Associate Director, Medical Affairs

Gilead Sciences • El Segundo, CA

3d

About The Position

Kite is seeking an experienced, highly motivated Associate Director to join Global Medical Affairs. The role initially supports early-lifecycle and pipeline programs across multiple disease areas, with scope subject to change based on portfolio and organizational priorities. The Associate Director leads defined scientific communication workstreams involving publication strategy and execution, scientific narrative development, evidence translation, congress activity, and Medical Affairs content. Responsibilities may vary according to program maturity, available data, and business needs.

Working across a complex matrix, the Associate Director translates scientific evidence, external landscape developments, and stakeholder needs into communication priorities and high-quality deliverables. The role requires scientific judgment, strategic thinking, adaptability, independent execution, stakeholder influence, and the ability to manage competing priorities.

The Associate Director develops and maintains evidence-based scientific narratives and creates or reviews field medical resources, FAQs, congress materials, and other scientific communications. They partner with field medical teams and other stakeholders to identify scientific exchange needs and content gaps, monitor external developments, and translate insights into communication recommendations. They also support congress planning and execution and ensure communications are accurate, balanced, appropriately referenced, consistent with their intended purpose, and aligned with applicable company policies, governance, review requirements, and external standards.

For assigned programs and disease areas, the Associate Director leads defined publication strategy and scientific dissemination workstreams, with strategic oversight from the Senior Director, Scientific Communications. They translate program objectives, Medical Affairs priorities, evidence, and external developments into publication priorities and executable plans; guide publication deliverables with agency partners; represent Publications in cross-functional forums; contribute to Global Publication Planning Team discussions; and oversee external vendors and resources.

Requirements

• BA/BS and 10 years of relevant experience, MA/MS and 8 years of relevant experience, or PhD and 2 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience in Scientific Communications, Publications, Medical Affairs, or a closely related discipline within the biopharmaceutical industry, academia, or a medical communications environment.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex scientific communication deliverables or workstreams in a regulated environment.
• Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate scientific, clinical, translational, and/or real-world evidence and communicate its implications accurately and clearly.
• Demonstrated experience developing and reviewing scientific publications and Medical Affairs content.
• Experience working effectively in multidisciplinary and matrix teams.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced scientific or clinical degree, or an equivalent combination of relevant scientific education and substantial professional experience.
• Experience contributing to integrated scientific communication and/or publication strategies.
• Experience working across multiple assets, programs, disease areas, or lifecycle stages.
• Strong knowledge of publication standards and scientific communication best practices, including ICMJE and Good Publication Practice.
• Knowledge of Medical Affairs content development, governance, and review processes, including Medical, Legal and Regulatory review.
• Ability to critically evaluate clinical, translational, and real-world evidence and communicate its implications accurately and clearly.
• Excellent scientific writing, editing, presentation, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior, cross-functional, and external stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong planning, prioritization, and decision-making skills, with the ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and operate effectively in ambiguity.
• Experience managing external vendors, agencies, budgets, or complex external partnerships.
• Experience working in global, regional, or multi-country Medical Affairs environments.
• Experience in cell therapy, oncology, hematology, or another complex specialty therapeutic area.
• Experience with publication planning, content management, or medical review systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead defined components of integrated scientific communication strategy for assigned programs, connecting evidence, external developments, stakeholder needs, publications, congress activity, scientific narratives, and field medical content.
• Develop and maintain evidence-based scientific narratives as clinical evidence, the external scientific landscape, and program priorities evolve.
• Develop and review field medical resources, FAQs, congress materials, and other scientific communication assets for accuracy, balance, referencing, and suitability for their intended purpose.
• Adapt the depth, format, and channel of scientific communications to the audience while maintaining accuracy, balance, and consistency.
• Partner with field medical teams and relevant stakeholders to understand scientific exchange needs, identify content gaps, and translate complex evidence into practical, scientifically balanced resources.
• Monitor and synthesize external scientific, clinical, and treatment landscape developments and identify implications for communication priorities and content.
• Translate scientific and stakeholder insights into recommendations for communication strategy, content development, and evidence dissemination.
• Support congress strategy, planning, and execution, including development and review of materials used before, during, and after scientific meetings.
• Ensure alignment across publications, scientific narratives, congress activity, and Medical Affairs content while accounting for their different purposes and audiences.
• Ensure scientific communications meet company policy, governance, Medical, Legal and Regulatory review requirements where applicable, and relevant external standards.
• Lead defined publication strategy and scientific dissemination workstreams for assigned programs and disease areas, with appropriate strategic oversight.
• Translate development program objectives, Medical Affairs priorities, scientific evidence, and external developments into publication priorities and executable plans.
• Recommend communication priorities, sequencing, channels, resource needs, and appropriate trade-offs based on scientific evidence.
• Guide the development, scientific review, and delivery of peer-reviewed manuscripts, congress abstracts, posters, oral presentations, and related publication deliverables with agency partners.
• Partner with internal subject-matter experts, external authors, investigators, alliance partners, and other stakeholders to develop and execute publication tactics.
• Represent Publications in relevant cross-functional forums, provide updates and recommendations, and escalate material issues.
• Contribute to Global Publication Planning Team discussions and maintain accurate, transparent, current documentation of publication plans, decisions, and status.
• Ensure publication activities comply with company policies and external standards, including ICMJE, Good Publication Practice, and congress requirements.
• Oversee publication vendors, medical writing partners, and other external resources, including scope, timelines, scientific quality, and performance.

Benefits

• Discretionary annual bonus may be available.
• Discretionary stock-based long-term incentives may be available; eligibility may vary by role.
• Paid time off.
• Company-sponsored medical insurance.
• Company-sponsored dental insurance.
• Company-sponsored vision insurance.
• Company-sponsored life insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director