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Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal Diseases

At GSK, we are dedicated to improving the quality of human life by leveraging scientific advancements to develop better medicines with reduced attrition. Through our Discovery Disease Area Leads (DDALs), we enable target identification, selection, and validation at scale, driving innovation and excellence across our R&D landscape.

As the Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal, you will be at the forefront of our mission, driving the discovery and validation of therapeutic targets for a range of diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis and cardiovascular conditions that are associated with metabolic dysfunction. You will lead a cross-functional, highly matrixed team of scientists, clinical staff, and pharma experts to identify and validate high-quality targets using large-scale experimental and in silico approaches. Your efforts will ultimately contribute to translating human disease phenotype information into actionable therapeutic innovations.

Location: This role will be based at one of GSK’s R&D hub sites, in Stevenage, UK, or Upper Providence, PA, USA. The Discovery Disease Area Lead, Cardiovascular-Renal will be expected to spend at least 2-3 days / week on site.

For candidates seeking to be located at our Stevenage site, this role will temporarily be based at Stevenage. However, the Company plans to relocate its offices to Cambridge, UK. The location of this role will therefore subsequently change to Cambridge, UK in accordance with timelines to be set by the Company. The relocation is currently proposed to take effect by early 2029.

Key Responsibilities:

Portfolio Execution –

• Portfolio Generation and Oversight: Generate and oversee the pre-Commit to Target (C2T) project portfolio in the Renal and Cardio-Renal therapy area.
• Target Delivery: Systematically deliver pools of high-potential targets that fulfill all C2T quality criteria based on therapeutic area-defined target medicine profiles for bespoke target validation
• Senior Management Interface: Influence Senior R&D management by identifying and communicating portfolio risks and opportunities.
• Strategy Execution: Drive development and implementation of key components of the renal and cardio-renal research strategy in R&D Tech for the Research Units.
• Team Representation: Ensure appropriate representation of lines/functions within the operational matrix team.

Cardiovascular / renal / metabolic disease expertise -

• Nephrology and/or Cardiovascular Expertise: Apply deep experience in renal and cardio-renal disease indications drug discovery, focusing on clinically relevant target identification through human-first discovery approaches.
• Scientific Excellence: Drive best-in-class science across R&D Technologies and Research Units (RUs).
• Strategic Partnership: Partner proactively with Research Units and R&D Technology Leadership to provide strategic scientific input into disease phenotype discovery and therapeutic target identification.
• External Engagement: Maintain connection with renal biology experts, KOLs, and societies to ensure solid strategic guidance on emerging therapeutics, understanding which could impact the portfolio and priorities.
• Clinical Insight: General understanding of clinical treatments for renal, cardio-renal and associated  diseases and emerging innovative trial design and biomarkers.
• Business Case Development: Lead the creation of strong business cases that align with RU and R&D Tech strategies.
• External Opportunities Assessment: Collaborate with Business Development to assess external opportunities.

Strategic Alignment –

• Framework Adherence: Ensure adherence to decision frameworks up to C2T, incorporating relevant stakeholders.
• Resource Coordination: Coordinate resources from RDTech and RUs to cover all steps from the patient identification, strategic ideation, target screening, triage, large-scale validation, and presentation.
• Risk Management: Elevate resource challenges, project risks, pipeline risks, and opportunities to RDTech LT.
• Resource Allocation: Make recommendations to department heads (RDTech and RUs) on areas to reduce, postpone, or stop.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications & Skills:

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

• Education: Minimum of PhD degree or extensive (15+ years) drug discovery and development experience.
• Experience: Minimum of 15 years of progressive pharmaceutical experience required, including key project leadership roles in programs that progressed to the clinic and/or approval for renal / cardiovascular indications.
• Leadership Skills: Proven track record of exceptional team and cross-functional leadership.
• R&D Expertise: Experience with renal or cardiovascular R&D programs, scientific and clinical strategies.
• Research Program Design: Ability to design a comprehensive drug discovery program to reach a critical milestone 
• Data Interpretation: Strong data interpretation and report writing/presentation skills.
• Global Mindset: Demonstrated ability to assimilate complex science quickly and work globally.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to work cross-functionally, cross-geography, and with high-level managers and executives.
• Communication Skills: Excellent executive communication skills.
• Time Management: Ability to manage multiple demands and priorities on time, lead teams, gain alignment, and drive decision-making.
• Networking: Access to internal and external networks of experts.
• Travel Requirement: Up to 20% travel (mostly international).

Closing Date for Applications – 4th October 2026

#LI-GSK #LI-hybrid

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.

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.

Find out more:  

Our approach to R&D

Skills

Biotechnology, Business Strategies, Cell Biology, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Drug Development, Drug Discovery Process, Influencing Without Authority, Interpersonal Communication, Life Science, Market Opportunities, Matrix Leadership, Molecular Biology, Renal Pathology, Scientific Research, Scientific Writing, Strategic Alignment, Target Discovery

 

 

• If you are based in Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; or San Francisco, CA, the annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges $202,125 to $336,875. 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.

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.

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

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