Associate Director, HIV Prevention Community Engagement & Advocacy, U.S. Public Affairs (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.

Job Description

 

We have the following exciting opportunity in our Foster City, CA location.

 

Reporting to the Executive Director, U.S. Prevention Public Affairs, the Associate Director of U.S. HIV Community Engagement & Advocacy will be responsible for leading an Advocacy and engagement strategy for Gilead's U.S. HIV prevention portfolio and pipeline. This includes management of long-term advocacy relationships and forging new relationships with advocacy groups representing people affected by HIV to meet consumer needs and drive Gilead's U.S. advocacy and community engagement strategic goals and objectives. 

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Lead U.S. HIV prevention advocacy strategy aligned with Public Affairs, HIV Franchise, and enterprise priorities, including Commercial and Medical Affairs launch planning.
• Serve as a trusted external-facing leader to U.S. HIV advocacy and community organizations, building and sustaining credible, transparent and empathetic relationships; act as primary company liaison.
• Enable bi-directional engagement by actively gathering community insights (e.g., unmet needs, policy priorities, access barriers) and translating them into actionable internal strategies, while ensuring timely, accurate feedback back to stakeholders.
• Represent community perspectives internally across the discovery, development and delivery lifecycle to ensure patient- and community-informed decision-making.
• Drive cross-functional alignment across Public Affairs, Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Commercial, Market Access, Government Affairs, Legal, Regulatory, and Ethics & Compliance to ensure advocacy strategies are integrated, compliant and impactful.
• Lead stakeholder mapping and strategic engagement planning to identify, prioritize, and deepen partnerships with advocacy and community organizations aligned to U.S. and global priorities.
• Build and activate coalitions and partnerships that advance health equity, expand screening and linkage to care, and address stigma and disparities in HIV prevention.
• Plan and execute structured engagement forums (e.g., advisory boards, roundtables) to generate insights that inform cross-functional planning and key business decisions.
• Oversee advocacy engagement execution, including presence at key events, sponsorships, campaigns and community-led initiatives.
• Partner with Communications teams (Therapeutic, Corporate, Employee) to develop coordinated external strategies that elevate community priorities, disease awareness, clinical milestones and advocacy partnerships.
• Ensure coordinated external engagement with advocacy stakeholders in close partnership with U.S. Medical Affairs and Commercial teams.
• Monitor policy and advocacy landscape (federal, state, local) and emerging community trends to inform strategy and anticipate risks/opportunities.
• Build internal capabilities and systems to track engagements, capture insights, and strengthen organization-wide understanding of community needs and health equity priorities.
• Manage budgets, sponsorships, and external partners in full compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Champion inclusive, community-led approaches that reflect the needs of populations disproportionately impacted by HIV.
• Drive innovation in engagement, including piloting new models and responsibly integrating digital and AI-enabled tools in partnership with Strategy & Operations.

Qualifications:

 

• 10+ years of relevant experience in HIV community engagement, advocacy, public affairs, or related functions (e.g., communications, government affairs, medical affairs or marketing), with a bachelor's degree or 8+ years of relevant experience with a master's degree.
• Deep understanding of the U.S. healthcare, policy and market access landscape, including factors shaping HIV prevention, access and health equity.
• Proven track record of building and maintaining trusted relationships with HIV advocacy and community stakeholders and engaging credibly with external experts and senior leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in a highly matrixed organization, driving alignment and influencing across cross-functional teams, including Legal, Regulatory, Ethics & Compliance, Medical Affairs, Commercial and Government Affairs.
• Strong experience in issues management, corporate reputation and stakeholder engagement, with the ability to navigate sensitive or complex external environments.
• Strategic thinker with executional excellence-able to translate insights into actionable advocacy strategies and deliver high-impact outcomes.
• Experience leveraging community insights (qualitative and quantitative) to inform strategy, shape programs, and measure impact.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written, interpersonal), with the ability to distill complex topics for diverse audiences, including executive leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to lead initiatives and manage multiple priorities, including external partners and consultants, with strong project management and organizational skills.
• Strong understanding of compliance and regulatory considerations related to external engagement and advocacy activities.
• Commitment to health equity and inclusive engagement, with experience advancing initiatives that address disparities in HIV prevention and care.
• Familiarity with digital and emerging tools to support advocacy, engagement and insight generation.
• Passion for public health, HIV prevention and community-centered approaches to improving outcomes.
• Willingness to travel (~30%) as needed.
• Strong preference for U.S. HIV experience.

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: $182,070.00 - $235,620.00. 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:

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

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