Associate Director - IT Architecture

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
 

Job Description

Overview

Gilead Sciences is a research driven biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering lifesaving therapies to patients worldwide. Our teams work collaboratively to advance scientific innovation, accelerate access, and improve health outcomes across major therapeutic areas, including HIV/AIDS, liver diseases, oncology, inflammation, respiratory disease, and cardiovascular conditions.

As part of Gilead’s global technology and security organization, the Associate Director – Security Architecture, Risk & Compliance (SRC) works closely with cross functional IT teams ensuring solutions are aligned with Gilead Security Standards.

We are pleased to share that Gilead’s Stockley Park and Holborn offices are planning to come together at a new London headquarters at 1 Triton Square, NW1, from approximately Q2 2027. Applicants should consider this planned location change when applying for this role. Gilead operates a flexible working policy, offering a balanced approach with two days of remote working and three days working onsite

Role Summary

The Associate Director, Security Architecture, Information Technology Risk & Compliance (SRC), collaborates closely with Information Security, Risk & Compliance leadership, IT Business Engagement, Enterprise Security Architecture, Infrastructure Engineering, Application Development teams, business stakeholders, and Legal and Compliance departments across all regions. This role ensures that projects are designed, developed, and implemented in accordance with established security policies, standards, risk management requirements, and compliance obligations

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Understand, advocate, and influence alignment with business and IT strategy, ensuring security architecture supports enterprise objectives

• Analyze business context, trends, and strategic drivers to translate requirements into appropriate technical architectures, security strategies, and multi-year roadmaps

• Lead requirements gathering, documentation, and traceability for strategic initiatives ensuring alignment between business needs, technical design, and regulatory/compliance requirements

• Serve as the primary SRC representative and interface for assigned initiatives, including participation in cross-functional program forums (e.g., PM calls), to ensure alignment and continuity across architecture, development, and delivery activities

• Partner with development, testing, and operations teams to support the end-to-end solution lifecycle, including design validation, implementation support, process documentation, training, and rollout of security and procurement-related capabilities

• Act as a key liaison with Legal, Compliance and Procurement stakeholders to ensure systems, processes, and tools align with regulatory obligations and evolving policy requirements

• Research emerging security technologies and industry trends to support continuous security enhancement and innovation efforts

• Analyze the current technology environment to identify critical deficiencies, risks, and improvement opportunities, and recommend pragmatic solutions

• Lead and facilitate the evaluation, selection, and standardization of security technologies, including defining implementation patterns and best practices

• Consult on solution architecture for in-scope initiatives to ensure compliance with security architecture standards and enterprise guardrails

• Participate in security incident investigations as needed, providing architectural guidance and root cause insight

• Support internal and external audits, penetration testing, and vulnerability assessments by contributing to responses and recommending risk mitigation actions

• Assist in developing, formalizing, and maintaining security policies, procedures, and technical standards, and support monitoring and enforcement of compliance

REQUIRED SKILLS & JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Architecture & Technical Expertise

• Strong, track record of designing secure architectures for complex solutions and an ability to deliver results through partnering with stakeholders in IT and the business

• Solid understanding of "Cloud Architectures" (e.g., SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) and the ability to address the unique considerations of secure Cloud computing (including effective monitoring)

• Strong experience with mid/large global enterprises with large geographical topologies

• Working knowledge of IT processes (i.e., ITIL) including incident, problem, defect, change and release management

Security Knowledge & Standards

• Broad understanding of security domains including governance, risk management, audit and monitoring, cryptography, data protection, network security, vulnerability management, and incident response

• Experience aligning technical solutions with regulatory and compliance requirements, including working with Legal, Compliance, and Procurement functions

• Strong Knowledge of IS and Privacy Frameworks/standards such as SSAE16 Type II, Safe Harbor, ISO/IEC 2700x series, NIST 800-53, COBIT, HITRUST, HIPAA, PCI etc.

Strategy & Vision

• Ability to translate business strategy, regulatory requirements, and risk posture into actionable security architectures, roadmaps, and multi-year plans

• Experience driving end-to-end solution lifecycle execution, including architecture, design validation, implementation support, testing, and operational rollout

• Ability to identify gaps, risks, and deficiencies in the current environment and develop pragmatic, prioritized remediation strategies

Communication & Leadership Skills

• Exceptional interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation and negotiation along with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and influence technology decisions at all levels (from senior IT and business management & leaders to technical contributors & staff)

• Strong verbal and written communication skills

• Skilled at translating complex technical concepts into business-relevant outcomes and decisions 

• Ability to document processes, architectures, and requirements in a structured, consumable manner

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, MIS, CS or other IT related major

• 10 or more years of experience in IT security, privacy and risk management domains

• Information Security Certifications (CISSP, etc.) or other related security certifications

Additional Preferred Skills

• Prior working experience in a pharmaceutical company is a big plus

• Highly organized, results-oriented and attentive to details, self-motivated, proactive, independent and responsive – requires little supervisory attention

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

It is the policy of Gilead Sciences, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively "Gilead" or the "Company") to recruit select and employ the most qualified persons available for positions throughout the Company.  Except if otherwise provided by applicable law, all  employment actions relating to issues such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, returns from layoffs, company-sponsored training, education assistance, social and recreational programs are administered on a non-discriminatory basis (i.e. without regard to protected characteristics or prohibited grounds, which may include an individual’s gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, veteran status, and age, unless such protection is prohibited by federal, state, municipal, provincial, local or other applicable laws).  Gilead also prohibits discrimination based on any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.