Head, AI Medicines Safety

This senior post leads the MHRA's Beyond ADMET: AI for Medicines Safety regulatory sandbox, reporting to the Deputy Director of Benefit Risk Evaluation I. The work covers strategic direction, scientific assurance, programme governance and leadership of a multidisciplinary team. The post also carries an external role as senior ambassador, building partnerships across industry, academia, government and international regulators. Applicants need recognised expertise in AI or pharmacology and toxicology, a relevant postgraduate qualification or equivalent experience, and experience leading complex programmes.

• Provide overall leadership and strategic direction for the Beyond ADMET sandbox programme
• Act as senior scientific and technical leader, keeping activity evidence-based and scientifically sound
• Oversee delivery through governance, assurance and performance management, including leading programme boards and steering groups
• Lead and develop a high-performing multidisciplinary team, including managing senior staff
• Oversee programme resources and budgets for value for money
• Build and maintain strategic relationships across industry, academia, government, healthcare, patient groups and international regulatory networks
• Represent the MHRA as senior spokesperson and thought leader on AI regulatory science
• Ensure programme outputs inform future regulatory policy, guidance and frameworks for AI-enabled technologies
• Identify, manage and escalation risks, issues, dependencies and opportunities
• Guide evaluation of emerging technologies, methodologies, datasets and validation frameworks
• Champion dissemination of programme findings, learning and best practice
• Identify opportunities to strengthen MHRA capability in AI, advanced analytics and regulatory science

• Degree in a relevant scientific, technical or healthcare discipline, or equivalent experience
• Postgraduate qualification such as an MSc or PhD in AI, computational biology, pharmacology, toxicology, data science, bioinformatics or pharmaceutical sciences, or equivalent experience

• Leading complex strategic programmes, scientific portfolios or major innovation initiatives and delivering their outcomes
• Managing multidisciplinary teams and leading highly specialised technical experts
• Influencing senior stakeholders and working across organisational boundaries with academia, industry, government and healthcare partners

• Recognised expertise in AI, machine learning, data science or computational modelling, or in pharmacology, toxicology, drug development, NAMs or related life sciences
• Broad understanding of the AI and medicines development ecosystem and leading teams that span both
• Evaluating scientific evidence and emerging technologies and turning findings into regulatory and strategic recommendations