Senior Director, Clinical Development - Dermatology (MD)

Gilead Sciences•Foster City, CA

9d•$302,005 - $390,830•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director, Clinical Development provides clinical and scientific leadership for inflammation development programs, with particular emphasis on immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and dermatology. The role helps define development strategy, translate emerging biology into clinical hypotheses, and design clinical programs that generate clear, decision-enabling evidence. It contributes to individual asset strategies and the broader inflammation portfolio, with a focus on establishing and leading Phase 2 programs that can transition efficiently into Phase 3 and support registration. This position requires regular onsite presence in Foster City, California and is not eligible for remote or hybrid work. Applicants must reside in the area or be willing to relocate to Foster City before starting; local candidates are strongly encouraged. The role also includes mentoring clinical scientists and physicians and contributing to an inclusive, scientifically strong clinical development culture. The position may be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives, paid time off, and company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans. The listed salary range is $302,005 to $390,830.

Requirements

MD, DO, PhD, or equivalent advanced scientific or medical degree.
10 or more years of relevant clinical, scientific, and/or drug-development experience in industry, academia, or a combination of both.
Substantial clinical development experience and demonstrated leadership establishing and executing Phase 2 clinical development programs.
Experience contributing to or leading Phase 3 development.
Strong command of clinical trial design, endpoints, statistics, safety assessment, dose selection, benefit-risk evaluation, and drug-development principles.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging biological and clinical data and translate findings into clear development decisions.
Ability to lead through multidisciplinary teams and influence senior stakeholders without direct authority.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communicating complex scientific concepts and development recommendations to senior leaders and non-specialist audiences.
Willingness to work onsite in Foster City, California, or current residence in the area.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience developing Phase 2 clinical strategy and protocols, initiating and conducting interventional Phase 2 trials, and interpreting Phase 2 data to inform Phase 3 strategy.
Experience providing clinical input into investigator and site selection, study initiation, and ongoing medical leadership during trial execution.
Expertise in immunology, inflammation, dermatology, or immune-mediated disease.
Clinical training, board certification, or substantial drug-development expertise in dermatology, allergy/immunology, rheumatology, pulmonary medicine, or a related specialty.
Clinical development experience in atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, or related inflammatory diseases; experience in asthma, COPD, or other immune-mediated diseases is also relevant.
Experience building Phase 2 programs from strategy and protocol development through study initiation and execution, and advancing programs from Phase 2 proof-of-concept or dose finding into Phase 3.
Experience with global Phase 3 programs and regulatory interactions supporting late-stage development.
Experience developing small molecules, biologics, and/or novel targeted modalities in immune-mediated disease.
Experience developing and applying pharmacodynamic, translational, patient-selection, or disease biomarkers.
Established relationships with investigators and external scientific experts in dermatology, immunology, or inflammatory disease.

Responsibilities

Provide clinical and scientific leadership for one or more inflammation development programs, potentially spanning dermatologic, respiratory, and other immune-mediated diseases.
Lead the development and refinement of Clinical Development Plans, including indication strategy, target populations, clinical sequencing, differentiation strategy, success criteria, and key development decisions.
Lead the strategy, design, initiation, execution, and interpretation of Phase 2 clinical programs, including proof-of-concept and dose-ranging studies, with consideration of Phase 3 and registration.
Own Phase 2 program elements including clinical strategy, protocol development, patient population, endpoints, dose and regimen selection, and medical input into site and investigator selection.
Provide medical and scientific leadership during study start-up and execution, including site and investigator selection strategy, site initiation, investigator engagement, enrollment, protocol interpretation, and ongoing assessment of study conduct.
Use emerging Phase 2 data to refine development strategy and prepare successful programs for Phase 3 and registrational development.
Translate immunology, human genetics, translational science, and disease biology into testable clinical hypotheses and development strategies.
Integrate clinical, translational, biomarker, pharmacologic, competitive, and external data to inform asset and portfolio strategy.
Provide senior medical leadership for protocols, eligibility criteria, endpoints, safety monitoring, dose selection, benefit-risk assessment, and clinical data interpretation.
Apply understanding of dermatologic disease biology and clinical development to conditions such as atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and psoriasis, while contributing across the inflammation portfolio.
Identify opportunities for differentiation based on mechanism, patient population, clinical endpoints, treatment setting, and evolving standards of care.
Partner with Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, Clinical Pharmacology, Translational Medicine, Research, Regulatory Affairs, Safety, Medical Affairs, and Commercial colleagues.
Provide Clinical Development leadership on cross-functional asset teams and help drive program strategy, development recommendations, and governance decisions.
Develop scientific relationships with investigators, external experts, and key opinion leaders and use them to refine clinical strategy and evidence-generation plans.
Provide clinical leadership for regulatory strategy and health authority interactions during Phase 2 and transition to Phase 3, including end-of-Phase 2 discussions and clinical components of regulatory submissions.
Mentor and develop clinical scientists and physicians and contribute to a strong scientific and clinical development culture.
As a people leader, create inclusion, develop talent through coaching and feedback, and empower teams by aligning goals and removing barriers.