Senior Director, Public Affairs (GPS Region)

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
 

The Senior Director, Public Affairs (GPS Region) leads integrated advocacy and communications strategies that amplify GPS priorities, strengthen reputation, and expand access to innovation in low- and lower-middle-income countries. This leader builds strategic partnerships with patient organizations and advocacy groups, drives message discipline and storytelling across external and internal channels, and establishes the frameworks, insights, and governance needed to manage issues, align global teams, and deliver measurable impact. The position is based at Gilead’s headquarters in Foster City, CA, reporting to the Executive Director, Intercontinental Region and GPS.

Responsibilities include:

Advocacy & External Affairs

• Advance Gilead’s leadership and credibility across regions and therapeutic areas to shape environments and strengthen our access operations. 

• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with patient organizations, community groups, and key stakeholders to address patient/community needs and advance corporate objectives.

• Develop and execute an integrated external engagement plan with patient groups, media, trade associations, and influencers shaping public discourse.

• Maintain insight into advocacy groups’ priorities, capacity, and influence to guide collaboration.

• Drive global NGO engagement strategies to expand access to medicines in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

• Lead advisory boards and community forums; co-develop education and capacity-building initiatives with patient communities.

• Ensure alignment and consistent messaging across policymakers, patient groups, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and suppliers.

• Support regional teams in planning and executing public affairs activities, conferences, and events.

External Communications

• Oversee the GPS region’s external communications strategy (media relations, storytelling, thought leadership, reputation management, issues and crisis readiness, content/channel planning).

• Drive execution across priority geographies and regions, tailoring approaches while reinforcing the global narrative.

• Maintain message discipline and consistency across earned, owned, and shared channels.

• Unify policy, market and therapeutic area communications to deliver impact.   

• Design and execute integrated digital strategies that build belief and amplify impact.

Internal Communications & Employee Engagement

• Partner with and contribute to global corporate/internal communications strategy; drive GPS content, stories, and programs to reinforce the corporate narrative and foster workforce engagement.

• Integrate GPS priorities and milestones across internal channels; enable leaders and managers to activate messaging.

• Serve as a trusted leader/collaborator across GPS and cross-functional teams.

Issues, Crisis & Reputation Management

• Proactively identify, plan for, and manage potential issues and crises across geographies; establish protocols, roles, and response plans.

• Embed reputation management in program design; monitor risk signals and sentiment to inform proactive mitigation.

• Apply data and insights to define and track reputational KPIs and continuously improve strategies.

Global Alignment & Enablement

• Scale GPS messaging, narratives, and FAQs to global teams; ensure consistent integration across channels and markets.

• Build enablement toolkits (message maps, Q&As, content packs) to support localized execution.

• Align with external-facing functions to synchronize stakeholder engagement across audiences.

Measurement & Insights

• Define objectives, leading indicators, and KPIs; build dashboards to track performance across advocacy, communications, and access programs.

• Use qualitative and quantitative insights (audience research, media analytics, sentiment, stakeholder feedback) to optimize plans.

Leadership, Budget & Agency Management

• Lead cross-functional collaboration and governance; represent GPS priorities at leadership forums.

• Establish and manage GPS PA budget; ensure fiscal discipline and strategic resource allocation.

• Manage external agencies/partners; set scopes, KPIs, and performance reviews.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• Significant global public affairs leadership experience, preferably in pharmaceutical or biotech, with significant experience in multiple regions and in low- and lower-middle-income markets outside North America and Western Europe

• Deep understanding of global NGOs and history engaging with these organizations to advance access

• Desire and ability to look ahead, set new industry standards, and align with external market factors and internal dynamics.

• Highly effective oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively and comfortably interact at all levels. Ability to create factual, relevant and easily understandable talking points and other messaging, and persuasively deliver it to relevant audiences.

• Seasoned storyteller and business-oriented communicator with a strong belief in Gilead’s mission.

• Proven leadership and management skills in a matrixed environment, with strengths in development of talent and individuals as well as having influence without line reporting authority.

• Strong analytical experience, has worked in a data driven organization and understands how to apply and measure analytics.

• Expert in corporate communications, proven experience managing executive and crisis communications, and in the application of digital and social media tools and channels to communications programming.

• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, effectively analyzing and assessing opportunities and threats.

• Ability to influence, negotiate with, and effectively persuade others.

• Effective prioritization skills.

• Flexible, with strong judgment / decision-making skills, and political acumen and awareness.

• Ability to think critically, process data from multiple sources, forecast potential scenarios, build a course of action, and make recommendations even in ambiguous situations.

• Maintain highest personal levels of ethical conduct, confidentiality, and integrity, with strongest professional reputation in the industry.

• Ability to travel 30-40%

• Bachelors degree required, masters or MBA preferred, in relevant field.

Basic Qulifications:

Bachelor's Degree and Fourteen Years’ Experience

OR

Masters' Degree and Twelve Years’ Experience

OR

PhD and Twelve Years’ Experience

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: $243,100.00 - $314,600.00. 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:

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