Director, Project Management

Role Summary

Director, Project Management at Gilead; leads cross-functional project management efforts across development programs, shaping strategy, governance, and lifecycle plans to maximize asset value. Partners with project leaders to approve and execute project strategy, oversees complex communications, and drives delivery across teams. Builds high-performing teams and ensures adherence to established processes and practices.

Responsibilities

• Works in partnership with project leaders to develop, gain approval, and execute on the project strategy.
• Co-chairs timely, efficient, and action-oriented project team meetings and coordinates team operations and communications to ensure deliverables are met.
• Directs complex project communications and keeps all customers informed of project activities and status.
• Prepares high-quality documents for governance reviews and represents the Development Project Team at governance meetings when needed.
• Provides Project Management support for functional areas, attends sub-team meetings, and organizes ad hoc working groups.
• Forms Project Teams and RFD Teams with functional-area leadership and guides project transitions between development phases.
• Co-leads lifecycle development plans, ensuring alignment of asset strategy, scope, timing, and resources with disease areas and molecule vision.
• Leads teams to anticipate and resolve complex issues, proposing and implementing corrective actions.
• Provides updated project documents for quarterly budget reviews and investor relations/Board updates.
• Contributes to research, development, and commercial project strategies; may participate in Program Strategy Teams and senior management committees.
• Manages project data (including timelines) in Planisware (G.Plan) and coordinates with other project managers to align data.
• Fosters high-performing team dynamics; may lead continuous improvement initiatives across the department.
• Ensures project work complies with established practices, policies, and processes.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of the drug development process and principles, practices, and standards of pharmaceutical project management.
• Expertise in developing and managing project scope, deliverables, risks, and resource requirements.
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to translate strategy into action.
• Excellent analytical skills; ability to summarize and present complex information clearly.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills across all levels of the company.
• Ability to understand and communicate scientific and business elements of therapeutic areas.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and understanding of team dynamics; ability to lead without authority and motivate teams.
• Ability to anticipate, plan, and adapt to an evolving environment; take accountability and empower teams to align with the company’s goals.
• Ability to create an inclusive environment with high standards of alignment, trust, accountability, and collaboration.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Project, Excel, and other reporting/tracking tools; ability to work with minimal supervision.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of relevant project management/scientific experience in the pharmaceutical industry; or MS/MBA with 10+ years; or PhD in a scientific field or PharmD/DVM/MD with 8+ years of relevant experience. A scientific background is preferred.
• Experience includes 5+ years leading cross-functional project management activities within the pharmaceutical industry, building and managing complex cross-functional plans.
• PMP or other PM certification or equivalent is a plus.