Senior Director, Clinical Development - Dermatology (MD)

Gilead Sciences Inc.; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 302,000 - 391,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Bonus program

Stock-based incentives

Job summary

Gilead Sciences Inc. in Foster City, CA, is seeking a Senior Director of Clinical Development to lead inflammation programs, translate biology into clinical plans, and drive Phase2 strategies toward successful Phase3 and registration.

This on-site role emphasizes cross-functional leadership across dermatology and immune-mediated diseases. The candidate will shape development plans, oversee study design and execution, and mentor teams while collaborating with Regulatory, Safety, and Medical

Qualifications

• MD with 10+ years of clinical/drug development experience.
• Experience leading Phase2 programs and contributing to Phase3.
• Strong input into investigator/site selection and trial execution.
• Expertise in immunology, inflammation, dermatology, or related diseases.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and scientific leadership for inflammation development programs.
• Develop and refine Clinical Development Plans (CDPs) and strategy.
• Lead Phase2 program design, initiation, execution, and interpretation.
• Mentor clinical scientists and align cross-functional teams.
• Contribute to regulatory strategy and health authority interactions.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Phase2 strategy

Investigator input

Immunology knowledge

Trial design

Education

MD

Job description

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.

This role requires regular on-site presence in Foster City, CA and is not eligible for remote or hybrid work arrangements. Applicants must currently reside in the area or be willing to relocate to Foster City prior to their start date. Local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Senior Director, Clinical Development will provide clinical and scientific leadership for inflammation development programs, with particular emphasis on immune-mediated inflammatory diseases and dermatology. The successful candidate will play a key role in defining development strategy, translating emerging biology into clinical hypotheses, and designing clinical programs capable of generating clear, decision-enabling evidence.

This individual will work across functions and programs, helping shape both individual asset strategies and the broader inflammation portfolio. The role requires substantive experience establishing and leading Phase2 development programs, with the strategic perspective needed to build programs that can transition efficiently into Phase3 and support registration.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and scientific leadership for one or more inflammation development programs, with opportunities spanning dermatologic, respiratory, and other immune-mediated diseases.
• Lead development and continual refinement of Clinical Development Plans (CDPs), including indication strategy, target populations, clinical sequencing, differentiation strategy, success criteria, and key development decisions.
• Lead the strategy, design, initiation, execution, and interpretation of Phase2 clinical development programs, including proof‑of‑concept and dose‑ranging studies, with an eye toward Phase3 and registration.
• Own key elements of Phase2 program development, including clinical strategy, protocol development, patient population, endpoints, dose and regimen selection, and medical input into site and investigator selection.
• Provide medical and scientific leadership during study start‑up and execution, including investigator and site selection strategy, site initiation, investigator engagement, enrollment, protocol interpretation, and ongoing assessment of study conduct.
• Use emerging Phase2 data to refine the development strategy and prepare successful programs for transition into Phase3 and registrational development.
• Translate complex immunology, human genetics, translational science, and disease biology into testable clinical hypotheses and development strategies.
• Integrate clinical, translational, biomarker, pharmacologic, competitive, and emerging external data to inform asset and portfolio strategy.
• Provide senior medical leadership for protocols, eligibility criteria, endpoints, safety monitoring, dose selection, benefit‑risk assessment, and interpretation of clinical data.
• Apply a strong understanding of dermatologic disease biology and clinical development to programs in areas such as atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, and related immune‑mediated diseases, while contributing broadly across the inflammation portfolio.
• Identify opportunities for differentiation based on mechanism, patient population, clinical endpoints, treatment setting, and evolving standards of care.
• Partner closely and proactively with Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, Clinical Pharmacology, Translational Medicine, Research, Regulatory Affairs, Safety, Medical Affairs, and Commercial colleagues.
• Provide influential Clinical Development leadership on cross‑functional asset teams and help drive program strategy, development recommendations, and governance decisions.
• Develop productive scientific relationships with investigators, external experts, and key opinion leaders, and use these relationships to refine clinical strategy and evidence‑generation plans.
• Provide clinical leadership for regulatory strategy and health authority interactions across Phase2 development and the transition to Phase3, including end‑of‑Phase2 discussions and preparation or review of clinical components of regulatory submissions.
• Mentor and develop clinical scientists and physicians and contribute to a strong scientific and clinical development culture.

Basic Qualifications

MD, 10+ years of relevant clinical, scientific, and/or drug‑development experience in industry, academia, or a combination of both, including substantial experience in clinical development and demonstrated leadership in establishing and executing Phase2 clinical development programs, with experience contributing to or leading Phase3 development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience developing Phase2 clinical strategy and protocols, initiating and conducting Phase2 interventional trials, and interpreting Phase2 data to inform Phase3 development strategy.
• Experience providing clinical input into investigator and site selection, study initiation, and ongoing medical leadership during trial execution.
• Expertise in immunology, inflammation, dermatology, or immune‑mediated disease.
• Strong command of clinical trial design, endpoints, statistics, safety assessment, dose selection, benefit‑risk evaluation, and drug‑development principles.
• Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate emerging biological and clinical data and translate those data into clear development decisions.
• Demonstrated success leading through multidisciplinary teams and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including communicating complex scientific concepts and development recommendations clearly to senior leaders and non‑specialist audiences. Clinical training, board certification, or substantial drug‑development expertise in dermatology, allergy/immunology, rheumatology, pulmonary medicine, or a related specialty.
• Clinical development experience in atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, or related inflammatory diseases; experience in asthma, COPD, or other immune‑mediated diseases is also relevant.
• Experience building Phase2 programs from strategy and protocol development through study initiation and execution, and advancing programs from Phase2 proof‑of‑concept or dose finding into Phase3.
• Experience with global Phase3 programs and regulatory interactions supporting late‑stage development.
• Experience developing small molecules, biologics, and/or novel targeted modalities in immune‑mediated disease.
• Experience developing and applying pharmacodynamic, translational, patient‑selection, or disease biomarkers.
• Established relationships with investigators and external scientific experts in dermatology, immunology, or inflammatory disease.

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: $302,005.00 - $390,830.00. 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.

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