Sr Director, Media Strategy

Job Description

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.

Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.

Job Description

About the Role:
At Gilead, Media Excellence is a strategic driver of digital transformation and customer engagement. As Senior Director, Media Excellence, you will lead the development and execution of Gilead’s U.S. Commercial media strategy—ensuring it is future-ready, data-driven, and aligned with business objectives. Leading the enterprise media strategy will include agency and strategic partner management. This role is pivotal in strengthening the connection between science, storytelling, and patient engagement while advancing health equity and delivering superior experiences across the patient and HCP journey.
You will oversee media strategy, governance, and innovation within the Digital, Media & Experience Strategy team and lead a high-performing team of channel experts across programmatic, social, search, and audience management. Your leadership will foster collaboration with cross-functional teams, agencies, and media/data partners to ensure Gilead’s media investments deliver measurable business impact.

Key Responsibilities

· Define and evolve Gilead’s enterprise media strategy, embedding innovation, digital-first mindset and alignment with business goals.

· Establish best-in-class standards for planning, buying, measurement and optimization across all media channels.

· Build and nurture strategic partnerships with U.S. brand teams and digital strategists to deliver world-class media capabilities through your team and agency partners.

· Oversee the creation and continuous refinement of media plans, measurement frameworks, and optimization strategies to maximize performance and ROI.

· Manage and optimize media agency relationships, ensuring timely, compliant delivery of milestones, proper staffing, and high-quality strategic recommendations and execution.

· Act as the subject matter expert on media best practices, processes, and systems, driving continuous improvement in paid media quality and operational excellence.

· Oversight of strategic media vendor partnerships across the enterprise

· Implement data-driven planning and execution: Via novel data sets inclusive of first-party data to future-proof audience strategies for greater engagement and impact, utilizing platforms such as LiveRamp and Salesforce for advanced targeting and dynamic personalization.

· Champion new ways of working and pilots that advance new media capabilities in the ever changing space of media and AI.

· Collaborate on the enterprise media measurement strategy, establishing unified KPIs and frameworks for cross-channel performance reporting, MMM, and MTA.

· Drive media literacy and upskilling through the Digital Academy curriculum, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.

Leadership Responsibilities

· Guide and develop a high-performing team of channel experts across programmatic, social, search, and measurement disciplines.

· Influence and collaborate effectively with stakeholders across the Commercial Organization to align on objectives and drive impact.

· Foster a team culture that emphasizes collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and high performance.

· Develop and guide improved ways of working amongst cross-functional stakeholders and agency partners

Preferred Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive experience in media strategy, digital marketing, or marketing operations; pharma or regulated industries a plus.

• 3-5+ years of proven people manager and leadership experience
• Proven leadership in managing agencies, cross-functional teams, and complex stakeholder environments.

• Expertise in data-driven marketing, emerging technology platforms, and AI-enabled media planning.

• Strong strategic thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to translate insights into business impact.

• Media agency experience a plus, along with experience across industries including Pharma
• Experience with large to small investment levels, inclusive of broad reach channels and precision targeting

What Success Looks Like

· A future-ready media ecosystem leveraging AI, first-party data, and advanced analytics for precision and impact.

· Media investments consistently deliver measurable business growth and improved engagement, tied to business objectives and supporting the needs of the brand teams.

· Gilead is recognized as a leader in media innovation and responsible practices.

· A high-performing team collaborative culture that drives continuous improvement and industry leadership.

The salary range for this position is:

Bay Area: $261,375.00 - $338,250.00.

Other US Locations: $237,575.00 - $307,450.00.

Gilead considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans*.

For additional benefits information, visit:

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

For jobs in the United States:

Gilead Sciences Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex , age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact [email protected] for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

Gilead Sciences will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.

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Gilead provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.