Director, Disease Strategy Oncology

Site Name: USA - Pennsylvania - Upper Providence, Switzerland - Zug, UK - Hertfordshire - Stevenage, USA - Massachusetts - Waltham
Posted Date: Mar 30 2023

Do you want to be part of a highly regarded and rapidly growing Oncology R&D team focused on improving the lives of cancer patients? If so, the Director – Oncology DATs is an excellent opportunity to explore.

GSK is expanding the Oncology Clinical Development organization and we are seeking experienced professionals to join our exciting journey. We develop potentially life-changing oncology therapies with a focus in three areas of cancer research: Immuno-Oncology, Tumor Cell Targeting and Synthetic Lethality.

This is a hybrid role and can be based at our Upper Providence, PA, Waltham, MA, Stevenage, UK or Zug, Switzerland sites.

The Director will be closely working with the cross functional Disease Area Team (DAT) leader and core members of DATs to ensure timely and coordinated development (or updates) of respective GSK Oncology initiatives, including Tumor maps, Efficacy/Safety benchmarking data, aligning on current and future standard of care as well as areas of unmet needs. As member of cross functional disease or project teams, the Director DAT will also support research, medical affairs and business development projects from the disease are perspective. This work will include tracking of proper execution of all key elements and action items identified within the individual Disease projects/ initiatives together with respective internal communication and know-ledge sharing plans across R&D and Commercial Functions.

In this capacity, the Director will be a core member of the individual Disease Area Teams, with shared responsibility (together with the DAT Lead) for the proper planning, conduct, follow up and communication of DAT meetings. The Director will be also responsible for the documentation, storage and system build up to allow all relevant GSK stakeholders and functions to access Disease Area information as needed and in line with GSK policies.

The Director will furthermore closely work with the GSK Research Teams, relevant Medicines Development Teams (MDTs), Early Development Teams (EDTs) and as needed with Commercial Functions to ensure strong communication with asset teams, coordinated, aligned and efficient joint project work.

This work includes at least annual updates of DA information, coordination of governance presentations of MDTs, EDTs and MCTs where DAT input is needed (jointly with respective PMs) and preparation, conduct and follow up of other management meetings. Additionally, the Director will monitor and control the execution of the plans through their lifecycle while identifying and communicating issues and risks and developing mitigation plans.

This position has the potential to supervise Disease Area Managers (as applicable).

Job Responsibilities:

Disease Area Information: Plan, Preparation, Management, Maintenance, Monitoring, and Alignment and Communication

• Partner with team member in Clinical Development, MDTs, EDTs, Research Units, the Experimental Medicine Unit, Commercial functions, Business Development and other stakeholder to cross-link different asset or program driven (R & D or Commercial) teams to: support alignment on key assumptions about the current standard of care, efficacy/safety benchmarks per tumor type, molecular pathway maps by tumor, changing treatment algorithm and unmet medical needs in oncology indications.

• Track execution of the DA projects against DA objectives and key deliverables. Together with the DAT Leader, translate DA insights and scientific information into a robust, strategic plan of key cross-functional activities and milestones.

• Support external vendor selection process (for strategic topics, workshops etc) as needed and work closely with potential vendor(s) on project work to support timely delivery of (vendor) tasks/action items, including budget planning, allocation, and close monitoring of resource allocations (budget tracking).

• Proactively identifies and escalates business issues and considers options to manage implications and risks on project timelines, budgets, and goals.

• Monitors progress against approved DA plans, supportive scientific/clinical data and information, noting deviations and suggesting corrective actions.

• Integrates activities with all functional lines and with EDTs and MDTs, to create alignment of program development plans functional area plans and Asset plans (i.e., established by MDTs or EDTs)

• Building up of source systems and systems that allow DAT stakeholder and relevant GSK functions to access DA Team information as needed and in line with GSK policies.

• Ensures source systems reflect the current DA plan assumptions to enable integrated planning across the organization and tracks performance against baseline and current plan.

Governance and Decision- Making Preparation

• Leads preparation of documents including detailed reports, timelines, and slide decks for key governance meetings including meetings to decide on milestones and decision points.

• Assists in preparing strategic scenario analyses to achieve time or resource advantages.

Resource Management

• Identifies and manages project resource requirements and anticipated variability (people, time, cost, risk) and works with Project Leader to ensure estimates are accurate, gaps are addressed, and progress tracked.

• Designs and develops schedule and views and adheres to business rules.
  

Team Operations

• Provides operational leadership of Disease Area teams by overseeing timely project execution and follow through.

• Manages program and/or working group-level team meetings.

• Ensures effective team function including team meetings have structure and purpose including agendas and pre-work,

• Documents clear decisions/actions (minutes) that are communicated to team members and stakeholders.

• Identifies resource requirements and suggests ways to fill gaps within matrix teams or resourcing gaps to support external (vendor) support.

• Integrates compliance requirements into team operations.

• Takes action to maintain effective dynamics and creating optimal team performance.

Communication:

• Utilizes effective communication skills to facilitate appropriate information exchange between Oncology MDT, EDT PMs, Functional Lines, DAST Leader, Core Teams (extended team members) and senior management – ensuring alignment and transparency across the respective Disease Area (s).

• Ensures project information is quickly communicated to the appropriate stakeholders, in an agreed medium, sequence and in compliance with approved standards.

Process/Capabilities/Quality

• Continuously enhances personal understanding and application of program management tools and methodologies in the pharmaceutical industry and other industries.

• Participates in process improvement initiatives and brings in external perspective and industry standard practices.

• Performs project data analyses and reporting, as needed.

• Conduct periodic health checks to ensure quality of project planning and control.

Management

• When applicable, manages line of project managers, providing day to day oversight and coaching. When applicable ensures appropriate employee development (and performance management in alignment with department leadership team.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications:

We are looking for professionals with these required skills to achieve our goals:

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences discipline or business required.

• 10+ years pharmaceutical R&D or related industry experience required.

• 5+ years’ experience in the Oncology disease setting required.

• Direct experience in biopharmaceutical Program Planning required.

• Experience with Planisware and/or MSProject, MS Teams.

• Risk, budget and resource management experience

• Experience and understanding of multi-disciplinary biopharmaceutical drug development required.

Preferred Qualifications:

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus:

• Master's Degree in advanced life sciences, business or medical degree is a plus.

• PMP certification a plus

• Oncology drug development experience with both small-molecule and biologics desired.

• Exceptional computer proficiency – advanced knowledge of MS-Office applications required (including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Project).

• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects with competing priorities.

• Recognized leader who exhibits effective communication, EQ, influencing skills, within Matrix Teams.

• Prior working experience in research (academia) or the clinical setting (hospital, medical practice) is an advantage. Strong track record delivering demanding projects under tight time limes with a ‘can do’ and ‘hands on’ attitude, successfully balancing demands for detailed scientific work vs identification and communication of what is most important.

• Prior successful working experience on projects that require condensed, ‘to the point’ communication of complex scientific data or information.

Why GSK?

We’re combining the power of genetic and genomic insights into what causes disease, with the speed and scale of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to make better predictions about who a treatment might work for, and why. We believe this powerful combination of data and technology holds the key to fundamentally transforming medical discovery for the better, improving R&D success rates and shaping how even the most challenging diseases, like neurological conditions and cancer, can be both prevented and treated.​

In 2021 we delivered four major product approvals: Cabenuva for HIV, Jemperli for endometrial cancer, Xevudy for COVID-19 and Apretude, our new long-acting medicine for HIV prevention.​

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