Senior Director, Gilead Patient Solutions Public Affairs

Overview

In this Senior Director role, you will lead integrated public affairs and advocacy for GPS across ~140 countries to improve patient access and health outcomes. You will partner with regional and functional leaders to align communications, NGO engagement, and stakeholder outreach with corporate priorities. The role involves managing reputation, issues, and crisis responses while positioning Gilead as a trusted global health partner. You will influence leadership decisions and shape cross-functional strategies with an enterprise-wide lens. The opportunity combines strategic impact, global scale, and the chance to advance patient-centered access to innovation.

Pay / Benefits

• discretionary annual bonus
• discretionary stock-based long-term incentives
• paid time off
• company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• opportunities for international travel
• competitive base salary

Responsibilities

• Lead public affairs strategy to support patient-centered access to innovation and align communications, advocacy, NGO engagement, and stakeholder outreach for GPS.
• Translate market insights into coordinated public affairs plans across markets and functions.
• Advise senior leadership with clear recommendations on internal and external matters.
• Coordinate with Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy, Government Affairs, Value & Access, Corporate Communications, Commercial, Medical, and others to align strategies.
• Ensure GPS strategies are globally informed and locally relevant across nearly 140 countries.
• Oversee external communications strategy to reinforce Gilead’s role in global health and ensure message discipline.
• Develop external storytelling, leadership visibility, and partnership milestones.
• Prepare leaders for external engagements, media, conferences, NGO meetings, and stakeholder forums.
• Engage with global NGOs, patient organizations, advocacy coalitions, and other external stakeholders.
• Build and sustain relationships with organizations advancing public health and patient support.
• Co-create education, engagement, and capacity-building initiatives with external partners.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement across markets for alignment with laws and standards.
• Identify and manage potential issues; implement governance and response frameworks.
• Embed reputation management into program design and monitor risk and sentiment.
• Develop internal communications to align GPS priorities with enterprise narratives and employee engagement.

Key requirements

• Extensive in-house public affairs or corporate communications experience in global pharma/biotech or highly regulated healthcare.
• Proven ability to lead reputation, stakeholder engagement, and issues management in complex, matrixed environments.
• Strong influence without direct authority; ability to align functions, regions, and groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communications; experience with executive and stakeholder materials.
• Experience across global, regional, and local markets including low- and lower-middle-income countries.
• Track record with NGOs, patient organizations, advocacy groups, or public health coalitions.
• Ability to anticipate challenges, navigate ambiguity, and provide sound recommendations.
• Executive presence with diplomacy and credibility; manage sensitive issues under pressure.
• Knowledge of legal, regulatory, compliance, and reputational considerations in pharma communications.
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed teams and multi-time zone priorities.
• Willingness to travel approximately 30–40%.

• strategic thinking
• influence and diplomacy
• collaboration across functions
• public affairs strategy
• stakeholder engagement
• issues management

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