Vice President, Head of Audit & Risk Management

Gilead Sciences•Foster City, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Vice President, Head of Audit & Risk Management leads Gilead’s global Internal Audit, enterprise risk management, and business continuity functions. Reporting administratively to the Chief Financial Officer and with direct access to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, this executive provides independent, objective assurance on governance, risk management, internal controls, and business processes. The role advises the Audit Committee, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and senior leadership on significant and emerging risks and helps integrate risk considerations into enterprise decision-making. The executive leads a risk-based audit strategy across Gilead’s global operations and risk landscape, including financial, operational, commercial, compliance, technology, cybersecurity, supply chain, and manufacturing risks. They also lead enterprise risk management and risk governance, supplying an integrated, forward-looking view of principal and emerging risks. The role will continue modernizing the function by applying technology, data analytics, automation, and artificial intelligence to support more continuous and predictive audit and risk management. The position leads the development and maintenance of Gilead’s Business Continuity Management framework, including business impact analyses, continuity plans, disaster recovery strategies, and readiness testing. It also leads and develops a global Audit & Risk Management organization of 25 professionals, fostering a culture of integrity, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. The role is based at Gilead’s headquarters in Foster City, California, and includes travel to Gilead affiliates and operations globally.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive experience across Internal Audit, enterprise risk management, public accounting, finance, controls, or related disciplines within complex, global organizations.
Significant experience leading a global internal audit function for a publicly traded multinational company.
Broad expertise in risk-based internal audit, enterprise risk management, governance, internal controls, SOX, compliance, operational risk, and technology risk.
Experience owning or meaningfully leading enterprise risk management and risk governance, including assessing emerging risks and communicating the enterprise risk profile to senior leadership and the Board.
Success modernizing Internal Audit and risk management through technology, advanced analytics, automation, continuous auditing, and AI-enabled capabilities.
Experience in complex, highly regulated operating environments.
Experience assessing risks across commercial activities, technology and cybersecurity, supply chain, manufacturing, and other enterprise processes.
Strong understanding of professional Internal Audit standards and public-company governance and control requirements.
Ability to lead, develop, and mentor high-performing teams while building organizational capability and developing future leaders.
Significant experience interacting with Audit Committees and Boards of Directors, with the executive presence, judgment, and communication skills to engage credibly with the CEO and senior executives.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related discipline.

Nice To Haves

Pharmaceutical or life sciences experience.
CPA, CIA, CISA, and/or an advanced degree.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive, risk-based Internal Audit strategy aligned with Gilead’s strategic priorities, operating environment, and evolving enterprise risk profile.
Lead annual audit planning and risk assessment, adjusting priorities as business conditions and emerging risks evolve.
Provide independent assurance across financial, operational, commercial, compliance, and technology-related risks and controls, including cybersecurity, data, supply chain, and manufacturing.
Evaluate governance, risk management, internal controls, and business processes, and recommend practical improvements.
Oversee audit execution and quality across global operations and affiliates; track and communicate significant findings and remediation plans.
Coordinate with external auditors and other assurance and compliance functions to provide effective risk coverage and avoid unnecessary duplication.
Lead the enterprise risk management framework and governance processes, including identification and assessment of principal and emerging risks.
Partner with senior leaders and risk owners to assess exposures, mitigation strategies, and changes in the business and external environment.
Provide senior management and the Audit Committee with an integrated view of enterprise risks, themes, interdependencies, and emerging issues.
Evolve risk management toward dynamic, continuous monitoring using data and technology.
Set the vision and roadmap for modernizing Internal Audit and risk management, building on the existing foundation and adopting leading practices.
Expand the use of technology, data analytics, automation, and AI across risk assessment, planning, testing, monitoring, and reporting.
Partner with technology, cybersecurity, and business leaders to incorporate appropriate risks, governance, and controls as Gilead adopts AI and other emerging technologies.
Lead development, implementation, and maintenance of the Business Continuity Management framework, policies, and resilience strategies.
Lead organization-wide business impact analyses to identify critical processes, dependencies, and recovery time and point objectives.
Oversee the creation and regular updating of Business Continuity Plans and technical Disaster Recovery strategies with IT and department heads.
Design and facilitate tabletop exercises, functional drills, and full-scale disaster simulations.
Advise the Audit Committee on Internal Audit and enterprise risk matters, including significant risks, findings, control matters, and remediation progress.
Maintain effective Audit Committee communications and ensure Internal Audit has the independence, access, and authority to fulfill its responsibilities.
Build trusted relationships with the CEO, CFO, and senior leadership team; communicate significant and emerging issues early and translate complex matters into decision-relevant insights.
Provide senior leadership with regular updates on the enterprise risk landscape and facilitate discussion of emerging risks and mitigation priorities.
Balance independence and professional skepticism with a collaborative, pragmatic approach to partnering with the business.
Lead, develop, and mentor the global Audit & Risk Management organization and foster integrity, curiosity, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Develop emerging leaders, strengthen succession planning, and create opportunities for employees to broaden their experience and impact.
Build a technology-forward mindset and the team’s capabilities for a data-driven, AI-enabled audit and risk environment.
Set clear priorities and performance expectations while deploying resources toward the organization’s most significant and evolving risks.