Director, Enterprise Transformation Communications (United States - California - Foster City)

This job is with Gilead Sciences Inc., an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.

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.

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 the Director, Enterprise Transformation Communications at Gilead, you will lead communications for major transformation initiatives across Gilead, helping employees, leaders and key stakeholders understand what is changing, why it matters and how the work supports our mission, business priorities, employee experience and impact for patients.

Reporting into the Corporate & Enterprise Communications team, this role will serve as a strategic communications lead for enterprise transformation work, including operating model evolution, organizational change, new ways of working, capability building, digital and AI-enabled transformation, global capability expansion and other cross-functional initiatives that require clear, coordinated and credible communications.

The Director will partner closely with Public Affairs, Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance, Legal, Compliance, business functions and transformation teams to translate complex business and organizational change into clear, people-centered communications that build trust, reduce confusion and enable engagement. This role requires a strategic thinker and hands-on communicator who can operate across a matrixed global organization, advise senior leaders and help connect transformation priorities into one enterprise narrative.

Enterprise Transformation Strategy & Narrative

• Develop and execute communications strategies that support enterprise transformation priorities, milestones and long-term change journeys.

• Create clear narratives that connect transformation work to business outcomes, employee experience, operational effectiveness, culture and patient impact.

• Maintain consistent messaging across workstreams, audiences, channels, leadership teams and enterprise forums.

• Translate complex operating model, process, technology and organizational changes into accessible communications for broad employee and leader audiences.

• Identify opportunities to connect individual transformation efforts into a broader enterprise story that helps employees see how the work fits together.

Executive Communications & Strategic Advisory

• Serve as a strategic communications advisor to senior leaders sponsoring or leading enterprise transformation initiatives.

• Develop executive presentations, talking points, leader messages, FAQs, cascade materials, town hall content and other leader-ready communications.

• Support communications for leadership forums, enterprise meetings, Board discussions and other high-visibility business moments tied to transformation work.

• Help leaders communicate change with clarity, empathy and consistency, including when details are still evolving.

Employee Engagement & Change Communications

• Lead communications strategies that build employee awareness, understanding, confidence and engagement during periods of significant change.

• Design communications plans that support change readiness, adoption, feedback, leader enablement and sustained behavior change.

• Develop practical materials that help employees understand what is changing, what is not changing, what comes next and where to go for support.

• Create channels and feedback loops to surface employee questions, sentiment and areas of confusion, then adjust communications accordingly.

• Showcase progress, proof points and employee stories that make transformation work tangible and meaningful.

Transformation Governance, Risk & Message Alignment

• Partner with transformation teams to ensure communications are integrated into program governance, planning, milestones and decision-making rhythms.

• Help identify communications risks, employee concerns, reputational considerations and stakeholder needs related to enterprise change.

• Ensure transformation messaging is clear, credible, aligned and consistent across functions, geographies and leadership levels.

• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Human Resources and other stakeholders to ensure communications are accurate, responsible and appropriate for the business context.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Enterprise Coordination

• Lead communications planning and execution for transformation initiatives spanning multiple functions, teams and geographies.

• Build strong partnerships across Public Affairs, HR, IT, Finance, Legal, Compliance, business functions and transformation teams.

• Coordinate with internal communications, executive communications, digital, social, brand, media and other Public Affairs partners to activate integrated plans across channels.

• Drive alignment around priorities, sequencing, messaging, stakeholder engagement and communications deliverables.

• Manage agency and vendor relationships as appropriate.

Specific Education & Experience Requirements:

• BA degree in communications, liberal arts, business or science-oriented field and minimum 12+ years of relevant experience OR

• MS degree in communications, liberal arts, business or science-oriented field and minimum 10+ years of relevant experience OR

• PhD in communications, liberal arts, business or science-oriented field and a minimum of 8+ years of relevant experience

• Relevant experience is defined as: years of healthcare public relations experience

Specific Job Responsibilities:

• Responsible for public relations programming within the Public Affairs group, in particular supporting the company's growing portfolio of products and pipeline programs

• Effectively manages all aspects of public relations agency relationships, such as providing direction and project management

• May manage department staff, as appropriate

• Manages budgets to target

• Collaborates and regularly participates as a member of cross-functional teams, representing external communications function; provides public relations recommendations to help achieve company goals

• Develops and implements media relations strategies for specific areas of responsibility, such as product and/or corporate related initiatives

• Serves as media spokesperson for product and/or corporate news; responds to media requests and arranges interviews with management and opinion leader spokespeople as appropriate

• Examines complex issues from a broader organization perspective, determines communications opportunities and helps determine priorities within the Public Affairs group
  Prepares press releases, presentations and other communications materials with minimal oversight

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]]>