Associate Director, Generative AI

Biopharma Careers; Foster City (CA); Hybrid; USD 196,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life insurance

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Gilead Sciences Inc. is seeking an Associate Director of Generative AI to own the Gen AI feature roadmap and drive POCs and pilots across commercial functions.

Based in Foster City, CA (or Parsippany, NJ), the role partners with IT to scale AI solutions while adhering to regulatory and ethical standards. The ideal candidate has deep Gen AI product development expertise, data science knowledge, and strong cross-functional leadership to navigate enterprise governance and external partnerships.

Qualifications

• Experience in Gen AI product development within pharma/commercial domains.
• Experience deploying Gen AI solutions at scale in a regulated environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration across senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define Gen AI strategy and solution development.
• Act as business product owner for POCs and pilots; align with IT.
• Lead AI governance and regulatory alignment across functions.
• Collaborate with affiliates to understand AI requirements and shape use cases.
• Coordinate cross-functional AI initiatives with Enterprise Data Science Council.

Skills

Gen AI product dev

AI governance

Data science methods

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's +10 years

Master's +8 years

PhD +6 years

Tools

AWS

Databricks

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

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 Associate Director, Generative AI, at Gilead you will report to the Senior Director, Data Science – AI & Optimization. Based in either Parsippany, NJ or Foster City, CA, you will be the business product owner owning the feature roadmap, will work on rapid prototyping including POCs and pilots, and partner with IT to build, scale and deploy AI and Gen AI solutions across commercial functions.

This role is pivotal in leveraging cutting‑edge AI technologies to drive impact in commercial functions such as marketing, sales, and strategy across G9 countries while ensuring alignment with regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act) and ethical standards. You will implement the SOPs of responsible AI governance framework defined by enterprise teams, including IT. You will also foster cross‑functional collaboration to maximize business value and mitigate risk in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Gen AI product development, AI governance, and data science methodologies, preferably within the pharmaceutical commercial domain. You will coordinate across internal stakeholders (e.g., Enterprise Data Science Council, affiliates, functional teams) and external partners (e.g., academia, vendors) and will be responsible for articulating the business value of AI initiatives through compelling proposals and assessments as part of a cross‑functional team.

This is an individual contributor role, supported by a team of offshore data scientists. Occasional travel to global Gilead locations may be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Gen AI strategy and solution development
• As the business product owner, drive POCs and Pilot solutions in accordance with published enterprise frameworks and align to build, deploy and scale with IT.
• Assist business owners with AI procurement (buy) initiatives alongside IT and lead technical feasibility discussions for commercial.
• Partner with other functions (GCO and business owners when different) to support the governance of AI and Tech integration of futuristic AI solutions.
• Pressure test explainability, sustainability, and roadmap for model evolution of external solutions.
• Manage and work with IT on choice of platform and design for internally built solutions.

Cross‑functional AI initiatives

• Work with EDSC to plan and develop cross‑functional use cases and act as point of contact for commercial on AI policy and governance workstreams.
• Liaise with affiliates (US and ex‑US) to understand the different AI requirements and help shape AI use cases, be the SME for AI use cases with all the affiliates and support by pressure testing build or buy from a data science standpoint, in partnership with IT.
• Partner with GDI and US teams in supporting AI rollouts and manage the sustainability of AI products.
• Bring in industry‑wide best practices in DS and AI focusing on commercial use cases and work with EDSC on training and tools work streams.
• Lead the content for AI literacy as a member of the EDSC working group and assist in bridging commercial‑specific content.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and Ten Years’ Experience OR
• Masters' Degree and Eight Years’ Experience OR
• PhD and Two Years’ Experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years, or Master’s degree with 8+ years, or PhD with 6+ years of relevant data science / analytics / computer science / development experience.
• Proven success in deploying Gen AI solutions in commercial settings.
• Experience scaling AI products and platforms from pilot to production.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to navigate the organization while simplifying the complexity in the AI space.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to navigate the organization while simplifying the complexity in the AI space.
• Technical Skills: Expertise in developing Gen AI (e.g., LLMs, GANs) products for insights & content generation.
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Databricks).
• Experience with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Knowledge of AI‑related regulatory frameworks (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, FDA, EU AI Act).
• Recognized as a credible data science expert and partner to commercial and cross‑functional teams.
• Skilled in enabling teams through tools, training, and mentorship.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Management experience influencing senior‑level management and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver complex programs with measurable impact.
• Proven ability to scout, evaluate and pilot external AI solutions.

Competencies

• Structured Problem Solving - Demonstrates the ability to bring clarity to complex challenges by applying structured thinking, guiding teams through ambiguity, and mobilizing resources to deliver timely and effective solutions.
• Collaborative Influence - Influences without direct authority by building trust, demonstrating subject matter expertise, and communicating with authenticity. Listens actively, adapts messaging to the audience, and uses data‑driven persuasion to align stakeholders.
• Results Orientation - Maintains a strong focus on outcomes, consistently driving toward ambitious goals, even in the face of adversity. Takes ownership, makes informed decisions, and ensures accountability to move initiatives forward.
• Strategic - Anticipates evolving business needs and market dynamics. Translates vision into actionable plans, identifies growth opportunities, and adjusts priorities to align with long‑term objectives.
• Measurement‑Driven - Champions a culture of evidence‑based decision‑making. Designs and executes strategies with measurable impact, leveraging KPIs and analytics to track performance and optimize results.
• Enterprise Thinking – Advocates for decisions and actions that foster cross‑functional collaboration and breaking down silos to drive unified outcomes. Encourages a big‑picture perspective, long‑term value creation, and a unified approach to business challenges, ensuring that decisions promote the overall health and success of the organization.

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 receive 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.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this position is: $195,670.00 - $253,220.00. 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

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 [e-mail] 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.