Director, US Medical Affairs Strategy & Operations

Kite Medical Affairs Strategy and Operations function is responsible for driving operational excellence and medical effectiveness. This is achieved by working collaboratively within medical affairs and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders not limited to commercial, development, regional teams, and Gilead operational teams. Medical affairs Operations ensure the appropriate systems, tools and processes are in place to support and enhance Kite medical affairs business effectiveness.

The Medical Affairs Operations and Strategy Lead will serve as an instrumental partner and operational expert to support the successful execution of the US Medical Affairs strategy. This role involves overseeing cross-functional projects, optimizing processes, and ensuring alignment between the organization’s medical, clinical, and cross functional objectives. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Medical Affairs, operational excellence, and leadership, with the ability to drive innovative strategies and execute them with precision.

Position will be filled in Foster City, CA, El Segundo, CA, Thousand Oaks, CA, or Parsippany, NJ.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Planning and Leadership:

  • Partner with senior leaders to develop and execute the Medical Affairs strategy in alignment with organizational objectives.

  • Lead the US annual planning process, including budget development, resource allocation, and goal setting.

  • Monitor and assess industry trends to anticipate challenges and opportunities for the Medical Affairs function.

• Governance and Operational Excellence:

  • Drive operational efficiency by streamlining processes, workflows, and systems within Medical Affairs.

  • Enhance and oversee metrics and KPIs to track performance, ensuring continuous improvement

  • Develop and maintain US governance frameworks to support compliance, quality, and risk management.

  • Support the Medical Affairs system and technology roadmap to support 3 year business objectives of Medical Affairs

  • Support the assessment of future technologies for the department and helps direct departmental implementation of new technologies

  • Partner with IT to ensure project goals are in line with global business plans of action and project plans are tracked.

  • Partner with Finance to ensure US projects are managed with fiscal discipline and track to budget.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Serve as a key liaison between Medical Affairs and other functions (Commercial, Development, Manufacturing, etc) to ensure alignment and coordination.

  • Facilitate effective communication and information sharing to drive seamless execution of medical strategies.

• Program and Project Management:

  • Oversee the implementation of strategic initiatives, ensuring delivery on time and within scope.

  • Manage cross-functional project teams to execute high-impact projects that support Medical Affairs priorities.

  • Enhancing dashboards and reporting systems to track the progress of key initiatives

• Business Insights and Analytics Support:

  • Work with commercial operations to leverage data and analytics to generate actionable insights that inform medical and business strategies

  • Lead the country insight gathering process for roll up to global medical affairs including advisory boards

• Key Leader on the US Medical Affairs leadership team:

  • Ensures with head of USMA --  a high-performing team to deliver operational and strategic excellence.

  • Embodies & Fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability within Medical Affairs.

  • Ensures effective & measurable outcomes for USMA team.

Basic Qualifications

Advanced scientific degree (i.e. MD, PharmD, PhD) and 8+ years of biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience

OR

Master’s Degree and 10+ years of biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience

OR

Bachelor’s Degree and 12+ years of biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience

OR

High School Degree and 16+ years of biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep Understanding of Medical Affairs business needs and requirements to identify best-in-class solutions

• Demonstrated success in developing effective creative solutions to complex problems

• Demonstrated excellence in managing highly complex multiple projects simultaneously

• Demonstrated success in establishing effective working relationships with a diverse range of internal and external key stakeholders

• Strong attention to detail, excellent project management and problem-solving skills, and thinks creatively

• Able to work under limited direction

• 5+ years in medical affairs or leading project delivery role in pharma 

• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to work with medical and/or scientific teams

• Ability to independently lead and prioritize multiple projects and priorities simultaneously and function in a fast-paced environment

• Work effectively both independently and as part of a team

• Ability to learn quickly and comprehensively about new subject areas and environments

• Self-motivation, flexibility, resourcefulness, and problem-solving capabilities

• Passion for science

• Outstanding Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and MS Project

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. 

The salary range for this position is:

Kite 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:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

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