Product Development Portfolio Partner, Infectious Disease page is loaded

Product Development Portfolio Partner, Infectious Disease

Salary: £103,700

Closing date: Sunday, 24 August 2025

Contract type: Permanent

Interview dates: w/c 22 September 2025

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships.

We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.

These challenges need the bold science we support, but they won’t be solved by science alone.

We are looking for a Product Development Portfolio Partner to join our team.

Where in Wellcome will I be working?

You will be joining the Product Development Partnerships team within the Infectious Disease Programme, reporting to the Head of Product Development Partnerships.

The Infectious Disease Strategic Programme (IDSP) goals intentionally sit downstream of Discovery at Wellcome with the ambition of bringing “Solutions” in the form of innovative vaccines, treatments and control strategies to cure and prevent infectious disease.

To achieve this, a significant proportion of the IDSP portfolio is on product development either through Product Development Partnerships (PDPs) or targeted discretionary funding. In addition, there are multiple bilateral product development projects with product development organisations and with the Pharmaceutical Industry. Together these initiatives are advancing over 160 different treatments, vaccines and innovative products.

What will I be doing?

As a Product Development Portfolio Partner, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of health innovation at Wellcome. You’ll bring your scientific and technical expertise to drive product development across our Infectious Disease and Science Programmes, ensuring that our partnerships deliver impactful, accessible, and affordable health products. Working at the interface between science, strategy, and industry, you will collaborate closely with colleagues across the Innovation & Access (I&A) team, helping to translate cutting-edge research into real-world solutions for global public health.

You’ll contribute to Wellcome’s mission by supporting projects at every stage of their lifecycle, ensuring our portfolio is strategically aligned, evidence-based, and positioned for maximum public benefit. With a focus on scientific excellence and equitable access, your work will help strengthen our ability to partner effectively with the private sector and other key stakeholders.

As a Product Development Portfolio Partner, you will:

• Lead scientific and technical delivery on specific product development initiatives with private sector partners, ensuring these align with Wellcome’s standards for impact and access.

• Coordinate cross-functional collaboration by acting as a critical link between the IDSP and I&A teams, embedding commercial and equitable access expertise into portfolio delivery.

• Support decision-making by conducting and contributing to scientific due diligence for new opportunities, renewals, and strategic portfolio analyses.

• Enable portfolio oversight by monitoring progress and key milestones across projects, ensuring data is captured, accessible, and actionable for analytical and reporting purposes.

• Champion equity and access by contributing to strategies that use Wellcome’s influence to improve availability and affordability of supported health products.

• Foster a culture of inclusion and accountability, actively contributing to team learning, collaboration, and Wellcome-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

Is this job for me?

Are you passionate about advancing science and global health through cutting-edge research and innovation? Do you have a proven track record in pharmaceutical R&D, biotech, or venture, and want to use your skills to drive Wellcome’s mission forward? If you thrive in a dynamic, collaborative environment, enjoy working across disciplines, and are motivated by meaningful impact, this could be your next career step.

We’re looking for hands-on experience delivering high-profile scientific initiatives, excellent analytical capabilities, and the confidence to engage and influence senior stakeholders. This role offers the chance to contribute to Wellcome’s world-leading mission to improve health by supporting science that solves urgent global challenges.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please submit an updated CV and answer 2 application questions to demonstrate that you meet the minimum requirements for the role.

Minimum Criteria:

• Proven demonstrable significant experience and knowledge of the scientific and technical aspects of the R&D process exemplified through direct experience and impact in the research and/or development of products (therapeutics or vaccines)

• Experience within either Pharma, venture or biotech.

• Experience of setting up and delivering high profile, strategic initiatives and/or projects with multi-disciplinary teams at a variety of scales

• Experience of managing projects and/or people across different areas of expertise

Discover more:

You can view the full job description on our website.

You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website

Our Hybrid Way of Working

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best.

At Wellcome we have a hybrid way of working which is 3 days in our Euston Road offices (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome . We are committed to cultivating a fair andinclusiveenvironment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includesmaking adjustmentsfor people who have a disability or long-term condition.Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us atjobs@wellcome.org .

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About Us

We support researchers, we take on big health challenges, we campaign for better science, and we help everyone get involved with science and health research. Wellcome isn't just a supporter of great ideas, it's a great place to work. We offer excellent benefits and help our employees to develop in an open, respectful culture where differences are valued.