Director, Global Trade Compliance (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

 

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, Global Trade Compliance at Gilead you are responsible for designing and leading a global trade compliance program that ensures adherence to international import/export laws while enabling efficient, compliant, and cost-effective product flow across the global pharmaceutical supply chain.

This role serves as a critical connector across Legal, Tax, and Finance, ensuring regulatory compliance, financial integrity, and optimized trade execution while balancing risk and business performance.

Key Responsibilities:

Global Trade Compliance Strategy & Governance

• Define and execute the global trade compliance strategy aligned to corporate, supply chain, and financial objectives

• Establish global policies, procedures, and governance frameworks for import/export compliance

• Maintain oversight of global regulatory requirements (export controls, sanctions, customs regulations)

• Partner with Legal on regulatory interpretation and alignment to enterprise compliance frameworks

Import / Export Compliance & Operations

• Oversee compliant execution of import/export activities (classification, valuation, country of origin, licensing)

• Ensure robust controls for Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) classification and customs declarations

• Provide guidance on trade implications for product launches, clinical supply, and market expansion

• Collaborate with Tax and Finance to ensure alignment of customs valuation, intercompany pricing, and financial reporting

Risk Management & Controls

• Lead global trade compliance risk assessments and mitigation strategies

• Establish internal control frameworks to ensure compliance and audit readiness

• Own internal audits and support regulatory audits

• Partner with Legal on investigation, escalation, and resolution of compliance issues

Regulatory & Government Engagement

• Serve as primary interface with customs authorities and regulatory agencies

• Manage export licenses, permits, and certifications

• Monitor global regulatory changes and assess business impact

• Align with Legal on enforcement actions, disclosures, and regulatory interactions

Trade Optimization & Financial Alignment

• Identify and implement trade optimization opportunities (FTAs, duty drawback, inward processing, etc.)

• Partner with Tax to align trade strategies with transfer pricing and tax-efficient supply chain structures

• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate duty forecasting, cost visibility, accruals, and financial planning

• Ensure trade programs are compliant while supporting cost optimization and margin improvement

Process Standardization & Systems

• Drive global standardization of trade compliance processes and documentation

• Implement and optimize trade compliance systems (e.g., SAP GTS or equivalent)

• Enhance automation, data integrity, and reporting capabilities

Cross-Functional Leadership & Business Partnership

• Partner across Supply Chain, Procurement, Manufacturing, Commercial, Legal, Tax, and Finance

• Support sourcing, contract structuring, and market access strategies through a compliance and financial lens

• Advise senior leadership on trade-related risks, costs, and opportunities

Training & Capability Building

• Develop and deploy enterprise-wide trade compliance training programs

• Build organizational awareness of compliance obligations and financial implications

• Lead and develop a high-performing global team

Key Interfaces & Accountabilities

• Legal (Regulatory & Risk Authority) Legal Owns: Interpretation of trade laws, sanctions, and regulatory requirements, legal risk assessment and enforcement strategy, regulatory disclosures and interactions/ Trade Compliance Owns: translation of legal guidance into operational policies and controls, day-to-day compliance execution and monitoring

• Tax (Supply Chain Structuring & Transfer Pricing Authority) Tax Owns: transfer pricing policies and intercompany frameworks, tax-efficient supply chain design/ Trade Compliance Owns: alignment of customs valuation, country of origin, and duty programs with tax structures, ensuring customs compliance while enabling tax strategies

• Finance (Financial Reporting & Cost Governance Authority) Finance Owns: financial reporting, reserves, and compliance with accounting standards, budgeting, forecasting, and cost performance management/ Trade Compliance Owns: accurate duty/tariff classification and cost inputs impacting COGS, compliance-driven cost visibility (duties, taxes, fees), supporting accrual accuracy, audit readiness, and financial transparency, providing data and insights to enable forecasting and variance analysis

Leadership Capabilities

• Balances compliance rigor with operational and financial performance

• Strong judgment in complex regulatory and financial environments

• Executive-level stakeholder engagement across Supply Chain, Legal, and Finance

• Ability to operate in matrixed, global environments

Scope & Impact

• Global responsibility across all regions

• Direct impact on regulatory compliance, product flow continuity, and financial performance

• Critical contributor to enterprise risk management, audit readiness, and cost optimization

Requirements

• BA and 12+ years of relevant experience (global trade compliance experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated industries) required OR

• MA/MS and 10+ years of relevant experience ((global trade compliance experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated industries) required OR

• PhD and 8+ years of relevant experience (global trade compliance experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated industries) required

• Deep expertise in import/export regulations, customs compliance, and trade risk management

• Strong understanding of supply chain, financial flows, and regulatory implications

• Demonstrated experience partnering with Legal, Tax, and Finance functions

• Experience building and scaling global compliance programs

Preferred

• Advanced degree (Masters) strongly preferred

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: $210,375.00 - $272,250.00. Gilead considers a variety of factors when determining ba