Assoc Director, Clinical Operations

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
 

Clinical Operations is responsible for the worldwide execution of all Phase I - IV clinical trials across all Gilead therapeutic areas. Clinical Operations plays a key role in ensuring all Gilead clinical trials are performed in accordance with applicable SOPs, company policies and regulatory guidelines to provide timely and high-quality clinical data that supports global registration and commercialization of Gilead’s products.

You will typically lead a team of direct and indirect reports. You will oversee and be responsible for the successful execution of more complex studies and/or multiple studies within a program or multiple programs, including financial responsibility. You may be accountable for local or regional oversight / leadership of programs that may span therapeutic areas. You will be responsible for the resource management of multiple studies within a program or multiple programs, including ongoing assessment of resource needs and optimal deployment of resources to support a fluid ‘One Ops’ workforce. You will lead and/or effectively engage in Clinical Operations, cross-functional and/or country or regional organizational change initiatives and strategy. You will typically act as the business process owner (BPO) and/or serve as a subject matter expert for complex Clinical Operations processes. You will encourage an innovative mindset by championing new ideas and initiatives and incorporating best practices, external benchmarking and standardization across Clinical Operations.

EXAMPLE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Typically manages a team of direct and indirect reports. Hires, develops and retains diverse top talent on the team. Sets clear goals for the team and individuals direct reports. Coaches direct reports on their performance, development and career interests.  Plays a lead role in developing other people leaders.
• Provides input into strategic and operational short- and long-range therapeutic area / functional area plans as appropriate, including supporting alignment and communications to other team members upon implementation.
• May sit on the Clinical Operations Extended Leadership Team; providing input into the leadership and management of the Clinical Operations TA team.
• Provides leadership, guidance, oversight and therapeutic expertise for the successful management of all aspects of clinical trials.
• Responsible for the strategic, operational and financial oversight of assigned program(s).
• Develops, implements, manages and ensures completion of clinical trials within designated budgets and timelines.
• Sets the strategic vision for assigned clinical trials / programs by working cross-functionally with all relevant stakeholders.
• Assesses, on-boards and manages contract research organizations (CROs) and other vendors to ensure success of assigned trials / programs, including requests for proposals (RFPs) and selection processes.
• Contributes to the strategic implementation of Clinical Development Program(s) for specific programs as a member of the Clinical Sub-Team and may sit on the Global Development Team, dependent upon the program’s priority and breadth.
• Leads cross-functional Study Management Teams (SMTs) and influences all relevant stakeholders.
• Performs strategic analysis of project status and issues; ensuring robust risk mitigation strategies are in place.
• Anticipates complex obstacles and implements solutions to achieve project goals.
• Solves problems relating to national and international regulations, guidelines and investigator interactions.
• Keeps all stakeholders appropriately and timeously advised on all aspects of project status and any issues.
• Uses all available tools to track, oversee and communicate on program status to all key stakeholders.
• Contributes leadership input into all study-related documentation, including study protocols.
• Responsible for Clinical Operations activities conducted by the affiliate that are required by local regulations and/or usual practice to support clinical trials.
• Initiates, authors or otherwise contributes to standard operating procedure (SOP) development, implementation and training.
• Ensures team’s work complies with established practices, policies and processes, and any regulatory or other requirements.

REQUIREMENTS:

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. Please see the following for the qualifications and skills we seek for this role.

Minimum Education & Experience

• BA / BS / RN with extensive relevant clinical or related experience in life sciences.  Or, MA / MS / PharmD / PhD with relevant clinical or related experience in life sciences.
• Typically has a demonstrable cross-functional study management or related leadership experience in life sciences, including multiple years’ experience managing study management or project teams.
• Experience developing RFPs and selection and management of CROs or other vendors.
• Typically has multiple years’ line management experience.  
• Proven ability to successfully manage clinical studies within designated program budgets and timelines, including significant expertise in authoring clinical study and regulatory documentation and SOPs.
• Prior oncology clinical trials experience with several years’ experience in the design and delivery of Phase 1 first in human (FIH) oncology clinical trials

Knowledge & Other Requirements

• Expert knowledge of one or more disease or therapeutic areas, as evidenced by independence in assuming study management leadership and oversight for multiple clinical studies across a worldwide clinical program.
• Complete knowledge of full cycle study management, from start-up to close-out.
• Advanced knowledge of study management best practices and tools and has shown ability to apply these to improve study efficiencies and effectiveness.
• Thorough knowledge of Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other applicable national regulations, International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) guidelines and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) governing the conduct of clinical studies.
• Strong financial acumen necessary for the management of clinical trial budgets.
• Proven ability to effectively author clinical study and regulatory documentation.
• Strong leadership presence with demonstrated ability to lead without authority and influence programs, projects and/or initiatives.
• Strong interpersonal skills and understanding of team dynamics.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrates strong capabilities in hiring, managing and developing diverse top talent.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in proactively managing change.
• When needed, ability to travel.

We are pleased to share that Gilead’s Stockley Park and Holborn offices are planning to come together at a new London headquarters at 1 Triton Square, NW1, from approximately Q2 2027. Applicants should consider this planned location change when applying for this role. Gilead operates a flexible working policy, offering a balanced approach with two days of remote working and three days working onsite. 

It is the policy of Gilead Sciences, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively "Gilead" or the "Company") to recruit select and employ the most qualified persons available for positions throughout the Company.  Except if otherwise provided by applicable law, all  employment actions relating to issues such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, returns from layoffs, company-sponsored training, education assistance, social and recreational programs are administered on a non-discriminatory basis (i.e. without regard to protected characteristics or prohibited grounds, which may include an individual’s gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, veteran status, and age, unless such protection is prohibited by federal, state, municipal, provincial, local or other applicable laws).  Gilead also prohibits discrimination based on any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.