Senior Director, Medical Affairs Technology Lead - Engagement Strategy (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.

This is a newly created leadership role on the Medical Affairs Technology Team, focused on shaping a more connected approach to external stakeholder engagement by orchestrating multiple channels and bringing together digital and personal interactions into a unified, cohesive capability within Medical Affairs Technology (MAT).

Reporting to the Executive Director of Medical Affairs Technology, you will manage a team of four Technology Product Leads spanning the Medical Field CRM in Australia/Canada/Europe, the Medical Field CRM in the United States, Global Web Experience, and Orchestrated Engagement Capability. You will maintain and evolve a mature Veeva Vault CRM while simultaneously building the digital engagement operations capability by establishing processes, sourcing models, and service delivery standards that do not yet exist.

Success in this role will be defined by the ability to develop and implement a cohesive, integrated, and sustainable operating model across diverse CRM configurations, compliance requirements, and field medical engagement approaches. The role has global scope and requires navigating meaningful regional complexity. In this context, you will lead the integration of web platforms (Sitecore and CMS), Salesforce Marketing Cloud, consent and preference management (OneTrust), and field medical CRM capabilities into a unified technology strategy that enables coordinated, compliant engagement across Medical Affairs.

What You'll Do

Lead the Field and Digital Technology Team

• Establish the Field and Digital Tech team as a unified function, defining its mandate, operating model, and team culture to support long-term success

• Recruit and onboard key talent, building a high-performing team of Technology Product Leads responsible for CRM, web, and digital engagement platforms across Medical Affairs

• Establish the digital engagement operations capability, including the processes, vendor coordination models, and service delivery standards required to support email, web, and third-party channel platforms

• Develop and mentor team members while establishing clear responsibilities, accountability models, and career development pathways that support performance and retention

• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture grounded in continuous improvement and effective partnership across time zones and regional boundaries

Lead the Field and Digital Technology Strategy

• Define and evolve the multi-year technology roadmap spanning Veeva CRM, web platforms (Sitecore and CMS), Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC), consent and preference management (OneTrust), and digital engagement channels, sequencing initiatives based on strategic value, technical feasibility, and organizational readiness

• Lead the integration of web, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, OneTrust, and field CRM capabilities into a unified engagement technology strategy that enables Medical Affairs to engage HCPs and stakeholders through coordinated, compliant, multi-channel experiences

• Provide technology leadership for the Digital Assistant, ensuring the AI-based suggestion engine is well integrated, high performing, and aligned with Medical Affairs workflows and stakeholder needs

• Advance Post Call AI from pilot to enterprise capability in partnership with field leadership and IT, ensuring the technology delivers measurable improvements in MSL effectiveness and engagement quality

• Continuously assess emerging technologies in AI-powered call planning, predictive engagement scoring, next-best-action capabilities, and digital consent management, providing evidence-based recommendations on adoption priorities

Partner with Medical Affairs and Cross Functional Stakeholders

• Serve as the primary technology thought partner to Medical Excellence on Veeva CRM governance, to the Digital Strategy team within Insights, Digital and Analytics (IDA), and to Medical Information on inquiry management integration

• Partner with U.S. and International field leadership to ensure CRM and digital engagement capabilities are aligned to regional operating models, compliance requirements, and stakeholder engagement needs

• Navigate regional complexity across U.S., ACE, and International markets, each of which operates within distinct CRM configurations, regulatory environments, and field engagement models requiring tailored technology approaches within a unified global architecture

• Represent the Field and Digital Technology domain to Medical Affairs leadership and cross-functional partners, including IT, Legal, Medical Governance, Privacy, and Compliance

• Lead user adoption, training, and change management across a global MSL and field user base, ensuring technology investments translate into measurable improvements in field effectiveness and external stakeholder engagement

Manage Vendor Relationships and Identify New Partnerships

• Lead the strategic Veeva CRM vendor relationship at the Medical Affairs level, serving as the senior point of accountability for platform performance, roadmap alignment, and contract governance

• Lead strategic vendor partnerships across Sitecore, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, OneTrust, and third-party digital engagement platforms, ensuring alignment to service-level expectations, delivery standards, and business priorities

• Identify and assess emerging technology partnerships as digital engagement, AI, and orchestrated channel capabilities continue to evolve, positioning Field and Digital Tech to capitalize on relevant innovation and market advancement

• Establish repeatable, transparent, and defensible vendor selection and evaluation frameworks that support sound decision-making and effective governance at the Medical Affairs leadership level

What You Bring

Basic Qualifications

• Master's degree + 12 years of experience OR Bachelor's degree + 14 years of experience in pharmaceutical, life sciences, or commercial technology, product management, or related fields

• 5+ years of people management experience leading technology, platform, or product teams

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree preferred

• Direct Veeva CRM experience required, including platform configuration, field deployment, governance, and ongoing optimization in a pharma or life sciences environment

• Experience with omnichannel orchestration technologies including Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) or comparable email and marketing automation platforms

• Experience with web content management systems, preferably Sitecore or comparable enterprise CMS platforms used in pharma or life sciences

• Experience with consent and preference management platforms such as OneTrust, including configuration, compliance workflows, and integration with digital engagement channels

• Understanding of Medical Affairs or commercial field operations including MSL workflows, call planning, territory management, and HCP engagement models

• Track record of building new teams or capabilities from scratch in a matrixed, global organization - comfortable with ambiguity and energized by creating structure where none exists

• Executive presence with the ability to influence and align senior Medical Affairs leadership and cross functional stakeholders without relying on p]]>