Senior Director, Gilead Patient Solutions Public Affairs
Gilead Sciences
August 30, 2026
Remote friendly (Parsippany, NJ)
United States
Patient Advocacy
Position Overview
- Develop and execute an integrated communications and advocacy strategy for Gilead Patient Solutions (GPS) to advance company priorities, support sustainable access to innovation for patients, and strengthen reputation across countries.
- Serve as a trusted deputy/strategic partner to the Executive Director, Intercontinental Public Affairs; shape priorities across the GPS region, connect insights across functions/geographies, and ensure coordinated responses.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Public Affairs Leadership
- Lead GPS public affairs strategies aligning communications, advocacy, NGO engagement, and stakeholder outreach.
- Identify themes across markets/stakeholders; translate insights into coordinated strategies and action.
- Advise senior leadership with recommendations, feedback, and communications guidance.
- Partner cross-functionally (Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy, Government Affairs, Value & Access, Corporate Comms, Commercial, Medical, etc.).
- Apply an enterprise lens across ~140 countries; ensure local relevance and alignment to corporate priorities.
External Communications
- Lead external comms strategy; ensure message discipline and alignment enterprise-wide.
- Create compliant communications explaining commitments, partnerships, access initiatives, and public health impact.
- Drive proactive storytelling and prepare leaders for external engagements/media.
Global NGO, Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement
- Develop engagement strategies with global NGOs, patient orgs, advocacy coalitions, and other stakeholders.
- Build and sustain trusted relationships; co-create compliant education/capacity-building initiatives.
- Coordinate stakeholder engagement across markets aligned to local needs, enterprise priorities, and applicable laws/standards.
Issues/Crisis/Reputation Management
- Identify/manage issues; establish governance and response frameworks.
- Embed reputation management; monitor risk/sentiment using data.
- Draft/review external statements, press releases, Q&As, holding statements, leadership messages, and reactive communications.
Internal Communications & Enterprise Alignment
- Integrate GPS priorities into enterprise narratives and employee engagement; develop internal messages/toolkits and enable local activation with global alignment.
Measurement, Insights & Governance
- Define objectives, KPIs, and leading indicators; build/apply dashboards.
- Lead governance; manage budgets with fiscal discipline; oversee agency/external partner performance.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree + 14+ years’ experience OR Master’s degree + 12+ years’ relevant experience OR PhD + 12+ years’ relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- In-house public affairs/corporate/external affairs experience in global pharmaceutical/biotech or other highly regulated healthcare.
- Experience leading reputation/communications/stakeholder engagement/issues in complex matrix environments.
- Ability to influence and drive action without direct authority; strong executive presence.
- Strong written/verbal communications; ability to develop executive/internal/external materials (statements, Q&As, briefings, leadership messages).
- Experience across global/regional/local markets including low-/lower-middle-income countries and/or complex access/public health environments.
- NGO/patient/advocacy/multilateral engagement experience; partnership/advocacy track record.
- Ability to anticipate challenges, navigate ambiguity, manage sensitive issues with diplomacy; operate effectively under pressure.
- Strong understanding of legal/regulatory/compliance/reputational considerations.
- Experience supporting geographically dispersed teams; travel ~30–40%.
People Leader Accountabilities
- Create Inclusion; Develop Talent; Empower Teams.
Benefits/Compensation (if applicable in posting)
- Salary range: $243,100.00–$314,600.00; may include discretionary annual bonus and stock-based long-term incentives; paid time off and benefits including company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
Application Instructions
- For current Gilead employees and contractors: apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.
- Develop and execute an integrated communications and advocacy strategy for Gilead Patient Solutions (GPS) to advance company priorities, support sustainable access to innovation for patients, and strengthen reputation across countries.
- Serve as a trusted deputy/strategic partner to the Executive Director, Intercontinental Public Affairs; shape priorities across the GPS region, connect insights across functions/geographies, and ensure coordinated responses.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Public Affairs Leadership
- Lead GPS public affairs strategies aligning communications, advocacy, NGO engagement, and stakeholder outreach.
- Identify themes across markets/stakeholders; translate insights into coordinated strategies and action.
- Advise senior leadership with recommendations, feedback, and communications guidance.
- Partner cross-functionally (Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy, Government Affairs, Value & Access, Corporate Comms, Commercial, Medical, etc.).
- Apply an enterprise lens across ~140 countries; ensure local relevance and alignment to corporate priorities.
External Communications
- Lead external comms strategy; ensure message discipline and alignment enterprise-wide.
- Create compliant communications explaining commitments, partnerships, access initiatives, and public health impact.
- Drive proactive storytelling and prepare leaders for external engagements/media.
Global NGO, Advocacy & Stakeholder Engagement
- Develop engagement strategies with global NGOs, patient orgs, advocacy coalitions, and other stakeholders.
- Build and sustain trusted relationships; co-create compliant education/capacity-building initiatives.
- Coordinate stakeholder engagement across markets aligned to local needs, enterprise priorities, and applicable laws/standards.
Issues/Crisis/Reputation Management
- Identify/manage issues; establish governance and response frameworks.
- Embed reputation management; monitor risk/sentiment using data.
- Draft/review external statements, press releases, Q&As, holding statements, leadership messages, and reactive communications.
Internal Communications & Enterprise Alignment
- Integrate GPS priorities into enterprise narratives and employee engagement; develop internal messages/toolkits and enable local activation with global alignment.
Measurement, Insights & Governance
- Define objectives, KPIs, and leading indicators; build/apply dashboards.
- Lead governance; manage budgets with fiscal discipline; oversee agency/external partner performance.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree + 14+ years’ experience OR Master’s degree + 12+ years’ relevant experience OR PhD + 12+ years’ relevant experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- In-house public affairs/corporate/external affairs experience in global pharmaceutical/biotech or other highly regulated healthcare.
- Experience leading reputation/communications/stakeholder engagement/issues in complex matrix environments.
- Ability to influence and drive action without direct authority; strong executive presence.
- Strong written/verbal communications; ability to develop executive/internal/external materials (statements, Q&As, briefings, leadership messages).
- Experience across global/regional/local markets including low-/lower-middle-income countries and/or complex access/public health environments.
- NGO/patient/advocacy/multilateral engagement experience; partnership/advocacy track record.
- Ability to anticipate challenges, navigate ambiguity, manage sensitive issues with diplomacy; operate effectively under pressure.
- Strong understanding of legal/regulatory/compliance/reputational considerations.
- Experience supporting geographically dispersed teams; travel ~30–40%.
People Leader Accountabilities
- Create Inclusion; Develop Talent; Empower Teams.
Benefits/Compensation (if applicable in posting)
- Salary range: $243,100.00–$314,600.00; may include discretionary annual bonus and stock-based long-term incentives; paid time off and benefits including company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
Application Instructions
- For current Gilead employees and contractors: apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.