Director, External Operations

GSK

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

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. Position Summary The Director, External Operations is a pivotal leadership role within Packaging, Labelling, Distribution, and Comparators (PLDC), responsible for shaping and managing the external network that delivers packaging and labelling for GSK’s clinical portfolio. Acting as a strategic bridge between suppliers and internal stakeholders, this role ensures supplier performance, relationship management, and operational excellence to meet current and future business needs. The Director provides strategic direction for the external packaging and labelling network to deliver high-quality clinical trial supplies across all phases.

Requirements

Strategic Leadership & Governance: Define and implement strategies for Third Party Network management and governance, ensuring cross-functional alignment and compliance.
Operational Excellence & Performance Management: Deliver key performance indicators (KPIs) focused on capacity utilization, on-time delivery, productivity, and supply chain efficiency.
Resource & Budget Management: Demonstrated ability to allocate resources effectively and manage budgets across multiple complex projects to fixed timelines.
Regulatory & Quality Expertise: In-depth knowledge of GMP, GCP, and country-specific regulations, serving as an expert resource for compliance and documentation accuracy.
Cross-Functional Team Leadership: Proven ability to lead diverse, matrix teams globally, fostering collaboration and accountability in a dynamic environment.
Risk Management & Issue Resolution: Rapid response to global supply chain issues and ability to resolve and report at senior leadership levels.
Technological & Process Innovation: Apply and assess new technologies to enhance operational efficiency.
Communication & Stakeholder Engagement: Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills for influencing senior stakeholders and external partners.
Continuous Improvement & Change Leadership: Drive business improvement programs aligned with performance metrics and evolving customer expectations.
Talent Development & Organizational Culture: Create a safe, inclusive work environment that supports recruitment, retention, and development of high-performing teams.
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Pharmacy, Engineering, Math or Business discipline.
10+ years in pharmaceutical industry with experience in Clinical Supply Chain or 3rd party management.

Nice To Haves

Master of Science / Advanced Degree in Science or Business

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management: Lead and develop a high-performing team accountable for implementing Third Party Network strategies and acting as the central point of contact for CMOs and external service providers.
Operational Accountability: Retain ultimate responsibility for operational decisions while empowering accountability across leaders and teams. Establish a unified team and process to deliver GSK’s Medicine and Vaccine portfolio.
Performance Delivery: Achieve key performance indicators focused on CMO capacity utilization, on-time delivery, productivity, and supply chain efficiency. Manage vendor performance to ensure expectations are met.
Supply Chain Optimization: Establish strategy of utilization and delivery outsource portfolio needs at each CMO. Identify and implement ways to be more efficient in process to reduce CMO lead-times.
Cross-Functional Alignment: Implement and manage governance structures for internal and external providers, ensuring seamless collaboration across the supply chain.
Continuous Improvement: Drive business improvement initiatives across all relevant functional areas, aligned with performance metrics and customer expectations. Collaborate with CMOs to learn benchmark standards and influence GSK teams to adapt and improve.
Stakeholder Engagement: Influence and collaborate across a matrixed organisation, engaging senior leaders, to ensure strategic objectives are consistently delivered.
Supply Chain: Develop strategy and feasibility of integrating acquired assets into the supply chain.