Site Name:UK – London – New Oxford Street
Posted Date:Jun 3 2025
Director, Strategic Launch Lead
GSK has bold commercial ambitions for the future. By 2031, we aim to deliver £38 billion in annual sales – building from existing strong performance momentum which will significantly increase the positive impact we can have on the health of billions of patients around the world. Our Ahead Together strategy means intervening early to prevent and change the course of disease, helping to protect people and support healthcare systems. Our portfolio is made up of vaccines, specialty medicines and general medicines. These are the three different types of products we create to prevent and treat disease, many with the potential to be first-or best-in-class.
The requirement is for an experienced director to work alongside the Medicines Commercialization Lead (MCL). It is expected that this individual will work alongside the MCL as their “right hand person”, shaping the direction of the program, partnering with the extended team to ensure robust plans are built are in place and supporting the execution of critical activities to ensure the programme delivers it’s expected outcomes on time, to budget and to quality expectations, across cross functional teams. The Strategic Launch Lead is responsible for orchestrating all aspects of the products GTM readiness, ensuring a successful and differentiated launch.
Key Responsibilities:
Specifically, the responsibilities of the director will include:
- Launch strategy and planning: develop and operationalize the global roadmap grounded in insights, CI, and business priorities.
- Cross-functional Leadership: Lead integrated launch planning across functions and affiliates to ensure alignment, accountability, and execution.
- Scenario Planning: anticipate risks and build mitigation strategies across regulatory timeliness, supply chain dynamics, and market access.
- Business reporting: Quarterly business review and monthly performance.
- Drive clarity on WMI (What’s Most Important) for the launch.
- Bring discipline on what needs to happen and by when (consequences and interdependencies)
The individual should be a delivery specialist with experience and demonstrated expertise in:
- Project and programme management design and delivery.
- Managing complex projects across diverse functional teams.
- Strategic thinking: ability to synthesize insights, competitive dynamics, and market needs into a clear actionable launch plan.
- Cross functional leadership: proven ability to lead without authority across all stakeholders.
- Launch excellence – working with Pharma companies on asset launches.
- Previous experience with GSK launches an advantage – importance of cross-functional working, understanding of Global-Region and LOC interfaces, DIA to make best use of calls and ”taskforce ourselves”
- Communication and storytelling: clear and compelling communicator across senior leaders, affiliates, and cross functional partners.
- Commercial acumen: strong grasp of brand strategy, positioning, pricing, and promotional planning.
- Soft skills including strong interpersonal skills, ability to work with and influence senior stakeholders, positive can-do attitude, and knowledge on how to deliver successfully in a complex matrix organization.
- Ability to work in a fast-moving, demanding transformation environment.
- Driving discipline and enabling the team to focus on outcomes.
Outcome:
If successful in the above, the strategic launch lead should free up the MCL’s capacity to focus on the programme’s strategic direction and overall impact.
Why you?
Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or with significant progressive experience from the pharmaceutical Industry.
- Launch experience in the pharmaceutical industry, ideally from a marketing and sales perspective, management experience is an advantage.
- Strength in analytical and strategic-conceptual thinking as well as quick comprehension
- Strong performance orientation and responsibility for results.
- Pronounced proactivity and high intrinsic motivation, combined with a high interest in cooperation and teamwork (matrix leadership).
- Challenger mindset as well as creativity and innovative spirit.
- Excellent communication skills with winning argumentation skills, persuasiveness and corresponding presentation skills.
- Very good knowledge of project work and project management as well as working in matrix organizations.
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS – 9th June 2025 (EOD)
Please take a copy of the Job Description, as this will not be available post closure of the advert.When applying for this role, please use the ‘cover letter’ of the online application or your CV to describe how you meet the competencies for this role, as outlined in the job requirements above. The information that you have provided in your cover letter and CV will be used to assess your application.
Why GSK?
Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.
GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and the use of new platform and data technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/ immunology and oncology).
Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued, and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.
GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.
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