Senior Event Planner, Medical Affairs Congresses (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.

The Senior Event Planner, Medical Affairs Congresses is responsible for the end‑to‑end operational planning and execution of Medical Affairs-led congresses and scientific meetings, with a primary focus on logistics, executional rigor, and data‑driven operational support for scientific and medical presentations. 

This role supports programs involving both internal employees and external healthcare professionals (HCPs) and ensures execution aligns with approved scope, timelines, and standards. A critical component of this role is the accurate entry, management, analysis, and submission of large volumes of event‑related data across multiple internal systems and channels, requiring a high degree of precision, organization, and technical proficiency. 

The role reports directly to the Director, US & ACE Meetings and Events and operates within a matrixed congress execution model, receiving operational direction from a designated congress operations lead within the Meting & Events team to ensure consistency and adherence to established congress processes.

This role is highly execution‑focused and best suited for individuals who thrive in operational environments, enjoy working directly in systems and data, and take pride in precision and follow‑through.

Medical Affairs Congress Execution  

• Lead assigned Medical Affairs-led congresses, owning logistics planning and execution for scientific and medical presentations.  

• Support all medical affairs centralized allocations and submission into appropriate channels.  

• Translate business objectives into clear operational plans, timelines, and execution strategies.  

• Coordinate support for programs involving internal teams and external HCPs, ensuring alignment with approved scope and milestones.   

• Manage a portfolio of high need meetings, engagements, and events with minimal day to day management oversight  

Operational Execution & Data Management  

• Own high‑volume data entry, validation, reconciliation, and submission related to Medical Affairs congress activities, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and on‑time delivery.  

• Manage and maintain event data across multiple platforms and channels, ensuring alignment between planning tools, financial systems, compliance requirements, and reporting outputs.  

• Analyze operational and financial data to identify discrepancies, risks, or process gaps and proactively resolve issues prior to submission deadlines.  

• Ensure all data and documentation are audit‑ready, traceable, and compliant with internal standards and regulatory expectations.  

• Serve as a reliable operational partner by translating complex execution requirements into well‑organized trackers, timelines, and system inputs.  

Stakeholder Partnership  

• Partner closely with Medical Affairs stakeholders to define program scope, objectives, and logistical needs.  

• Provide regular status updates, identify risks and dependencies, and advise on execution considerations.   

Agency & Vendor Management  

• Manage preferred agencies and external vendors to deliver scalable, high quality congress support.  

• Oversee vendor deliverables, timelines, and budgets, escalating issues as needed to protect program integrity.  

Onsite Execution  

• Provide onsite oversight for assigned events, managing registration, meeting space, AV, food and beverage, travel, and ancillary logistics.  

• Serve as the primary onsite escalation point to resolve issues in real time.  

Project Management & Continuous Improvement  

• Manage multiple, concurrent congress programs and workstreams simultaneously, maintaining rigorous attention to detail across timelines, deliverables, budgets, and data inputs while meeting aggressive deadlines  

• Manage timelines, tasks, and budgets using established project management tools.  

• Oversee purchase orders, invoicing, reconciliation, and post event financial reporting.  

• Lead post event debriefs and contribute to continuous improvement of processes, tools, and SOPs.  

Required Qualifications  

• 5 years with a Bachelor's degree required or 3 years experience with a master's degree; degree in Event Management, Hospitality, or related field preferred.  

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience planning complex, multi‑stakeholder meetings or events.  

• Demonstrated ability to manage large volumes of detailed data with accuracy and consistency across multiple systems.  

• High level of technical proficiency and comfort learning and navigating event management, financial, and workflow tools.  

• Exceptional attention to detail, organization, and follow‑through in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment.  

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize competing demands, and execute with minimal oversight.  

• Experience supporting Medical Affairs or scientific congresses in a regulated environment preferred.  

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required; experience with Smartsheet, Asana, Cvent, or similar tools preferred.  

• CMP certification preferred.  

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25%, including occasional evenings or weekends as required.  

 

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: $117,895.00 - $152,570.00. 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 an