Director, Biobanking and Sample Management

Gilead Sciences•Foster City, CA

About The Position

At Gilead, we are dedicated to creating a healthier world by tackling diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer through relentless development of therapies and ensuring global access. The company fosters a collaborative environment where every employee is valued and empowered. Gilead Research is seeking an experienced scientist at the Director level to lead Biobanking and Sample Management (BSM). This role is crucial for transforming human biospecimens and associated data into high-quality assets for drug discovery, translational research, and clinical development. The Director will lead the BSM group in a highly collaborative, matrixed environment, providing expert biospecimen management, operational delivery, and effective vendor partnerships. The BSM group supports samples from internal clinical trials, external vendors, and academic collaborations. As translational research expands, this role will also be responsible for building and scaling biobanking capabilities, infrastructure, and systems to meet evolving scientific and program needs.

Requirements

Demonstrated success in building, scaling, and modernizing scientific or operational capabilities
Deep expertise in human biospecimen biobanking and specimen lifecycle management
Strong understanding of translational research workflows, biomarker development, and clinical interfaces
Experience with biobanking informatics systems (LIMS, databases) and data‑driven operations
Proven people leadership in highly matrixed, cross‑functional environments
Strong business acumen with the ability to balance scientific rigor, operational efficiency, and strategic investment
Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills
Bachelor's Degree and Twelve Years' Experience OR Masters' Degree and Ten Years' Experience OR PhD and Eight Years' Experience
PhD or MD with 10+ years, MS/BS with 15+ years of experience in a relevant scientific discipline, including significant experience in the biopharmaceutical industry
5+ years of people management experience with demonstrated leadership impact
Direct experience in human research biospecimen biobanking and/or clinical trial biospecimen management

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting translational research and discovery research preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the Biobanking and Sample Management group within Research.
Provide people management and organizational leadership for the team responsible for human biospecimen receipt, accessioning, processing, storage, distribution, disposition tracking, and vendor‑managed sample acquisition.
Develop, implement, and continuously improve efficient and compliant business processes to support current and future research and translational needs.
Build and scale biobanking capabilities and infrastructure (physical, operational, and digital) to support increasing volume, complexity, and translational use of biospecimens.
Oversee biospecimen management database systems to ensure data integrity, traceability, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure controlled document management, training curricula, and operational practices support GCP compliance within the Research organization.
Collaborate closely with Biomarker Sciences, Discovery Research, Pathobiology, Bioanalytical and Biomarker Operations, Clinical Data Management, and Regulatory/Compliance groups to understand needs, align priorities, and resolve issues.
Provide subject‑matter expertise and strategic input at biomarker and translational governance forums and sub‑team meetings.
Serve as a recognized internal expert in biobanking, biospecimen governance, informed consent requirements, sample management policies, and vendor sample acquisition.
Provide oversight of the Volunteer On‑Site Blood Donation Program.
Train and provide quality oversight for PBMC isolation laboratories supporting clinical trials.