Overview
AIML Head of Biological Modeling Research – London/England • Full-Time • Pay Competitive
Job Description
Req#: 425654
Reimagine Drug Discovery at GSK
At GSK, we are uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. We believe that the intersection of human genetics and genomics, translational biology, and artificial intelligence is the most promising path to a new generation of transformational medicines. We are not simply applying AI to drug discovery; we are fundamentally re-architecting the process from the ground up. This is an opportunity for a scientific leader to contribute to a world-class team at the nexus of bleeding edge AI and drug discovery, helping to translate computational innovation into cures for patients.
About the Team: The AI/ML Hub at King's Cross – A Unique Scientific Ecosystem
This role is based in our Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning group headquartered in the GSK.ai office in King's Cross, London. As part of a global AI/ML organization with a presence in London, San Francisco, Boston, and other major technology centers, you will be at the heart of GSK's AI mission.
Our £10 million King's Cross hub is more than an office; it is a strategic center of gravity for talent and innovation, situated in London's vibrant "Knowledge Quarter." This unique location was chosen to foster a culture of open science and deep collaboration. As a leader in this hub, you will work in a "porous" and dynamic environment, with unparalleled opportunities for partnership with the world's leading academic institutions.
Responsibilities
* Team & Culture Development
o Foster a dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive research culture that prizes scientific rigor, open communication, creativity, and a shared sense of urgency to deliver impactful solutions for patients.
o Champion the professional growth and development of team members, providing expert guidance on their careers, technical challenges, and scientific direction, building the next generation of leaders at GSK.
o Drive scientific excellence and innovation within the team, fostering an environment that produces both high-impact publications in premier venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, Nature) and valuable intellectual property that secures GSK's competitive advantage.
* Technical & Execution Excellence
o Research and contribute to new methods needed for sophisticated lab-in-the-loop systems, enabling an efficient, high-throughput cycle between computational prediction, experimental validation, and targeted data generation.
o Lead end-to-end lifecycle of model and architecture development, from curation of large-scale multimodal datasets to model training, rigorous validation, and deployment into production R&D workflows.
o Help build capabilities in agentic AI workflows, designing and deploying intelligent systems to automate complex scientific discovery and hypothesis generation.
* Cross-Functional & External Collaboration
o Collaborate with partners in the Research Technologies platform organization to enable GSK’s tech-enabled drug discovery ambitions.
o Drive deep collaborations with GSK's academic partners to co-develop novel methodologies and accelerate discovery.
o Effectively communicate complex computational concepts, progress, and strategic recommendations to diverse audiences.
Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
* A PhD in Computer Science or Machine Learning
* A minimum of 10 years of post-PhD research experience in an industrial (pharmaceutical or biotechnology) or leading academic research environment
* 8+ years conceiving, developing, and leading impactful ML research projects in biological systems
* 5+ years in a leadership capacity, including direct line management of a research team or mentorship of junior scientists
Preferred Qualifications
* Strong publication record with first-author or senior-author papers in top ML conferences and high-impact journals
* Publicly visible contributions to the scientific community (open-source software, foundational models, benchmark datasets)
* Expertise with state-of-the-art generative models for relevant data types (diffusion models, flow-matching models, transformers, equivariant GNNs)
* Experience building and growing high-performing, interdisciplinary research teams in fast-paced environments
* Domain expertise in drug discovery
* Familiarity with agentic AI workflows and deploying ML with automated laboratory systems for high-throughput discovery
Why GSK?
The Unparalleled Advantage: A leadership role with fewer constraints than elsewhere in the industry. Our collaboration with Cerebras Systems provides access to wafer-scale CS-3 systems for training at unprecedented scales, enabling exploration of novel architectures.
From Code to Cure: This role offers a clear line of sight from foundational model development to transformative medicines, with tangible patient impact.
How to Apply
If you are a pioneering scientific leader ready to define the future of medicine at the intersection of AI and biology, we invite you to apply. To learn more about our team’s vision, science, and culture, please visit gsk.ai.
Company & EEO Notice
GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
We are committed to an agile working culture. If flexibility is important, discuss options with our hiring team.
Specific adjustments for applicants can be requested at UKRecruitment.Adjustments@gsk.com or 0808 234 4391 (hours Mon-Fri, 8:30am–12:00pm). For other inquiries, refer to our UK Recruitment FAQ guide.
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