Executive Director, Asset Team Leader - Oncology

Gilead Sciences•Foster City, CA

About The Position

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference. Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact. We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together. At Gilead our pursuit of a healthier world for all people has yielded a cure for hepatitis C, revolutionary improvements in HIV treatment and prevention as well as advancements in therapies for viral and inflammatory diseases and certain cancers. We set and achieve bold ambitions in our fight against the world’s most devastating diseases, united in our commitment to confronting the largest public health challenges of our day and improving the lives of patients for generations to come. Jointly reporting to the Commercial and Development Therapeutic Area Heads, the Gilead Asset Team Leader (GATL) is an enterprise leader responsible for leading the cross-functional asset team and shaping the asset vision, strategic direction, and lifecycle plan (LCP) including multiple indications and drug combinations. Serving as the primary liaison for senior leadership within the governance model, the GATL drives collaboration across Gilead, engaging diverse stakeholders involved in the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of an asset, to ensure optimal program execution in alignment with the asset strategy and the LCP. This senior role requires a diverse set of experiences across Development and Commercialization functions and relies on a record of achievement for optimizing asset outcomes. This role demands adept navigation of complex programmatic challenges and excellent enterprise-level leadership. As an Executive Director, Asset Team Leader, at Gilead you will be the Strategic Asset Leader and oversee the Overall Development Strategy for multiple molecules (typically 4-5 programs) in biologics. They will oversee and develop the Early Portfolio strategy within the biologic modality for molecules from Early Development Phase I to Proof of Concept.

Requirements

Advanced scientific, medical, or commercial background with expertise in drug development and relevant therapeutic areas, and proven ability to make complex decisions with an enterprise perspective.
Translational drug development experience is essential.
Demonstrated cross-functional leadership across global initiatives, effectively managing projects and executing strategic plans.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and integrate discovery, development, regulatory, and commercial considerations across all asset lifecycle phases.
Able to lead, influence, and deliver significant impact even in the absence of direct authority.
Exceptional communication, organizational, and decision-making skills, able to resolve complex issues and influence senior leaders.
Track record of high-level performance and strategic value delivery within global pharmaceutical or biotech organizations.
Comprehensive understanding of the drug development process, including full asset lifecycle management and end-to-end brand exposure.
Bachelor's Degree and Fourteen Years’ Experience OR Masters' Degree and Twelve Years’ Experience OR PhD and Twelve Years’ Experience
Minimum Experience requirements for Executive Director Level: 16+ with BS; 14+ MS or PhD; 8+ years with MD

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in scientific or business discipline required; advanced degrees such as PhD, MD, or MBA highly preferred.
For some GATL roles, an MD or PhD may be prioritized.
12+ years’ biopharmaceutical industry experience preferred, with at least 8 years in relevant roles within biotech/pharmaceutical organizations.
Comprehensive knowledge of the overall drug development process, with experience in commercial launches and program/asset strategy teams strongly desired.

Responsibilities

Lead Gilead asset teams in developing and executing cohesive asset and program strategies, ensuring alignment with Gilead’s broader organizational goals through effective resource assessment, timeline management, and risk mitigation.
Enable strong collaboration around a shared asset vision, ensuring transparent and effective flow of asset‑related information and decisions across teams and partners.
Assume responsibility for the timely achievement of key asset-related milestones. In conjunction with the Project Manager, monitoring progress against the Target Product Profile (TPP), Asset Plan, and Lifecycle Plan (LCP), and ensuring adherence to timelines and budgets.
Develop and present comprehensive global asset strategies encompassing product development, manufacturing, commercialization and lifecycle management, adapting plans as clinical, regulatory, or commercial landscapes evolve.
Act as decision facilitator, incorporating cross-functional insights to resolve high-impact issues, drive scenario planning and risk analysis, and communicate transparently with senior leadership and governance bodies. Ensures ongoing scientific and commercial viability of the program. Sets clear Go/No Go decision points and objectively presents data to Portfolio Committee.
Align cross‑functional teams around a unified asset vision, fostering clarity of roles and accountability, and cultivating a high‑performing, inclusive and collaborative team environment that drives productive debate, cohesive strategy execution and decision‑making.
Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners to support program success and innovation.
Ensure excellence in operationalization of integrated asset strategy and stakeholder activities according to strategic directives to deliver program milestones.
Effectively articulate and champion asset strategies, scientific rationale, and clinical objectives to diverse audiences, supporting Gilead’s reputation and mission.
Collaborate with Therapeutic Area Leaders and Business Development to advise on disease area strategies for discovery, innovation, development, and lifecycle planning.
Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the way they manage their teams.
Understand the skills, experience, aspirations, and potential of their employees and coach them on current performance and future potential. They ensure employees are receiving the feedback and insight needed to grow, develop, and realize their purpose.
Connect the team to the organization by aligning goals, purpose, and organizational objectives and holding them to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem.