Senior Director, Innovation & Tech Investment Lead

GSK•Upper Providence, PA

About The Position

The Innovation & Tech Investment Lead, Development Operations Platforms & Innovation will serve as the trusted advisor and right hand to the VP, Dev Ops Platforms & Innovation, playing a pivotal role in shaping and executing the strategic vision for Innovation & Tech investment within Development Operations. The role will play a key part in shaping the investment strategy delivered and administered through DP&I on behalf of Dev Ops. This role will oversee the operational financial and resource management of Development Platforms & Innovation as well as the oversight financial investment in innovation through the Test Start Scale framework. The role will have broad scope, spanning strategic investment, value realization, operational oversight, and leadership team facilitation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Finance, or a related discipline OR 10+ years of relevant experience in clinical operations technology investment within the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry
10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry
Experience sourcing, evaluating, and managing a portfolio of clinical operations technology investments
5+ years of experience developing business cases that support value realization and strategic allocation of investment funds within a clinical operations environment
Hands‑on clinical operations experience within a pharmaceutical company or CRO
Experience in a leadership role with responsibility for strategy development, operational oversight, and execution

Nice To Haves

Experience in financial management, investment analysis, and value realization initiatives
Experience supporting post‑investment value creation or integration programs
Prior experience in venture capital, corporate venturing, innovation labs, or internal innovation functions
Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills with the ability to advise senior leaders and influence decision-making
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with experience in drafting executive-level communications and delivering impactful messages.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams and stakeholders.
Experience managing multiple priorities across complex, matrixed organizations
Experience preparing executive‑level communications and materials

Responsibilities

Serve as a key advisor and thought partner to the VP, DP&I, providing insights, recommendations, supporting decision-making and driving key initiatives forward to advance the strategic goals of Dev Ops.
Develop and implement strategies to enhance operational efficiency and excellence across DP&I.
Deliver strategic investment in innovation and measure value realization aligned to the key technology investment programs and other initiatives through DP&I
Partner across the DP&I LT to ensure funding and business cases are robust and ROI is clear to enable long term views on innovation while also delivering in year value to accelerate the portfolio
Oversee the operational, financial and resource needs and management of GCO DP&I to ensure seamless operations and delivery of priorities.
Design and implement strategies to improve performance and productivity across DP&I functions, establishing metrics and KPIs to monitor effectiveness, identify gaps, and drive continuous improvement in team performance.
Develop the functional budget and headcount goals, establish financial/HC controls and ensure meeting the annual financial targets with a multi-year perspective in mind.
Provide robust data and leading trends for current year and future year planning.
Foster an inclusive and collaborative environment that encourages engagement, development, and innovation across the team.
Partner with HR and relevant stakeholders to support talent development and retention within DP&I.
Be an active member of the DP&I leadership team and drive the development of an innovation first investment culture and identity
Chair leadership team meetings as required, driving forward discussions, facilitating engagement, and ensuring follow-up actions are completed.