Executive Director, R&D Program Finance - Foster City, CA (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

 

The Executive Director, R&D Program Finance, serves as the senior finance leader responsible for shaping and driving financial strategy across Gilead's oncology and inflammation portfolio. This leader acts as the strategic business partner to the R&D organization, ensuring that financial insights, rigorous business case evaluations, and value focused decision frameworks meaningfully influence pipeline investment, portfolio optimization, and long range planning. This role leads and develops a high performing Program Finance organization that partners directly with senior executives and their teams across Development, Commercial, PDM, and Finance.

Office Location: Foster City, CA

 

As a   Executive Director, R&D Program Finance , at Gilead you will ...  

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• Establish and deliver on vision to position the Program Finance team as a critical strategic partner enabling high‑quality, value‑based decisions across the development portfolio.

• Lead the evolution from study‑level cost support to end‑to‑end business case leadership with a focus on value creation.

Stakeholder Influence & Executive Engagement

• Build trusted partnerships with SVP/VP stakeholders across Development, Commercial, PDM, and Finance.

• Ensure Finance is recognized as a critical and required voice in PC materials, BD materials, and strategic reviews.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Build and develop a diverse, high‑impact team capable of influencing senior R&D leaders and challenging assumptions with data‑driven insights.

• Set a high bar for People Leader accountabilities-fostering inclusion, proactive coaching, and rigorous talent development for all leaders in the Program Finance LT.

• Assess team capabilities regularly and address gaps related to financial modeling, strategic thinking, communication, and cross‑functional influence.

Operational & Process Excellence

• Oversee high‑quality financial assessments for PC decisions, BD evaluations, Portfolio Review, and Long Range Planning -ensuring financial insights are material, timely, and influence outcomes.

• Embed standardized methodologies (e.g., NPV, risk‑adjusted frameworks, scenario modeling) across all program teams.

• Drive continuous simplification and automation of financial processes, enabling faster and more reliable insights (e.g., IPE simplification, rolling forecast enablement).

• Ensure robust financial governance, policy adherence, and audit‑ready processes (e.g., SOX, EY compliance).

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree and Sixteen Years' Experience  

OR  

Masters' Degree and Fourteen Years' Experience  

OR  

PhD and Fourteen Years' Experience  

Preferred Qualifications:

• 15+ years in R&D Finance or related strategic finance roles in biopharma.

• Strategic, systems‑level thinker who distills complexity into clear, actionable decisions, enabling teams and senior leaders to navigate ambiguity with confidence.

• Builder of high‑performing teams and talent, with a strong track record of coaching, elevating emerging leaders, and cultivating an inclusive environment where people can grow and excel.

• Executive presence with exceptional storytelling and influence skills , capable of framing insights in a way that shapes decisions, aligns stakeholders, and accelerates enterprise impact.

• Proactive change leader who challenges the status quo constructively, inspires continuous improvement, and leads teams through transformation with optimism, resilience, and clarity.

• Collaborative, solutions‑oriented partner grounded in Gilead's Core Values, fostering trust, accountability, and cross‑functional alignment to deliver outcomes that advance the enterprise.

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: $281,010.00 - $363,660.00. 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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Gilead Sciences Inc. 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]]> <