Director, Global Medical External Affairs

About this role

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.   Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact.   We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.

Job Description   The role serves as a key liaison across Global Medical Affairs and external stakeholders, driving project execution, process optimization, governance, and performance measurement while supporting scientific exchange, educational initiatives, society collaborations, association partnerships, and strategic engagements.

The preferred work location for this position is Foster City, CA, or Parsippany, NJ.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Program Management & Operational Excellence

• Lead strategic initiatives and complex cross-functional projects supporting Global Medical Affairs external engagement priorities. • Develop and implement governance frameworks, business processes, operational standards, and best practices to support scalable and compliant program execution. • Serve as business owner for systems, tools, and workflows supporting external engagement activities, driving process optimization and continuous improvement. • Partner with Medical Affairs, Ethics and Compliance, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Commercial, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and effective program execution. • Develop and maintain centralized processes, tracking mechanisms, and reporting tools to support operational oversight and portfolio management. • Establish KPIs, dashboards, and performance metrics to measure operational effectiveness, stakeholder engagement, and business impact. • Deliver executive-level reporting, analyses, and recommendations that support leadership decision-making and resource prioritization. • Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, transparency, governance, and organizational effectiveness across Medical External Affairs activities.

Strategic External Engagement • Support development and execution of Global Medical Affairs external engagement strategies aligned with organizational and therapeutic area priorities. • Coordinate strategic interactions with professional societies, healthcare organizations, academic institutions, and other external stakeholders. • Facilitate cross-functional planning and alignment for external engagement activities and collaborative initiatives. • Develop executive briefing materials, strategic assessments, and recommendations for senior leadership. • Support planning and execution of leadership engagement activities with key external organizations and stakeholders.

External Partnerships & Scientific Collaboration • Manage a portfolio of strategic external relationships and collaborative initiatives. • Coordinate internal teams supporting external engagement activities and stakeholder interactions. • Monitor partnership activities, deliverables, and objectives to ensure alignment with organizational goals. • Represent Medical Affairs on internal and external working groups, committees, and collaborative initiatives as appropriate. • Identify opportunities to enhance scientific leadership, thought leadership, organizational reputation, and external engagement effectiveness.

Performance Excellence & Innovation • Lead continuous improvement efforts focused on process optimization, operational effectiveness, and stakeholder experience. • Develop training materials, guidance documents, and best practices for global and regional stakeholders. • Analyze program performance data and generate actionable insights to inform future strategies. • Champion data-driven decision-making and performance measurement across external engagement activities. • Evaluate and implement innovative technologies, analytics, and engagement approaches that enhance organizational effectiveness.

Knowledge, Experience & Skills

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives and influence stakeholders without direct authority. • Strong project and program management skills, including planning, prioritization, execution, risk management, and delivery of multiple initiatives simultaneously. • Experience managing external collaborations, association relationships, educational initiatives, or strategic partnerships within the healthcare, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry. • Strong business acumen with the ability to assess opportunities, evaluate organizational needs, and support strategic decision-making. • Proven ability to work effectively in highly matrixed global organizations and navigate competing priorities. • Experience developing executive-level presentations, business cases, dashboards, and communications for senior leadership audiences. • Strong operational mindset with experience optimizing processes, implementing new systems, and driving continuous improvement initiatives. • Ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate complex information into concise, actionable recommendations. • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to represent the organization p

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