Director, AI & Optimization

As Director, AI & Optimization, you will report to the Senior Director, Data Science – AI & Optimization. Based in either Parsippany, NJ or Foster City, CA, you will lead the AI build for commercial solutions, product roadmap for all in-house organic solutions such as patient journey, GABI, etc. and deployment of AI and Gen AI solutions across commercial functions.

This role is pivotal in leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies to drive impact in commercial functions such as marketing, sales, and strategy across G9 countries while ensuring alignment with regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act) and ethical standards. You will also establish responsible AI governance frameworks in accordance with Gilead AI principles at an enterprise level. You will also foster cross-functional collaboration to maximize business value and mitigate risk in a rapidly evolving landscape.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Gen AI product development, AI governance, and data science methodologies, particularly within the pharmaceutical commercial domain. You will coordinate across internal stakeholders (e.g., Enterprise Data Science Council, affiliates, functional teams) and external partners (e.g., academia, vendors), and will be responsible for articulating the business value of AI initiatives through compelling proposals and value assessments as part of a cross-functional team.

This is an individual contributor role, supported by a team of offshore data scientists. Occasional travel to global Gilead locations may be required.

Office Location: Foster City, CA or Parsippany, NJ

Key Responsibilities:

Gen AI strategy and solution development

• Lead the development of Gen AI and AI capabilities by bringing in sustainable methodologies

• Assist business owners with AI procurement (buy) initiatives alongside IT and lead technical feasibility discussions for commercial.

• Partner with other functions (GCO and business owners when different) to support the governance of AI and Tech integration of futuristic AI solutions.

• Pressure test explainability, sustainability, and roadmap for model evolution of external solutions.

• Manage and work with IT on choice of platform, and design for internally built solutions.

Cross-functional AI initiatives

• Work with EDSC to plan and develop cross-functional use cases and act as point of contact for commercial on AI policy and governance workstreams.

• Liaise with affiliates (US and ex-US) to understand the different AI requirements and help shape AI use cases, be the SME for AI use cases with all the affiliates and support by pressure testing build or buy from a data science standpoint.

• Partner with GDI and US teams in supporting AI rollouts and manage the sustainability of AI products.

• Bring in industry-wide best practices in DS and AI focusing on commercial use cases and work with EDSC on training and tools work streams.

• Lead the content for AI literacy as a member of the EDSC working group and assist in bridging commercial-specific content.

• Be a secondary point of contact for measurement and optimization solutions.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years, or Master’s degree with 10+ years, or PhD with 8+ years of relevant experience.

• Proven success in deploying Gen AI solutions in commercial settings.

• Experience scaling AI products and platforms from pilot to production.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to navigate the organization while simplifying the complexity in the AI space.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Background in AI governance, risk management or compliance within pharma or similar regulated industries.

• Familiarity with performance measurement frameworks and KPIs.

Technical Skills:

• Expertise in developing Gen AI (e.g., LLMs, GANs) products for insights & content generation.

• Proficiency with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Databricks).

• Experience with containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).

• Knowledge of AI-related regulatory frameworks (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, FDA, EU AI Act).

• Strong grasp of ML algorithms and tuning techniques.

• Working knowledge of BI tools (e.g., Tableau, QuickSight) and pharma data types (e.g., RWE, EMR, claims).

Non-technical skills:

• Recognized as a credible data science expert and partner to commercial and cross-functional teams.

• Skilled in enabling teams through tools, training, and mentorship.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Management experience influencing senior-level management and stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to deliver complex programs with measurable impact.

Competencies:

• Structured Problem Solving - Demonstrates the ability to bring clarity to complex challenges by applying structured thinking, guiding teams through ambiguity, and mobilizing resources to deliver timely and effective solutions.

• Collaborative Influence - Influences without direct authority by building trust, demonstrating subject matter expertise, and communicating with authenticity. Listens actively, adapts messaging to the audience, and uses data-driven persuasion to align stakeholders.

• Results Orientation - Maintains a strong focus on outcomes, consistently driving toward ambitious goals—even in the face of adversity. Takes ownership, makes informed decisions, and ensures accountability to move initiatives forward.

• Strategic - Anticipates evolving business needs and market dynamics. Translates vision into actionable plans, identifies growth opportunities, and adjusts priorities to align with long-term objectives.

• Measurement-Driven - Champions a culture of evidence-based decision-making. Designs and executes strategies with measurable impact, leveraging KPIs and analytics to track performance and optimize results.

• Enterprise Thinking – Advocates for decisions and actions that foster cross-functional collaboration and breaking down silos to drive unified outcomes. Encourages a big-picture perspective, long-term value creation, and a unified approach to business challenges, ensuring that decisions promote the overall health and success of the organization.