK is seeking an experienced Senior Director to provide scientific leadership for its hepatology portfolio within the Translational Biology Unit of the Respiratory, Immunology and Inflammation Research Unit. This is a senior individual-contributor role reporting to the Head of Hepatology Translational Biology. The role calls for deep expertise in preclinical biology and forward and reverse translation in liver disease, with responsibility for shaping strategy and advancing programmes in MASH, ALD, and related cardiometabolic comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and obesity. The Senior Director will connect human disease biology with target science, biomarkers, and clinical development, ensuring preclinical evidence is relevant to human disease and helping de-risk translation into the clinic. The role offers influence across a diverse portfolio of clinical-stage programmes, preclinical projects, and target identification. As a key leader in the Hepatology Disease Area Acceleration Team, the successful candidate will help align patient biology, target hypotheses, translational strategies, biomarkers, and clinical endpoints across discovery and development. The position also involves shaping academic collaborations and providing scientific leadership for business development opportunities. The role is hybrid under GSK’s Performance with Choice programme. For candidates based at Stevenage, the role will initially be located there, with a planned relocation to Cambridge, UK, proposed by early 2029. Reasonable, purposeful travel is expected, including scientific conferences and occasional international collaboration meetings.
Requirements
- MD/PhD or PhD in cell or molecular biology, genetics, pharmacology, hepatology, or a related discipline.
- Extensive experience in preclinical biology and forward and reverse translation in liver disease.
- Extensive pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience focused on hepatology therapeutics, particularly MASH and ALD.
- Strong understanding of target mechanisms and translational evidence needed to support early clinical development.
- Ability to operate as a senior individual contributor and scientific thought leader, influencing matrix decisions through data-driven recommendations, clear communication, and collaboration.
- Experience leading external collaborations and conducting diligence on business development opportunities.
- Track record of advancing targets or assets through key discovery and early-development milestones.
- Experience developing fit-for-purpose translational packages, including mechanistic rationale, human relevance, biomarker strategy, and support for clinical hypotheses.
- Strong knowledge of MASH and ALD disease biology, pathways, and mechanisms, and appreciation of comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease and obesity and their effects on patient biology, endpoints, and clinical development strategy.
Nice To Haves
- Strength as a translational scientist able to interpret complex data and external trends, connect preclinical findings to clinical endpoints, and recommend indication expansion, patient stratification, biomarker strategy, and potential business development opportunities, including assets involving cardiometabolic comorbidities.
- Strong business acumen and understanding of commercial functions, including marketing, sales, and market access.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, including the ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities.
- Knowledge of pharmaceutical-industry regulatory requirements and compliance standards.
Responsibilities
- Provide scientific leadership across discovery and clinical-stage hepatology programmes focused on MASH, ALD, and liver disease with cardiometabolic comorbidities.
- Define and drive human-relevant mechanistic hypotheses, target-validation strategies, and translational plans to strengthen confidence in clinical success.
- Partner with Research & Development Technologies, Translational Sciences, and disease-area experts to identify, validate, and advance therapeutic opportunities.
- Lead biomarker strategies covering target engagement, pharmacodynamics, disease activity, patient stratification, and clinical decision-making.
- Monitor scientific and competitive trends and translate insights into evidence-based portfolio recommendations.
- Influence scientific direction and decisions across cross-functional teams through data-driven leadership and expert judgment.
- Align stakeholders on key experiments, success criteria, translational strategies, and portfolio priorities.
- Promote rigorous scientific standards, reproducibility, and fit-for-purpose model selection in discovery and translational research.
- Provide mentorship and scientific guidance to project teams and colleagues across the matrix.
- Collaborate with biology, clinical development, translational medicine, biostatistics, DMPK, pathology, safety, and platform teams on integrated development strategies.
- Translate preclinical and clinical datasets into actionable insights for target selection, patient stratification, and study design.
- Drive target progression and support clinical programmes with integrated translational plans.
- Champion innovative approaches, technologies, and model systems that improve portfolio differentiation and translational success.
- Establish and lead strategic collaborations with academic institutions, CROs, biotechnology companies, and key opinion leaders, and maintain a network of external experts.
- Provide scientific leadership in evaluating and diligencing external opportunities, assessing target biology, translational evidence, competitive differentiation, and portfolio fit.
- Ensure research complies with applicable policies, ethical standards, and quality expectations.
- Help optimize portfolio investments by prioritizing critical-path activities and recommending effective use of internal and external resources.
Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Annual bonus based on company performance
- Healthcare and wellbeing programmes
- Pension plan membership
- Shares and savings programme
- Health care and other insurance benefits for employees and family
- Retirement benefits
- Paid holidays
- Vacation
- Paid caregiver, parental, and medical leave
- Eligibility to participate in a share-based long-term incentive programme, depending on role level
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
