Principal Scientist - Antibody Drug Conjugate Platform

We are looking for a Principal Scientist to join our Large Molecule Research team.

Large Molecule Research (LMR) is a department involved in the discovery of novel and effective medicines. This department comprises several complementary functions focused on the progression of a portfolio of molecules from initial discovery, expression and characterisation, to molecular engineering and biological and physicochemical profiling, and mechanistic understanding.

Within LMR, the Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) group takes accountability for building and maintaining platform ADC capability and innovation, aligned to the needs of our pipeline and designed to provide a differentiating advantage for GSK’s ADC assets. The team works closely with other departments to engage the expertise and resource needed to identify and enable therapeutic ADC opportunities, discover ADCs, and to develop ADC technology. Within the team, the role of ADC Investigator has been created with the remit of contributing to both platform technology development and pipeline therapeutic projects in the ADC area.

The Principal Scientist will report to the head of the ADC group and be an important member of the team. They will work closely with stakeholders across the company to understand strategy and requirements of different teams, develop workplans and execute experiments that enable technology development and project progression. This role is partly lab-based and requires someone who has the necessary technical skills and experience to independently plan, expedite and troubleshoot their work, as well as to interpret and understand their data. The successful applicant will have a broad range of technical expertise and lab skills which will allow them to be agile and respond to changing priorities as technologies are developed and new challenges arise. The role also involves diverse activities such as contributing to technical due diligence activities, advising teams on ADCs, representing the ADC team across the organisation and leading ADC initiatives and sub-teams. The success of the ADC group will be dependent on being able to work seamlessly with a wide range of stakeholders and so we are seeking someone with excellent communication skills and demonstrated strong performance working as part of a matrix team.

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

In This Role You Will:

• Plan effectively and design work packages to enable the execution of the scientific strategy
• Have accountability for delivering bespoke work to support ADC therapeutic project progression. May act as Large Molecule Lead on ADC project teams
• Contribute to technology and process development initiatives and work with partner groups to enable this
• Act a subject matter expert for ADCs, visible as a key point of contact advising others in Large Molecule Research and outside of the department on aspects of ADCs
• Stay up to date with the field by reading literature, attending conferences, and building relationships with key internal and external scientists and service providers
• Participate in due diligence and technology evaluation activities to ensure optimal approaches and ADC technologies are being used
• Mentor and train others on technical elements of ADCs 

Why You?

Qualifications & Skills:

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

• PhD or equivalent, in Antibody Drug Conjugates, Protein Science, Molecular/Cell Biology, Assay development or related discipline AND extensive postdoctoral or relevant industry experience
• Significant experience working in either design, production, analytical characterisation or functional testing of ADCs
• Experience in at least one of molecular biology, antibody engineering, protein expression, or assay development
• Experience in technology, platform or process development
• Excellent track record of critiquing scientific data with the ability to identify and troubleshoot problems
• Demonstrated ability to work with agility across different disciplines
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams with excellent interpersonal, collaboration and communication skills
• Passion for executing science to deliver better medicines for patients 

Preferred Qualifications & Skills:

If you have the following characteristics, it would be a plus:

• Experience of matrix or project leadership
• Experience supervising or mentoring others
• Good understanding of the antibody discovery process
• Experience of working with large data sets and/or an interest in data processing, visualisation or AI/ML

Join us in this impactful role where your expertise will help ensure patients receive the medicines they need.

Closing Date for Applications: 23rd October 2025

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 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.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on UKRecruitment.Adjustments@gsk.com or 0808 234 4391.  The helpline is available from 8.30am to 12.00 noon Monday to Friday, during bank holidays these times and days may vary.

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

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