Director, R&D Information Systems

Gilead Sciences • Raleigh, NC

3d

About The Position

This position in Clinical Systems provides technical solutions, data, and analytics to support business needs. This includes leading strategy and/or overseeing the systems delivery, enhancing and maintaining information systems architecture, applications and functionalities. Clinical Systems designs, develops, tests, validates, maintains and improves Clinical Systems, which involves additional responsibilities for preparing and delivering operating instructions and user training, compiling and managing other technical documentation, analyzing and evolving systems capabilities, and partnering with cross functional teams to enhance and improve R&D systems and related technical infrastructure. Good Practice quality guidelines and regulations (GxP) systems validation and user acceptance testing is also a specific responsibility of Clinical Systems. Clinical Systems may also provide technical support during regulatory inspections and internal audits. You will work directly with internal and external customers to fully diagnose their technical needs. You will provide technical support for business applications or systems and may lead others in the development and / or maintenance of business applications and systems. You will typically oversee and manage multiple projects and teams supporting multiple business areas. You will also make broader contributions to the overall Clinical Systems strategies, plans, and infrastructure development. Initially, the role will involve hands-on work, establishing teams, assessing business needs, and aligning them with technical tasks and long-term vision. As the groundwork is laid, the role will take on the end-to-end task of forming and overseeing an effective team. Duties include data expertise, industry expertise, designing analytics solutions, setting structures, and providing complete solutions that are scalable and futuristic. The focus is on making an impact through technical skills, influence, and knowledge, with leadership demonstrated through vision and results.

Requirements

• 12+ Years with BS/BA
• 10+ Years with MS/MA or MBA
• 15+ years of progressive experience in IT data analytics, business intelligence, or related fields, with proven end‑to‑end ownership of complex analytics solutions.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Data Analytics, or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 6+ years of technical project management or relevant leadership experience in a business environment, including multi‑year experience managing project teams.
• Demonstrated excellence in managing complex technical projects and balancing multiple priorities effectively.
• 8+ years of direct people‑management experience.
• 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry, with a deep understanding of data and analytics operations.
• Experience with modern analytics tools, technologies, and cloud‑based platforms, including AWS, AI/ML frameworks, serverless computing, data lakes, and data marts.
• Strong technical expertise in analytics and visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Qlik, and ThoughtSpot.
• Working knowledge of cloud ecosystems (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and modern data platforms (data lakes, data warehouses).
• Experience developing and operationalizing standards, critical metrics, and advanced methodologies across analytics programs.
• Exceptional executive‑level communication and influencing skills, combined with a track record of strong project leadership and independent execution.
• Has advanced business knowledge, as evidenced by independence in designing, implementing and managing execution against short- and long-range technical strategies and roadmaps.
• Demonstrates expertise in developing and managing project scope, deliverables, risks and resource requirements.
• High degree of organizational awareness and knowledge of change management with the ability to help teams anticipate, plan, and adapt to an evolving environment.
• Strong leadership presence with demonstrated ability to lead without authority and influence programs, projects and/or initiatives.
• Ability to understand and communicate technical and/or business elements in a clear and concise manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills and understanding of team dynamics.
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong coaching capabilities to mentor/develop staff.
• Strong quality orientation and attention to detail and accuracy.
• When needed, the ability to travel and freedom to use his/her skills to run their own department, and to contribute to the Business group as a whole.

Responsibilities

• Define and oversee the clinical operational data and analytics strategy for clinical systems (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce, Medidata, custom applications), ensuring alignment with R&D and business objectives.
• Provide strategic leadership across multiple concurrent projects and teams, guiding execution of large-scale, high‑complexity technical workstreams that span multiple business areas.
• Lead and develop a high‑performing organization, including direct people leaders; recruit, grow, and retain diverse top talent; set ambitious goals; and coach individuals on performance, leadership, and career development.
• Shape and drive short‑ and long‑range Clinical Systems strategies and infrastructure plans through deep business, technology, and data expertise.
• Partner with business stakeholders and IT leadership to shape a shared long‑term technical strategy and roadmap for priority capabilities, ensuring strong alignment and coordinated execution across the enterprise.
• Lead solution design and oversee execution of major programs and projects, including assignment of project teams and direction of project leaders; step in as project leader for critical initiatives when needed.
• Ensure on‑time, high‑quality, and within‑budget delivery of the technical roadmap, leveraging strong program governance and proactive risk management.
• Serve as a primary technical and data strategy spokesperson to Clinical Systems, cross‑functional partners, and IT teams, influencing direction and accelerating decision‑making.
• Oversee the design of scalable data architectures across clinical platforms, including data pipelines, APIs, and ETL processes, ensuring secure, interoperable, and analytics‑ready data integration with enterprise systems.
• Partner with Validation and Quality teams to provide oversight for testing, process optimization, and system enhancements, ensuring solutions are aligned with business needs and compliant with GxP and other regulatory requirements.
• Work with business partners and IT teams to optimize R&D applications and clinical systems, driving efficiency, reducing cycle times, and improving overall system performance.
• Provide oversight to ensure timely and accurate delivery of end‑to‑end SDLC project deliverables
• Safeguard data integrity, audit readiness, and compliance across all clinical data and analytics environments.
• Independently create program-level budgets and resource plans; identify cross‑project synergies to enhance efficiency, reduce redundancy, and scale best practices.
• Ensure all work adheres to established policies, processes, and regulatory requirements while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Benefits

• company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans
• discretionary annual bonus
• discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role)
• paid time off

What This Job Offers

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