Postdoctoral Scientist – Drug Delivery

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 Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing organization at Gilead Sciences is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scientist to advance the science of parenteral drug delivery and long-acting injectable (LAI) depot formation. The role will focus on an experimental understanding and modeling of formulation-tissue interactions and the mechanisms that drive release, pharmacokinetics, and drug depot formation across small and large molecule modalities.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute an independent research program focused on depot formation and parenteral drug delivery design space (controlled-release solutions, controlled-release suspensions, and immediate-release parenterals).
• Develop and apply experimental and computational approaches (ex vivo, in vivo, and in silico) to characterize depot structure, chemistry, and evolution over time.
• Lead and execute projects on the biomechanics of drug delivery utilizing Gilead-specific formulations and drug delivery systems.
• Build and validate advanced modeling approaches (e.g., AI/ML and/or mechanistic models such as PBPK) to help understand and predict pharmacokinetics and variability.
• Design and help lead nonclinical in vivo studies (acute to chronic) to evaluate depot-tissue interactions, including local tolerability and tissue response.
• Synthesize findings into clear technical narratives through publications, presentations, and internal white papers that inform formulation and delivery-system strategy.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with formulation, analytical, nonclinical, device/combination-product, and modeling partners to translate insights into development impact.
  

This work is expected to generate novel insights that influence Gilead’s formulation and delivery-system development approach. Deliverables may include peer-reviewed publications (e.g., a review on challenges/opportunities in LAI depot formation), fit-for-purpose models and methods that can be integrated into development workflows, and technical recommendations that support future platform and program decisions. The position is a 2-year term in a highly collaborative environment with access to world-class facilities and expertise across multiple functional areas.

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD (completed by start date) in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, or a related life science field.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to design and execute rigorous experiments and interpret complex datasets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including scientific writing.
• Evidence of scientific productivity (e.g., at least one first-author paper published or accepted in a peer-reviewed journal).
• Hands-on experience in drug delivery, medical devices, controlled release, depot-forming systems, and/or parenteral formulation development.
• Experience with in vivo study design/execution and analysis relevant to local tissue response and/or pharmacokinetics.
• Experience with computational modeling (e.g., PBPK), statistics, and/or AI/ML applied to biological or pharmaceutical datasets.
• Demonstrated success working in multidisciplinary teams and influencing across functions.
• Strong critical thinking, prioritization, and execution skills in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

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, organizational objectives and holding to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem.