Director, HR Operational Excellence

Gilead Sciences • Foster City, CA

4d

About The Position

The Director, HR Operational Excellence leads Gilead’s global HR operational transformation agenda. The role partners across HR Shared Services, Centers of Excellence, HR Business Partners, and business stakeholders to redesign how HR work is delivered, scaled, optimized, and sustained. Leading a team of Operational Excellence professionals, the Director identifies and executes initiatives that improve service delivery and employee experience, simplify processes, and strengthen operating models. The position advises HR leaders on service design, operational readiness, automation, and continuous improvement, combining strategic thinking with hands-on execution and a focus on measurable business outcomes.

The Director develops a multi-year roadmap for global HR service delivery, leads process redesign across the employee lifecycle, and works with HR Technology, Digital Experience, AI, and Shared Services teams to advance automation, digital self-service, and process digitization. The role also improves operating-model delivery, oversees complex work transitions and service readiness, establishes sustainable governance and performance measures, and builds continuous-improvement capabilities across HR.

The position leads and develops a global transformation team, setting priorities, allocating resources, ensuring delivery of strategic commitments, building succession strength, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture. People Leader accountabilities include creating inclusion, developing talent, and empowering teams.

The stated salary range is $210,375 to $272,250. The position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary by role), paid time off, and company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 12 years of experience, or master's degree and 10 years of experience, or PhD and 8 years of experience.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influence skills.
• Strong facilitation and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity and complexity.
• Results-oriented approach with a bias toward execution.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

• 10 or more years of experience in Operational Excellence, HR Transformation, Management Consulting, Business Process Improvement, or a related discipline.
• Experience leading large-scale transformation, process redesign, service delivery, or operating-model initiatives.
• Experience leading global, cross-functional programs with executive-level visibility.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and driving organizational change.
• Experience in HR, Shared Services, Employee Services, People Operations, or related functions.
• Experience implementing automation, workflow optimization, AI-enabled capabilities, or digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or related methodologies.
• Experience supporting service delivery organizations and global operating models.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a multi-year roadmap to improve global HR service delivery capabilities.
• Lead and partner on strategic initiatives to simplify, standardize, and transform HR service delivery.
• Advise senior HR leaders on complex operational challenges, operating-model design, service delivery strategy, and organizational effectiveness.
• Lead end-to-end process redesign across the employee lifecycle and HR service ecosystem.
• Identify opportunities to reduce complexity and inefficiencies and improve employee and manager experiences.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and structured problem-solving methods to deliver measurable improvements.
• Establish best practices for process documentation, governance, and sustainment.
• Partner with HR Technology, Digital Experience, AI, and Shared Services teams to identify and prioritize workflow automation, AI-enabled capabilities, digital self-service, and process digitization opportunities.
• Support adoption and scaling of new tools and capabilities across HR.
• Improve the operational delivery of programs and services in partnership with COEs, HR Business Partners, Shared Services, and other HR teams.
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, workflows, handoffs, and decision rights across teams.
• Design scalable operating models and develop governance routines, performance measures, and operational disciplines.
• Oversee intake, evaluation, prioritization, and execution of complex work transfers into HR service delivery organizations.
• Lead readiness assessments, transition planning, stabilization, and operational handoffs; ensure new or changing work is embedded into operations with clear ownership and performance measures.
• Mitigate operational risk during organizational, program, process, and service transitions.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement; coach HR leaders and teams and develop repeatable tools, frameworks, and approaches.
• Promote data-driven decision-making and performance management.
• Lead and develop a team of Operational Excellence professionals, establish priorities, allocate resources, and deliver strategic commitments.
• Build team capability and succession strength and foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Create inclusion, develop talent through coaching and feedback, and empower teams by aligning goals and removing barriers.

Benefits

• Potential eligibility for a discretionary annual bonus.
• Potential eligibility for discretionary stock-based long-term incentives; 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