Associate Director, Strategy, Process & Systems - Supply Chain

Gilead Sciences • Parsippany, NJ

8d • $165,495 - $235,620

About The Position

The Associate Director, Strategy, Process & Systems - Supply Chain serves as the business process and systems owner for SSM activities supporting clinical and commercial small molecule, biologics, clinical packaging, direct materials, and devices. The role establishes scalable, compliant, data-driven practices across sourcing, contracting, supplier risk management, governance, segmentation, performance monitoring, and strategic initiatives.

The position acts as a cross-functional integrator and gatekeeper for critical SSM processes, partnering with Legal, Finance, Quality, Strategy, Global External Manufacturing, Treasury, Global Trade Compliance, Global Procurement, and other stakeholders. It combines strategic program leadership with disciplined execution and provides backup support to modality leaders as business needs require.

The role owns and improves end-to-end processes and enabling systems; leads process standardization, documentation, training, and adoption; and represents the business in SAP and other systems initiatives. It leads supplier risk assessments, segmentation and governance, reporting, and assigned strategic and compliance programs. The position also provides project leadership for departmental strategic-roadmap and capability-building priorities.

As a people leader, the role is expected to foster inclusion, develop talent through coaching and feedback, and empower teams by aligning goals and removing barriers. The salary range is $182,070–$235,620 in the Bay Area and $165,495–$214,170 in other U.S. locations. The position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives, paid time off, and company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 10 years of experience, or a master's degree and 8 years of experience, or a PhD/PharmD and 5 years of experience.
• Strategic systems thinking and the ability to connect processes, risk, contracts, supplier performance, and business outcomes.
• Executive presence and sound judgment when acting as a gatekeeper, facilitator, and escalation point.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and align diverse stakeholders around clear decisions and accountabilities.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to translate complex issues into concise executive recommendations.
• Ability to manage ambiguity, competing priorities, and sensitive issues in a fast-paced environment.
• High standards for integrity, compliance, data quality, operational discipline, and follow-through.
• Practical change leadership, including process design, stakeholder engagement, training, and adoption.

Nice To Haves

• Commercial and clinical external-manufacturing experience in one or more of small molecule/API or OSD, biologics, clinical packaging, direct materials, devices, or combination products.
• CMO/CDMO relationship management and governance experience.
• ESG Scope 3 supplier engagement, tender surveys, or supplier audits experience.
• Experience with analytics and visualization tools for operational and executive reporting.
• Extensive relevant experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, external manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, supplier management, business operations, or a related regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional processes, governance forums, and transformation or continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Experience with strategic sourcing, contracting, contract lifecycle governance, and negotiations involving complex external partners.
• Experience designing or operating supplier/CMO risk-management, segmentation, governance, and performance-management processes.
• Working knowledge of regulated manufacturing and quality environments; familiarity with GMP expectations and relevant controls is strongly preferred.
• Experience serving as a business process owner or business lead for enterprise systems, digital tools, analytics, or SAP-enabled processes.
• Project or program management experience; Lean, Six Sigma, PMP, or comparable certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve end-to-end SSM business processes and enabling systems across commercial small molecule, biologics, clinical packaging, direct materials, and devices.
• Serve as Global Process Owner for the SSM process library, working across GSC and PDM to optimize processes and systems.
• Define standardized workflows, decision rights, controls, templates, and escalation paths for contracting, risk management, supplier governance, segmentation, pricing, and performance monitoring.
• Lead SSM digital and systems initiatives, including business representation for SAP and other enterprise or functional tools; translate business requirements into practical process and system solutions.
• Establish process documentation, training, adoption measures, and continuous-improvement roadmaps.
• Lead or support strategic initiatives across Product Development & Manufacturing and Global Procurement and Operations, serving as the SSM single point of contact when assigned.
• Provide backup contract-negotiation support to modality managers and other SSM leaders as needed.
• Lead the CMO Risk Management Program and ensure quarterly assessments of operational, quality, delivery, organizational, and financial risks are completed and reported to senior management.
• Facilitate cross-functional risk reviews, establish ownership of mitigation actions, and escalate material risks through established pathways.
• Lead the annual supplier segmentation and governance process, including operating calendars, governance expectations, and alignment of supplier-management intensity to strategic value and risk.
• Develop and maintain SSM metrics, dashboards, and executive reporting for contract governance, risk, supplier performance, and strategic initiatives.
• Monitor pricing trends and coordinate system updates to support supplier strategy and fact-based decisions.
• Update PIR pricing in SAP and support the should-cost modeling database and contract compliance.
• Represent SSM in enterprise and cross-functional initiatives, including SAP, CTPAT, ESG audits, due diligence, and other strategic or compliance programs.
• Lead ESG Scope 3 target support, supplier tender surveys, and supplier audits in partnership with sustainability and functional stakeholders.
• Lead or support internal audits and remediation activities, ensuring process evidence, accountabilities, and follow-through are clear.
• Provide project leadership for departmental strategic-roadmap initiatives and capability-building priorities.
• Create inclusion, develop talent through coaching and feedback, and empower teams by aligning goals and removing barriers.

Benefits

• May be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus.
• May be eligible for discretionary stock-based long-term incentives; eligibility may vary based on 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