Job Description

Head of Technical Development Data & Digital Team (Senior Director)

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join the Technical Development Strategy and Operations team as Senior Director of Data & Digital Team. The successful candidate will lead the digital strategy, implementation roadmap, and cross-functional coordination to transform processes through innovative digital solutions. Candidate will also lead the team that supports existing in silico tools, will oversee implementation of emerging technologies (including AI), and champion data-driven, digitally empowered ways of working. The Head of The Data & Digital team will report to the Executive Director of Technical Development Strategy and Operations and partner closely with Technical Development leadership, IT, Manufacturing, CMC Regulatory and the broader Gilead digital ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy and Roadmap Development

• Continuously refine a Technical Development Digital Enablement roadmap aligned to organizational priorities and enterprise platforms.

• Translate Technical Development-specific digital needs into business cases for enterprise-level investments.

• Lead the business case development and ROI analysis for new digital investments, effectively communicating trade-offs between speed, cost, and scope to leadership.

Program Delivery and Vendor Coordination

• In partnership with IT, identify, evaluate, and create strategic partnerships with established and emerging technology providers to bring cutting-edge solutions and expertise into the organization

• In partnership with key stakeholders, drive digital pilots and implementations

• Foster relationships with internal partners (e.g., IT, CMC RA) and external vendors

Innovation, Change Leadership, and Continuous Improvement

• Articulate a compelling vision for digital transformation within Technical Development

• Leverage data science AI models to transform the ways of working and accelerate development

• Drive strategic data-centric solutions to enable drug development

• Scan the digital landscape for emerging tools applicable to small molecule and biologics development.

• Lead change management, including upskilling, communication planning, and user adoption.

• Partner with broader Technical Development community to identify areas where digital can remove friction or enable leapfrog innovation.

Collaboration and Influence

• Serve as a bridge between Technical Development and PDM digital governance groups. Represent Technical Development in PDM digital steering committees and structured content working groups.

• Align efforts with data governance, structured data initiatives, and broader PDM digital programs.

Leadership & People Development:

• Create a collaborative and inclusive work environment, promoting teamwork and effective communication

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of data scientists

Basic Qualifications:

• BA/BS and 14+ years of relevant experience; OR

• MA/MS or PhD/PharmD and 12+ years of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Additional training or certification in data science, informatics or digital transformation preferred.

• At least 5 years in leadership role managing teams across informatics, data science, or digital technologies applied to R&D or technical operation

• Proven experience integrating data and digital tools into R&D workflows (for example PAT, lab informatics, digital twins, AI/ML for process optimization or predictive quality)

Technical & Strategic Skills:

• Demonstrated enterprise mindset with ability to align Technical Development needs to enterprise platforms and solutions, ensuring scalability, interoperability, and long-term business value.

• Proven success leading digital initiatives from strategy through implementation.

• Established data acumen, understanding of advanced analytics, data architecture, and data engineering

• Strong AI fluency with experience deploying both everyday AI tools for general use and custom AI and digital solutions in a technical environment

• Knowledge of data governance principles, systems integrations, and metadata management is a plus.

Leadership & Soft Skills:

• Visionary leader who can define and execute a digital and data strategy for technical development

• Excellent collaborator with scientists, engineers, IT, manufacturing and others

• Change agent with the ability to inspire adoption and build digital fluency across teams

• Track record of building and managing high-performing, multidisciplinary teams

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.