Head of Adjuvants & Delivery Systems, Vaccines

Head of Adjuvant & Delivery Systems

At GSK, we have bold ambitions for patients, aiming to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. Our R&D focuses on discovering and delivering vaccines and medicines, combining our understanding of the immune system with cutting-edge technology to transform people’s lives. GSK fosters a culture ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and committed to doing the right thing, making sure that we focus our efforts on accelerating significant assets that meet patients’ needs and have the highest probability of success. We’re uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together.
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Position Summary:
This is a newly create role within the ID Discovery Tech organization. The role will report to the head of Discovery Tech. It will include previous Adjuvant CoE head accountabilities, integrate delivery system discovery and development into a more holistic Adjuvant System streamlined approach. The Adjuvant and Delivery System Platform integrates deeply within the matrix organization. By focusing on innovation and life cycle management, the Adjuvant and Delivery System Platform Lead will ensure

• Adjuvant Systems are integrated as core pillars of the company’s vaccine innovation strategy
• GSK leadership and competitiveness in the field are strengthened.

Please note: This position can be based at one of these GSK Offices: Siena, Italy; Cambridge, Massachusetts or Wavre, Belgium

Job Purpose:

The Adjuvant and Delivery System Platform Lead will define, adjust and communicate the GSK adjuvant strategy for both existing adjuvant portfolio and new adjuvants to be discovered. He/she will have a cross-functional role as a single contributor or leading a small team, working closely with the heads of the other technology Platforms, the heads of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Data science, within Discovery tech, as well as with teams across the whole GSK organisation, such as VIDRU, TRD, Research Tech, Translational Science, MSAT and Global Supply Chain Strategy.

The Adjuvant and Delivery System Platform Lead will provide transformative leadership within GSK’s matrix organization, driving the discovery, development and life cycle management of Adjuvant and Delivery Systems. This leader will be accountable for supporting, improving and extracting the value of GSK’s mature portfolio of adjuvants (AS01, AS03 and AS04). He/she will play a pivotal role in discovering, advancing innovative adjuvant and delivery system technologies and ensuring their seamless transition from Research to Technical Research and Development (TRD, MDS) to enable the development of new vaccines. The role will also build on GSK’s existing legacy in adjuvant science by utilizing data-driven strategies and advanced analytical tools to further enhance adjuvanted vaccine efficacy and differentiation. By leveraging cross-functional collaboration, state-of-the-art science, and strategic alignment, this role will elevate GSK’s capability to deliver next-generation vaccines to address evolving public health needs and emerging opportunities in both infectious and non-infectious diseases.

The Adjuvant and Delivery System Platform Lead will be accountable for expanding and managing GSK’s adjuvant knowledge base, including generating appropriate scientific data on mechanisms of action and platform improvements, and designing and implementing a data strategy to maximize the value of GSK’s adjuvant portfolio. The Lead will also ensure support for commercialized adjuvanted vaccines, addressing regulatory, medical, and competitive questions to uphold GSK’s position in the adjuvanted vaccine market.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with Discovery Units for improving early adjuvant selection and ensuring agile and efficient project delivery. Support Development Teams during regulatory filings and establish adjuvantation as differentiator in vaccine strategies. In the post-marketing phase, support Development Teams on matters of safety of adjuvanted vaccines, competitive intelligence and medical education.
• Drive end-to-end innovation for adjuvant and delivery systems in order to fill unmet needs and enable the development of next-generation vaccines.
• Ensure scientific excellence in the design, the generation and the communication of the scientific evidence related to GSK’s adjuvant systems.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Lead a cross-functional team composed of senior functional representatives. Together with them, lead the design and the implementation of the overall strategy of GSK’s adjuvant platform including both mature and new adjuvants.
• Initiate new partnerships and build strong collaborations with leading academics, biotech and regulatory agencies, and contribute to global guidance development on adjuvant systems and adjuvanted vaccines.
• Ensure close connection with Discovery and Development Units across the organisation and support their ability to leverage and exploit the adjuvant and delivery system platform.
• In collaboration with mRNA and polysaccharide/MAPs Platform Leads and Discovery Units investigate modular vaccine platforms for filling unmet needs or improving technology platforms in order to deliver next-generation vaccines.
• Build and sustain a cutting-edge, scalable and high impact innovation pipeline in adjuvant and delivery systems, balancing short-term deliverables with long-term platform evolution.
• Position adjuvant and delivery system platform as critical enabler of first in class and best in class products including in the Global Health area.
• Develop and implement rigorous and harmonized processes to ensure adjuvant knowledge management.
• Collaborate with Regulatory, Safety and Medical Teams to identify and communicate key scientific messages for regulatory and medical engagements, ensuring a patient-centered, science-led approach.
• Lead efforts to build and disseminate robust mode of action data for adjuvants, enabling a better understanding of their unique immunological profiles and supporting both vaccine development and market differentiation strategies.

Basic Qualifications:
We are seeking professionals with the following required skills and qualifications to help us achieve our goals:

• PhD in immunology, vaccinology or related field
• Minimum of 10 years working in R&D industry in adjuvant science and vaccinology
• Expertise in adjuvant immunology and adjuvanted vaccines, including immunostimulation and immunomodulation
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrix organisation, and building collaborations across R&D functions, regulatory agencies, and external stakeholders

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

• Experience in supporting adjuvanted vaccines in regulatory engagements preferred
• Experience in translational science preferred
• Ability to foster innovation and drive new ideas in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working in a matrix organization
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and adaptability in international and cross-functional environments

The US annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges from $221,925 to $369,875 The US salary ranges take into account a number of factors including work location within the US market, the candidate’s skills, experience, education level and the market rate for the role. In addition, this position offers an annual bonus and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program which is dependent on the level of the role. Available benefits include health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and paid caregiver/parental and medical leave. If salary ranges are not displayed in the job posting for a specific country, the relevant compensation will be discussed during the recruitment process.

Why GSK?
Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines. We focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases – to impact health at scale.

People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we’re committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people.

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