Senior Director, Applied AI, Design & Innovation

Gilead•23h ago

United StatesHybridFull-timeDirector Level10+ yrs exp

H-1B sponsor

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Applied Scientist

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
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
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 Senior Director, Applied AI, Design & Innovation Global Development | Clinical Operations This position is located in Foster City, California (Hybrid)
Remote and may require domestic or international travel as required (valid travel documents must be obtainable). Position Overview Design & Innovation is responsible for advancing the clinical trial experience through evidence-based decision-making, human-centered design, advanced analytics, digital capability development
AI-enabled innovation. These approaches transform how programs and studies are designed, planned
operationalized. The function supports patient-centric clinical trial design that provide enable more efficient execution through lean designs and less burden for patients and sites. The team has developed an industry leading set of capabilities that enable the organization to reliably predict the enrollment of the portfolio with a high degree of accuracy through modern statistical approaches
we are developing the next generation platform to further enable even greater efficiency in the design and planning process capabilities. The Sr. Director, Applied AI will be responsible for leading the cross-functional design delivery team and is ultimately accountable for the overall operational strategy and study/site feasibility processes, systems
people that support the entire portfolio across our three therapeutic areas of Virology, Oncology
Inflammation. This role is also responsible for project leadership of Development level AI initiatives that aim to continue the development of our AI capabilities within the Design & Innovation scope and beyond to also include priority deliverables for Clinical Operations. This leader will report to and partner closely with the Executive Director to shape strategy, operating frameworks
delivery models across a portfolio of initiatives within defined budgets and timelines. The role will lead the identification, development, integration, scaling
value realization of innovative processes, technologies, data assets
AI-enabled capabilities within Gilead’s clinical development model. This leader will serve as a strategic integrator across Clinical Operations, Clinical Development, Clinical Data Science, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, Commercial
IT translating complex operational and clinical needs into coherent, realistic
trackable innovation and AI strategies. The Sr. Director will help shape how innovation and AI capabilities are prioritized, governed, adopted
scaled across Clinical Operations, with a focus on measurable business, operational, quality
patient impact. Core Responsibilities Enterprise AI Strategy & Capability Leadership Define and own the multi-year Applied AI roadmap for Clinical Development & Operations, aligned to Gilead's enterprise AI strategy and portfolio priorities. Build, scale
lead a center-of-excellence team spanning data science, ML engineering, GenAI product development
AI delivery management. Establish governance, prioritization frameworks, KPIs
ROI/value-realization models that quantify AI's impact at the trial, program
portfolio level. Serve as the executive voice of Applied AI to Senior Leadership, R&D governance forums
external partners. Clinical Trial Forecasting & Enrollment Modeling Lead development of predictive enrollment models that improve forecasting accuracy at the country, site
study level. Build real-time enrollment performance monitoring capabilities to enable earlier, more proactive interventions. Partner with Clinical Operations and Program Management to integrate forecasting outputs into operational planning, resource demand
budget cycles. Trial Design Optimization & Study Feasibility Drive AI/ML-enabled approaches to protocol design optimization , including eligibility criteria simulation, endpoint selection
protocol complexity scoring. Develop site selection and feasibility models leveraging internal data, external RWD/RWE
historical performance signals. Partner with Biostatistics and Clinical Development teams to embed AI insights into protocol authoring, design tollgates
study start-up decisions. Establish, refine
drive a multi-year AI Innovation strategy aligned to Development and Clinical Operations priorities, operating model evolution
enterprise AI direction. Lead functional deliverables across Design & Innovation, design delivery, early and late-stage innovation capability development by providing overall operational excellence. Lead the Clinical Intelligence team to support a variety of strategic queries and operational benchmarking for the executive Clinical Operations and Development leadership teams. Shape and manage a portfolio of innovation and AI initiatives aligned to Clinical Operations strategy, business priorities
value realization goals. Identify, prioritize
advance high-value innovation and AI use cases that improve clinical program and study design, operational planning, decision support, workflow efficiency
stakeholder insight generation. Real-World Data & Evidence Integration Champion integration of RWD/RWE into trial design, feasibility
patient identification workflows. Build partnerships with external data platforms and evaluate AI start-ups/vendors to access cutting-edge methodologies. Recommend strategic partnerships, in-licensing
build-vs-buy decisions to accelerate capability development. Cross-Functional Delivery & Change Management Partner with Clinical Operations, Clinical Data Sciences, Biostatistics, Safety, Regulatory
Digital to ensure AI solutions are designed for adoption, not just deployment. Lead change management, training
enablement to drive scaled adoption across study teams. Represent Gilead externally with industry consortia, regulators (e.g., FDA)
strategic partners on Applied AI in clinical research. Additional Responsibilities Translate clinical and operational needs into actionable innovation and AI strategies, delivery plans, business cases
measurable outcomes. Partner with Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Clinical Data Science (AI Research Center, Clinical & Development Systems, Biostatistics), Regulatory, Portfolio Strategy & Analytics, Medical Affairs, IT, Digital
other stakeholders to translate innovation priorities into scalable capabilities and operating improvements. Support governance and decision-making processes by preparing strategic recommendations, facilitating prioritization discussions
communicating proposals, trade-offs
decision options to senior stakeholder audiences. Lead the development and governance of frameworks for identifying, testing, validating, integrating, scaling
monitoring new capabilities across process, technology, data, analytics
track KPIs, value measures
ROI frameworks to quantify the impact of innovation and AI capabilities at the study, program
functional levels. Establish governance standards for business cases, value tracking, adoption measures, scale-up criteria
expand decisions across the innovation portfolio. Help define fit-for-purpose operating, data
platform requirements needed to support priority innovation and AI use cases across clinical development and operations. Partner with Digital, IT, data science
enterprise technology teams to support scalable architecture, integration
deployment approaches for new capabilities. Drive responsible implementation of AI-enabled capabilities with appropriate rigor around business value, adoption, usability, privacy, transparency, bias and risk management, compliance
human-in-the-loop oversight. Shape and operationalize an innovation portfolio that balances near-term business impact with longer-term capability building. Strategically identify emerging external capabilities across start-ups, mid-sized organizations
enterprise partners to accelerate innovation and create meaningful gains in speed, quality
value. Serve as a functional leader and liaison to key Development areas, aligning enterprise needs with practical capability development and deployment. Act as an integrator across business, technology
data teams to ensure alignment, visibility, accountability
successful scale-up of priority capabilities. Inform and influence corporate and regulatory policies and external guidance related to clinical development innovation, including patient-centricity, diversity, accessibility, decentralization, digital health, real-world evidence
responsible use of AI. Lead and support the creation of governance documents, procedural documentation, white papers, abstracts, presentations, manuscripts
other thought leadership materials. Promote awareness, adoption
change management for innovation- and AI-enabled processes across the organization through playbooks, communications, training
ongoing engagement. Build organizational capability in innovation, digital
AI-enabled ways of working by helping teams adopt new tools, practices
decision models at scale. Provide functional financial oversight, including latest estimates, resource planning
communication across clinical and finance stakeholders. Lead recruitment, development
performance management for a team of full-time employees, contractors
external partners. Knowledge, Experience & Skills Experience leading strategic and complex scientific, operational
analytical initiatives that support program and study design including, but not limited to the execution of Bayesian inference models including Poisson-gamma, predictive enrollment scenario modeling, real-time enrollment performance monitoring Demonstrated experience shaping and advancing AI, analytics, digital
business transformation initiatives in a regulated environment Strong understanding of how to evaluate AI and advanced analytics use cases for business impact, feasibility, scalability, adoption
operational fit Experience translating business, clinical
operational needs into scalable technology, analytics
AI-enabled solutions Experience defining KPI, value
ROI frameworks for innovation, digital
AI initiatives Experience leading or supporting portfolio governance, prioritization
value realization for complex cross-functional initiatives Experience supporting adoption of digital or AI-enabled capabilities through change management, stakeholder engagement
scalable operating models Understanding of data, platform
integration considerations required to deploy digital and AI-enabled capabilities in a complex enterprise environment High degree of customer focus and collaboration in a cross-functional team environment Demonstrated planning, organizational
large-scale budget management skills Inspirational leadership style with the ability to attract talent, build high-performing teams
influence across a complex matrix Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to lead, coach
mentor staff and align multifunctional teams around informed risk-taking and data-driven decision-making Advanced capabilities in change management and business transformation Experience leading high-complexity cross-functional initiatives in life sciences, including strategic planning, governance, team management
organizational alignment Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems requiring strong judgment related to domestic and global regulations, guidelines, investigator interactions
timelines Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience presenting scientific, operational
strategic concepts to executive audiences Experience applying GDPR, HIPAA, information security, privacy
vendor assessment requirements in the evaluation and implementation of new capabilities and technologies Education and Experience Requirements: Bachelor's degree with 14+ years of relevant scientific discipline such as Life Sciences, Information Technology, Computer Science, Pharmacy, Data Science, Business or related field OR 12+ years of relevant experience with an advanced degree or higher in Life Sciences, Information Technology, Computer Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, Data Science, Sociology, Public Health, Industrial Design, Marketing, Business
related field. Extensive working knowledge of drug development and global clinical trial conduct, including recent advances in data science, digital solutions, regulatory science
AI-enabled technologies. Prior experience leading organizational transformation and designing or executing large global programs and studies in program or clinical project management/clinical operations. Extensive line management experience
may include managing other people leaders
a strong track record of hiring, managing
developing diverse top talent. Experience leading AI initiatives across multiple therapeutic areas (Oncology, Virology, Inflammation a plus)Familiarity with MLOps, CI/CD
AI Platform Architecture in Regulated (GxP) environmentsPrior engagement with FDA, EMA
industry consortia (e.g., TransCelerate, PhRMA, CDISC) on AI/digital innovation/clinical innovation. Experience with agentic AI architectures, retrieval-augmented generation
human-in-the-loop design patterns. Track record of published thought leadership or external speaking on AI in clinical research. What You'll Bring Strategic clarity — you can translate ambiguous scientific and operational needs into a prioritized, measurable AI roadmap and support a team of strategic thinkers for enabling critical portfolio decision making and planning Builder's mindset — you've stood up teams, capabilities
platforms from scratch and scaled them Bias for outcomes — you measure success in trial acceleration, cost reduction
adoption, not models shipped Collaborative leadership — you build trust with clinical, scientific, technical
regulatory partners alike Patient focus — you understand that every day saved on a trial timeline is a day earlier patients access therapies Why This Role Matters A 12-month reduction in clinical development timelines can deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in net present value across a sponsor's portfolio — and immeasurable benefit to patients waiting for therapies. This role is Gilead's opportunity to set the pace for the industry: combining classical AI/ML and Generative AI with new ways of working to make our trials patient-centered, intelligent
lean – making them reliably fast for our stakeholders. 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: Other US Locations: $221,000.00 - $286,000.00. Bay Area: $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: 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. NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT 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.

Required skills

AIdata scienceML engineeringGenAIpredictive modelingclinical trial designenrollment forecasting