Vice President, Federal Government Affairs

Gilead Sciences • Washington, DC

1d

About The Position

The Vice President, Federal Government Affairs serves as the enterprise leader for Gilead’s engagement with the U.S. federal government, responsible for shaping and advancing Gilead’s federal engagement and advocacy strategies and ensuring alignment with corporate priorities across innovation, access and public health. This leader translates complex legislative and regulatory dynamics into clear strategic direction, informing enterprise decision-making, risk management, and business planning. The VP serves as the company's principal strategist regarding and critical representative to Congress, the Administration, and federal agencies, advancing Gilead's priorities through trusted, bipartisan engagement and ensuring the company maintains credibility and influence across changing political and policy environments. As a member of the Government Affairs Leadership Team – reporting to the SVP, Global Government Affairs – this role contributes to enterprise-wide strategy, alignment, and execution, and acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on federal policy risks, opportunities, and stakeholder engagement.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in federal government affairs, public policy, or related fields.
• Significant experience in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare sector strongly preferred.
• Proven success shaping federal legislative or regulatory outcomes, with established relationships across Congress, the Executive Branch, federal agencies, and key industry associations.
• Deep understanding of U.S. healthcare policy, legislative, regulatory, and appropriations processes.
• Demonstrated success building and maintaining bipartisan relationships and advancing policy objectives across multiple administrations and congressional leadership cycles.
• Deep ability to translate complex policy environments into clear, actionable guidance for senior leadership.
• Strong enterprise mindset with the ability to influence across a highly matrixed organization.
• Executive presence and sound judgment, with experience advising senior leaders.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing high-performing teams and managing external partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level briefing and message development.
• Passion for advancing scientific innovation and improving patient outcomes and an unwavering commitment to integrity, compliance, and ethical engagement.

Nice To Haves

• The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization, not only for the areas they are directly responsible for, but the enterprise as a whole.
• The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.
• An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.
• The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling, to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.
• The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
• A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
• A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization.
• The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.
• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges, and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.
• A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.
• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
• An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and active drive.
• Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team.
• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole.
• Firmly believes that both sustainability and profit are in the organization’s best long-term interest.
• Integrates economic, societal, and environmental factors into a purpose-driven strategy, turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.
• Understands and incorporates viewpoints from all key stakeholders to drive decision making and share the benefits.
• Delivers breakthrough innovations and business models that create value for all stakeholders, continually challenging traditional approaches.
• Sets audacious business and sustainability goals, driving concerted action and investments, and stays the course in the face of setbacks or push-back from short-term oriented stakeholders.
• Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the way they manage their teams.
• Develop Talent - 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.
• Empower Teams - 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.

Responsibilities

• Advise senior leadership on federal legislative and regulatory risks and opportunities and their implications for enterprise strategy.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, SVP Government Affairs, and executive team on federal policy dynamics and stakeholder engagement.
• Contribute to enterprise-level Government Affairs strategy, alignment, and execution.
• Prepare briefing materials and guide executive engagement with policymakers, industry trade associations and other stakeholders.
• Develop and execute an integrated, comprehensive federal government affairs strategy aligned with Gilead’s corporate priorities and values, including innovation, access, affordability, and global health leadership.
• Develop and sustain trusted, bipartisan relationships across Congress and the Administration to advance Gilead's policy priorities and strengthen the company's long-term influence and reputation.
• Shape and influence policy outcomes through direct engagement with Congress, the Administration, federal agencies, and key policy stakeholders across both political parties.
• Build support for Gilead positions by engaging coalitions of aligned organizations.
• Position the company as a credible, science-driven partner in policy discussions.
• Anticipate and respond to evolving legislative, regulatory, and political dynamics impacting the biopharmaceutical sector.
• Advocate for policies that support biomedical innovation, equitable patient access, and strong public health infrastructure, and position Gilead as a trusted thought leader on critical health policy issues.
• Translate policy developments into actionable insights for business leaders and cross-functional partners.
• Partner cross-functionally to align policy priorities with business objectives and to maximize the impact of our advocacy.
• Ensure coordination across federal, state and international Government Affairs strategies.
• Build and maintain strong bipartisan relationships with Members of Congress, congressional staff, Administration officials, and federal agency leaders, ensuring Gilead is viewed as a trusted and credible partner regardless of changes in political leadership.
• Lead Gilead’s engagement with key industry trade associations, including PhRMA and BIO, to align advocacy strategies, shape industry positions, and amplify impact.
• Develop and execute engagement plans for GA team and senior executives.
• Lead the Federal Government Affairs team, fostering a high-performance and inclusive culture.
• Oversee external consultants, lobbyists, and advisors to ensure alignment with company and industry priorities.
• Manage the Gilead Political Action Committee.
• Ensure compliance with all lobbying, ethics, and political activity requirements.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment
• Fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences
• Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination
• Reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• Work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct
• Promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed