Head of Material Science and Technology (MSAT) for GSK Ware

Location: Ware, Hertfordshire

The deadline for the job posting is the 24th of November in 2024

Are you ready to lead the acceleration of bringing new products to life at one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies? At GSK, we are looking for a dynamic and innovative Head of Material Science and Technology (MSAT) to join our team and drive the successful introduction and lifecycle management of our products. 

An exciting place to work, Ware Global Supply Chain (GSC) site is the new product introduction (NPI) site for both respiratory and oral solid dose medicines and has supported the launch of over 15 new innovative medicines since 2017.

The GSC Ware site is co-located with our R&D colleagues and recently opened a new, state-of-the-art oral solid dose facility at Ware, where scientists, technicians, and engineers from R&D and GSC will work collaboratively together using the latest technologies and rapid knowledge transfer to deliver GSK’s most innovative, medicines faster and more efficiently.

About the role:

As the Site Head of MSAT, you will be at the forefront of ensuring new products are seamlessly transferred to our site, delivered on time, and meet the highest standards of quality and robustness. You will lead our technical function, focusing on enhancing performance, delivery, capability, and talent management, all while supporting the site in achieving its business goals. This role reports into the Site Director and is a member of the Site Leadership Team (SLT), whose purpose is to provide strategic direction, foster a culture of quality and compliance, and lead cross-functional collaboration to ensure the site meets its operational and business objectives.

Your key responsibilities:

• New Product Introduction: Take site accountability for bringing new products to life, ensuring alignment across various functions (Operations, Quality, Logistics, Finance, Engineering) and collaboration with central GSC functions and R&D
• Commercialisation: Own the processes required for commercializing new products, including project and risk management, technical due diligence, and embedding quality and capability for robust, cost-effective manufacturing
• Technical Governance: Oversee core technical business processes, including Product Lifecycle Management, Technical Transfer, Change Control, and Risk Management
• Process Improvement: Drive key process improvement projects to enhance site metrics such as Cost of Goods, Process Robustness, and waste reduction
• Business Growth: Develop strong links with Commercial, Category, and R&D teams to ensure technical considerations are integral to network and category strategies
• Talent Management: Proactively manage talent, including succession planning and capability building within the technical team, and support GSC graduate and industrial placement programs
• Leadership: Represent the technical function on the Site Leadership Team, championing Site Safety and Quality Compliance
• Compliance: Helps ensure compliance with EHS, Quality, GMP, and QMS standards for people, facilities, and products
• Continuous Improvement: Utilise GPS Standards to lead and sponsor change and improvement programs to deliver strategic plans

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s/Honours degree in a scientific or engineering discipline
• Proven experience in a leadership role, managing technical teams, and delivering solutions in Manufacturing or at the R&D/Manufacturing interface
• Strong capabilities in driving change, delivering solutions, developing people, and building relationships in a matrix environment
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, particularly on major technical and capital projects
• Thorough knowledge of GMP and Regulatory requirements
• Ability to use and interpret data for decision making at both tactical and strategic levels
• Understanding of Quality by Design and risk management approaches, including FMEA, RCA, and technical risk assessments
• In-depth understanding of pharmaceutical/product development
• Operational knowledge of manufacturing unit operations and plant/laboratory equipment
• Experience with Operational Excellence tools and process performance metrics
• Strong communication and influencing skills at all organizational levels
• LI-GSK

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.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are open to all talent. In the US, we also adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to neurodiversity, race/ethnicity, colour, national origin, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class*(*US only).

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.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [email protected] or 0808 234 4391. 

Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments, we will not be able to support you through these channels. However, we have created a UK Recruitment FAQ guide. Click the link and scroll to the Careers Section where you will find answers to multiple questions we receive .

As you apply, we will ask you to share some personal information which is entirely voluntary. We want to have an opportunity to consider a diverse pool of qualified candidates and this information will assist us in meeting that objective and in understanding how well we are doing against our inclusion and diversity ambitions. We would really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it. Rest assured, Hiring Managers do not have access to this information and we will treat your information confidentially.

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