Director, Medicinal Chemistry, ADC Group Leader

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.

Job Description
 

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.  As a Director, Medicinal Chemistry, ADC Group Leader at Gilead you will have the following responsibilities:

Program and Scientific Leadership  

• Serve as the chemistry/bioconjugation leader for one or more ADC programs, driving strategy from early concept through lead selection and development candidate nomination, with attention to developability and differentiation.  

• Define and drive small-molecule design strategy for ADC payloads and linkers, including mechanism-of-action alignment, stability/cleavage concepts, and property optimization to enable effective delivery via antibody conjugation.  

• Propose innovative solutions that address programmatic or platform based needs. 

• Translate complex data packages (chemistry, analytical, biology, DMPK) into clear recommendations and decisions for cross-functional teams and governance forums.  

Project Ideation & Portfolio Contribution 

• Identify and propose new opportunities from internal science and the external landscape; develop program proposals and present at scientific review meetings.  

• Maintain broad awareness of latest technologies, external platforms, and assets of interest and collaborate with Corporate Development on diligence efforts to evaluate and provide recommendations on these opportunities.   

Bioconjugation Chemistry & Cross-Functional Execution 

• Lead or coordinate the design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of ADC-related intermediates and protein conjugates using established and innovative conjugation methodologies. 

• Partner closely with protein therapeutics and DMPK colleagues to ensure conjugate quality and interpretability of key data (e.g., conjugation profile, DAR-related metrics, stability and release kinetics).  

 

Group Leadership  

• Lead, mentor, and develop scientists and teams; set a high bar for experimental design, data quality, and timely delivery; create an environment of scientific rigor and collaborative problem-solving. 

• Provide technical coaching and training in ADC and bioconjugation techniques and best practices across the group.  

Communication 

• Communicate clearly and effectively across functions and levels; present scientific strategy and results at team, department, and governance meetings, and with external collaborators where appropriate 

 

Required Qualifications 

• Ph.D. (+8 years) in organic chemistry, or equivalent discipline with an emphasis in ADC, medicinal chemistry and bioconjugation applications OR

• Master's (+10 years) in organic chemistry, or equivalent discipline with an emphasis in ADC, medicinal chemistry and bioconjugation applications OR

• Bachelor's (+ 12 years) in organic chemistry, or equivalent discipline with an emphasis in ADC, medicinal chemistry and bioconjugation applications. 

• Demonstrated impactful and innovative contributions to ADC drug discovery, including bench level and leadership roles, that advance programs through lead selection and candidate nomination.  

• Strong understanding of ADC linker/payload design considerations, including conjugation/cleavage/stability concepts and strategies to tune physicochemical properties for conjugate performance.  

• Track record of partnering with IP counsel to develop, protect, and evaluate intellectual property strategies related to ADC linker–payload and conjugation innovations.  

• Experience interpreting ADC characterization data; familiarity with common methods used to evaluate conjugates (e.g., SEC, HIC, RPLC, high-resolution MS) and applying these learnings to guide design decisions.  

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to present findings clearly and concisely. 

• High level of scientific rigor, accuracy and attention to detail in all aspects of work. 

 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Education:  Ph.D. (+15 years), Master's (+17 years) or Bachelor's (+ 20 years) in organic chemistry, or equivalent discipline with an emphasis in ADC, medicinal chemistry and bioconjugation applications. 

• Experience with one or more of the following: site-specific or enzymatic conjugation approaches; high-throughput or automated conjugation workflows; hydrophilic masking strategies; advanced linker architectures and novel payload classes.  

• Previous collaboration with data science/informatics partners to enable structured capture and analysis of ADC chemistry, analytical and biological data. 

People Leader Accountabilities

• 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. 

 

The salary range for this position is: $226,185.00 - $292,710.00. Gilead considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans*.

For additional benefits information, visit:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

For jobs in the United States:

Gilead Sciences Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure 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, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact ApplicantAccommodations@gilead.com for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

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Gilead Sciences will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the  legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.
 

Our environment respects individual differences and recognizes each employee as an integral member of our company. Our workforce reflects these values and celebrates the individuals who make up our growing team.

Gilead provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.