Head of Global Benefits

Gilead Sciences•Foster City, CA

2d•$281,010 - $363,660•Onsite

About The Position

The Head of Global Benefits reports to the Vice President, Total Rewards and serves on the Total Rewards Leadership Team. This leader is accountable for the enterprise strategy, governance, design, delivery, and continuous improvement of Gilead’s global benefits and wellbeing portfolio. They oversee a global team responsible for health and welfare, retirement and savings, financial wellbeing, leave and absence, wellbeing initiatives, and related employee experience programs across multiple countries. The role partners with Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Compliance, Procurement, Payroll, HR Shared Services, and business leaders to ensure programs meet business priorities, regulatory requirements, and employee needs. It leads program strategy and execution, employee experience and engagement, operational transformation, analytics and technology adoption, financial stewardship, vendor management, compliance, risk management, transaction-related benefits work, and development of the global Benefits and Wellbeing team. The position is onsite in Foster City, California, with core collaboration days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week. Relocation is provided.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 16 or more years of relevant Human Resources, Total Rewards, Benefits, or related experience; or a master’s degree and 14 or more years of relevant experience.
Ability to lead global benefits and wellbeing strategy, programs, governance, and teams.
Ability to partner effectively with senior HR and business leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
Experience managing benefits investment, vendor relationships, compliance, risk, and employee experience.

Nice To Haves

Life sciences or pharmaceutical global benefits experience.
Experience managing global mobility and expatriate programs.
In-depth knowledge of Total Rewards and benefits practices in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or healthcare organizations.
Experience leading large-scale operating model transformations and service delivery improvements.
Experience using analytics, automation, AI-enabled tools, and digital solutions to improve benefits operations and employee experience.
Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, or other enterprise transactions.
Experience leading globally distributed and remote teams.

Responsibilities

Contribute to enterprise-wide Total Rewards strategy, governance, priorities, and operating practices as a member of the Total Rewards Leadership Team.
Develop and execute a global benefits and wellbeing strategy aligned with business objectives, talent priorities, employee value proposition, and Total Rewards philosophy.
Provide strategic guidance on workforce wellbeing, benefits investment priorities, employee experience, governance, and risk management.
Partner with senior HR and business leaders to anticipate workforce needs and support attraction, retention, engagement, and productivity.
Monitor market trends, regulatory developments, leading practices, and workforce expectations, and incorporate relevant insights into benefits recommendations and decisions.
Lead the strategy, design, governance, implementation, communication, and continuous improvement of global benefits and wellbeing programs.
Oversee health and welfare, retirement and savings, financial wellbeing, leave and time off, wellbeing, employee assistance, mobility, expatriate, and employee support programs.
Ensure programs are competitive, compliant, scalable, cost-effective, and aligned with business and employee needs.
Establish a global benefits philosophy that balances enterprise consistency with local market and regulatory requirements.
Partner with program leaders to deliver programs that support employee experience and responsible resource stewardship.
Improve awareness, accessibility, utilization, communication, and employee understanding of global benefits and wellbeing programs.
Use workforce insights and employee feedback to set priorities and inform program enhancements.
Simplify processes and improve service delivery to enhance the employee experience.
Lead transformation initiatives that strengthen the partnership between the Benefits Center of Excellence and HR Shared Services.
Establish governance, accountability, decision-making frameworks, and service ownership models.
Drive operational excellence through process improvement, scalability, service quality, compliance, and measurable outcomes.
Foster accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Use analytics, benchmarking, workforce insights, and vendor data to guide strategic decisions and evaluate program effectiveness, employee impact, financial outcomes, and organizational value.
Identify opportunities to apply automation, digital capabilities, and emerging technologies to improve efficiency and employee experience.
Translate emerging market innovations into practical and sustainable solutions.
Oversee significant global benefits investments with a focus on sustainability, value creation, and responsible financial management.
Manage strategic relationships with brokers, consultants, carriers, wellbeing providers, and other external partners.
Establish vendor governance, performance expectations, service standards, and accountability measures.
Partner with Finance, Procurement, Legal, Payroll, HR Shared Services, and regional stakeholders to manage investments and risk.
Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, governance requirements, and internal policies.
Manage legal, operational, financial, employee relations, and reputational risks associated with benefits programs.
Lead benefits due diligence, integration planning, and harmonization for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other enterprise transactions.
Support crisis management and employee assistance efforts when benefits and wellbeing resources are needed.
Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing global Benefits and Wellbeing team; build organizational capability, leadership depth, and succession readiness.
Foster an inclusive, accountable, and collaborative culture and coach leaders in business judgment, governance, employee focus, and data-informed decision-making.
Model inclusion, develop employees through coaching and feedback, and empower teams by aligning goals and removing barriers.