Associate Director, Global Commercial Strategy - Lymphoma

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet. Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next. 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 Kite and help create more tomorrows. 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. Kite, a Gilead Company, is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies. The company focuses on chimeric antigen receptor and T cell receptor engineered cell therapies. Everyone at Kite has been grounded by one common goal – curing cancer. Every day, we aim to establish a direct line between that purpose and our day-to-day work. As we expand our Lymphoma portfolio and prepare for the launch, we are seeking a highly strategic, Associate Director, Global Commercial Strategy – Lymphoma to play a central role in shaping global launch strategy, product positioning, and long term portfolio direction. This role sits at a critical inflection point for the Lymphoma franchise and is designed for a candidate with strong strategic acumen—someone who excels at developing and applying frameworks, pressure testing assumptions, and translating complex insights into clear, compelling leadership narratives. The Associate Director will act as a strategic thought partner to senior leaders, elevating the quality and speed of commercial decision making while enabling a best in class global launch. In this role, you will help define Kite’s long term Lymphoma portfolio ambition, supporting sustained leadership in an increasingly competitive cell therapy landscape through disciplined strategy, strong positioning, and executional clarity. The Associate Director will be a core member of Global Commercial Strategy (GCS) and the cross functional launch team, partnering closely with Medical, Clinical, Regulatory, Market Access, Tech Ops, and Regional/Local Commercial teams. Kite is transitioning from its current Santa Monica headquarters, with employees expected to relocate to our El Segundo office beginning in January 2027. While this role will be based in Santa Monica through 2026, applicants should take this planned relocation into consideration. Kite supports a flexible working policy, offering a balanced approach with two days of remote working and three days working onsite. Key Responsibilities: Global Strategy & Launch Planning Lead and drive global strategic projects in support of the Lymphoma portfolio and product launch, including disease strategy, launch planning activities, and lifecycle planning. Develop and evolve global strategic plans and launch Plan of Action, applying structured strategic frameworks to assess options, risks, and trade‑offs. Support global launch readiness through synthesis of cross‑functional inputs and application of strategy into deliverables. Product Positioning & Portfolio Strategy Support global product positioning, grounded in clinical profile, unmet need, competitive dynamics, and evolving treatment paradigms. Synthesize market landscape, competitive intelligence, and customer insights to inform differentiated value propositions and long‑term portfolio strategy. Partner with Medical and Clinical teams, as well as key regional and priority markets, to ensure alignment between the scientific narrative and commercial strategy and to inform globally consistent, locally relevant execution. Campaign Development, Testing & Optimization Support strategic input into global campaign development, including articulation of core strategic ideas, message frameworks, and success metrics. Oversee campaign testing and learning agendas (e.g., message testing, concept validation), incorporating country‑specific and key market insights to translate findings into clear, actionable recommendations for optimization. Ensure global strategies are adaptable and scalable across regions, while allowing for meaningful local execution. Communication & Decision Support Build executive‑ready materials (story‑driven decks, strategic recommendations, decision frameworks) for senior leadership and governance forums. Facilitate cross‑functional/regional communication and alignment by clearly framing strategic questions, options, and implications. Support global commercial governance forums and advisory boards by structuring discussions and synthesizing outcomes into actionable direction. Cross‑Functional & Operational Excellence Serve as a strategic integrator across functions, ensuring consistency, rigor, and clarity in global decision‑making. Support resource prioritization by tracking strategic initiatives, budgets, and dependencies. Contribute to ad hoc strategic workstreams as the program and Lymphoma portfolio evolve. Anticipated domestic and international travel: up to 20%. Basic Qualifications 10+ Years with BS/BA OR 8+ Years with MS/MA or MBA Preferred Qualifications Relevant experience includes global commercial strategy, management consulting, strategic marketing, or related roles within biopharma, healthcare, or life sciences. Management consulting experience (or equivalent strategic role) with demonstrated ability to develop frameworks, assess complex problems, and influence senior stakeholders. Global commercial strategy or strategic marketing experience within biopharma; experience in oncology, hematology, or cell therapy strongly preferred. Hands‑on experience supporting global product launches, including positioning, launch planning, and readiness. Proven track record of building high‑quality, executive‑level presentations that distill complexity into clear strategic choices. Strong analytical, verbal, and written communication skills; comfort operating in ambiguity and matrixed organizations. Collaborative mindset with the ability to partner effectively across Medical, Clinical, Regulatory, Market Access, and Regional teams. Organized, detail‑oriented, and able to manage multiple strategic workstreams simultaneously. Demonstrated understanding of pharmaceutical regulatory requirements and impact on development of marketing materials. Recognized expertise in implementing a pharmaceutical communication plan including generating publications, organizing continuing medical education activities and advocacy development. Must be very familiar with industry trends and remain current with competitor’s resources and practices. Must have a successful record of developing external relationships leading to brand advocacy. Must have a track record of successful pharma/biotech patient/community marketing with an understanding of expense budget planning and tracking. Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams or work groups as well as direct reports. Strong strategic thinker with ability to formulate, develop and execute strategy. Excellent analytical skills, demonstrated by the ability to identify and understand complex issues and problems, and interpret information in a manner that provides appropriate recommendations to senior management and across functional areas. Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to lead, interact with, focus, resolve conflict and drive consensus among individuals from a variety of cultures, and disciplines. Must possess sophisticated negotiating, influencing, project management and consulting skills. Organizational skill, including ability to follow assignments through to completion (bias towards execution). Excellent communications skills with an ability to efficiently and productively communicate both orally and in writing. Must possess the ability to maintain, develop, and utilize a level of product and therapeutic disease knowledge to promote the appropriate use of Gilead products to Key Opinion Leaders. Proven curriculum development and instructional design skills. In-depth familiarity and knowledge of commonly used concepts and practices for training is required. A minimum of 3 years in product marketing or advertising focused on consumers or patients. Expertise in prior roles with Advocacy, Community and National Health systems and services is preferred. Basic image editing skills with Photoshop and/or Fireworks a plus. Basic working knowledge of HTML editing tools such as Dreamweaver a plus. Experience with content management systems a plus. Previous, direct managed care experience, either in marketing, account management, or other roles is preferred. People Leader Accountabilities Create Inclusion by demonstrating the business value of diverse and inclusive teams and embedding equity and respect into day to day people management practices. Develop Talent by understanding team members skills experience aspirations and potential and providing coaching feedback and development opportunities. Empower Teams by connecting team goals to organizational purpose removing barriers to execution and enabling cross functional collaboration. The salary range for this position is: $177,905.00 - $230,230.00. Kite 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: * Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA. For more information on Kite, please visit Sign up to follow @KitePharma on Twitter at For jobs in the United States: Kite Pharma 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 View email address on click.appcast.io 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 Kite Pharma 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. Kite Pharma provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion. For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors: Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday. Change The World With Us Everyone at Kite is grounded by one common goal – curing cancer. Every day, we aim to establish a direct line between that purpose and our day-to-day work. We are creating Kite together, with the recognition that the best teams are built by the best people. We maintain an attitude of curiosity, and creativity with each challenge as we develop a new market for cancer therapies. We appreciate and respect one another, and most importantly, we don’t take success for granted. While we’ve come a long way to make what others viewed as impossible, possible, we know one thing is certain. Today is just the beginning.