Director, SAP Role Security & Compliance

Gilead Sciences • Foster City, CA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, SAP Role Security & Compliance leads the SAP-specific capabilities needed to deliver and operate secure, compliant, and well-tested ERP solutions. Reporting within the SAP organization, this role owns execution across SAP security, testing, and compliance while partnering with enterprise control functions on policies, standards, and oversight.

The role leads strategy, delivery, and operational execution for SAP role security, access governance, segregation-of-duties management, testing, and compliance across projects, releases, and sustainment operations. It oversees teams and delivery partners, coordinates work from design through production support, and ensures documentation, evidence, controls, and metrics meet regulatory, corporate policy, and audit expectations.

The Director leads the SAP Role Security & Compliance organization, develops accountable teams, manages external partners, and advises senior business and IT leaders on priorities, investments, risks, operating models, and capability maturity. The position is based at Gilead's Foster City, California headquarters or Raleigh, North Carolina office, with a hybrid arrangement of three days in the office and two optional work-from-home days (Monday and Friday).

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive experience leading SAP security, testing, compliance, or related ERP capabilities in complex enterprise environments.
• Deep experience with SAP security, authorization concepts, access governance, privileged access management, segregation of duties, and SAP GRC solutions.
• Demonstrated experience leading SAP testing and release readiness in regulated environments and partnering with the validation function to meet applicable requirements.
• Experience supporting SAP S/4HANA, SAP BTP, cloud technologies, and large-scale ERP transformation programs.
• Strong knowledge of security, quality, and compliance requirements for regulated SAP environments, including SOX and ITGC controls and the impact of GxP requirements on SAP delivery.
• Proven ability to lead global teams and manage external delivery partner relationships.
• Demonstrated experience setting direction and delivering sustained improvements across global ERP capabilities.
• Track record of strengthening operational resilience, reducing risk, standardizing delivery practices, and achieving measurable business outcomes.
• Strong business partnership and executive communication skills, including presenting strategy, investment priorities, operational performance, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership and governance forums.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy for SAP role security, testing, and compliance capabilities across the SAP ERP landscape.
• Establish the multi-year roadmap and investment priorities for SAP security, testing, compliance, and operational readiness.
• Partner across architecture, business, and delivery functions to align SAP priorities with business objectives.
• Translate enterprise security, risk, and compliance requirements into SAP-specific standards, delivery practices, and operational controls.
• Define and track measures demonstrating improved risk management, compliance, operational performance, and business value.
• Ensure SAP role security, testing, and compliance commitments are met across projects, releases, and sustainment operations.
• Lead SAP role security operations, access governance, segregation-of-duties management, testing, and compliance execution.
• Oversee cross-functional teams and delivery partners, manage dependencies, resolve issues, and coordinate execution from design through production support.
• Oversee role security reviews, testing strategy, release readiness, audit support, remediation, and continuous improvement, coordinating with the validation function.
• Ensure controls, documentation, evidence management, and operational metrics support regulatory requirements, corporate policies, and audit expectations.
• Drive standardization, automation, and process improvements that improve efficiency, compliance, and operational maturity.
• Lead the SAP Role Security & Compliance organization across project delivery and sustainment operations.
• Establish ownership, priorities, performance expectations, and execution discipline across internal teams and external partners.
• Build and develop accountable, customer-focused teams with expertise in SAP role security, SAP GRC collaboration, testing, compliance/validation, and audit support.
• Hold managed service providers, system integrators, and other delivery partners accountable for performance and outcomes.
• Influence senior business and IT leaders on roadmap priorities, investments, risk mitigation, operating model decisions, and capability maturity.
• Provide senior leaders and governance forums with visibility into priorities, material risks, compliance status, operational performance, and required decisions.

Benefits

• May be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus.
• May be eligible 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