Executive Director

We are looking for an Executive Director, Digital Communications, responsible for leading Gilead’s omnichannel digital strategy. You’ll not only be responsible for delivering best-in-class digital engagement within Public Affairs, but also transform the function into a modern, proactive, insight-led and future-ready team. In addition to being responsible for strategic planning, digital media expertise, content creation and team leadership, success in this role includes building the strategic capabilities, platforms and mindsets within the organization, and embedding them across people, processes and culture. This is an exciting opportunity to focus on building and evolving Gilead’s online presence and reputation. This role reports to the Vice-President, Corporate and Employee Communications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of a global digital communications strategy within Public Affairs, aligning with enterprise brand and business goals. Define the right mix of digital channels (e.g., websites, social media, intranet, email, emerging platforms) to engage external stakeholders and employees with high-quality, impactful storytelling.

• Oversee the full digital ecosystem for Public Affairs, including global websites, social media, digital customer engagement, and analytics, ensuring consistency, brand alignment, and innovation across platforms.

• Proactively advise and collaborate with content teams on data-driven strategies, providing insight into which stories and formats perform best across channels. Deliver real-time counsel on how to enhance corporate reputation in response to emerging opportunities or risks.

• Lead cross functional working groups meant to ideate, innovate and improve our content, strategies and approach across our digital channels. 

• Create a culture of accountability for digital at the organization. 

• Strengthen Gilead’s storytelling capabilities across the function, educating internal partners such as Media Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Employee Engagement and Environmental & Social Governance, on the unique value of each channel, while sourcing diverse content that reflects the voices and impact of our global operations.

• Establish and lead a digital-first stakeholder engagement calendar, aligned to enterprise milestones, business priorities, and external environmental factors.

• Launch and scale global-local digital models, including new country-level websites and social channels across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, with localized execution grounded in brand standards and innovation.

• Create governance frameworks and training programs that empower affiliate teams while ensuring alignment with global brand and reputational standards. Set clear roles, responsibilities, and benchmarks for digital excellence.

• Drive digital skill / capability-building across Public Affairs and various functions by improving understanding of audience insights, platform strengths, content trends, and cross-functional integration (e.g., with commercial and medical digital teams).

• Develop and implement a digital measurement framework, in partnership with the Strategy and Operations team, defining KPIs and success metrics for all platforms and campaigns. Use data insights to optimize strategies, report progress to senior leaders, and influence broader business decisions.

• Enhance agility around reputational issues and digital crises by establishingproactive monitoring tools, issue escalation protocols, and close coordination with Legal, Media Relations, Government Affairs and other key areas, for rapid response and brand protection.

• Identify and pilot emerging digital technologies, such as AI, personalization engines, chatbots, and automation, to improve content creation, engagement, and operational efficiency.

• Ensure the technical and user experience optimization of owned digital assets, including SEO, accessibility, mobile responsiveness, and intuitive navigation to maximize reach and inclusivity.

• Lead and develop a high-performing, global digital communications team, setting a clear vision, priorities, and culture of innovation. Design team structures, processes and documentation in a way that ensures continuity of work, institutional knowledge, a culture of continuous improvement and long-term team resilience. 

• Prioritize hiring, training and mentoring to ensure the team can be proactive and achieve the needs of tomorrow, holding the team accountable for continuous learning and evolution. 

• Manage resources and budget in a cost-effective manner, while allocating resources to areas that will build long-term capability and impact. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

This role requires deep subject-matter expertise. 

• Creating and executing a digital communications strategy, encompassing a digital vision and roadmap aligned to enterprise priorities, and ensuring digital communications integration across web, social, intranet, and emerging platforms.

• Understanding of the public policy, ESG, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy landscape and how it contributes to overall reputation.

• Stakeholder engagement and tailoring content for diverse audiences including employees, media, policymakers, and communities.

• Proficiency in managing high-risk digital crisis communications and reputational issues using digital tools and real-time escalation frameworks.

• Ability to leverage and understand analytics and metrics and how to define and interpret key digital performance indicators (KPIs), social listening tools, and campaign measurement.

• Content and channel optimization, including understanding of SEO, user experience, mobile-first design, and content performance across platforms.

• Familiarity with global digital governance frameworks, brand standards, and regulatory considerations in a healthcare / pharmaceutical environment.

• Awareness of emerging digital trends including AI content tools, automation, personalization engines, and global platform usage (e.g., WeChat).

• Experience managing and mentoring high-performing global teams, with a focus on capability-building and succession.

• Ability to align diverse internal stakeholders and influence at all levels, including without direct authority.

• Strong ability to modernize legacy processes, shift mindsets, and embed future-ready capabilities.

• Skill in rapidly assessing digital threats, and other crisis response issues, and responding with clarity, consistency, and brand protection.

• Proficiency in resource and budget management, aligning resources and spend with strategic priorities.

• Deep understanding of how to leverage major digital platforms (LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.) for both reach and reputation.

• Has a ‘systems thinking mindset’ andsees the big picture, understanding the role of digital within a broader business and reputation ecosystem.

• Action-oriented, moving with urgency and confidence, particularly in high-stakes or fast-changing environments.

• Flexible, thriving in ambiguity and rapidly evolving digital and geopolitical environments.

• Leads with cultural sensitivity across global markets; adapts content, tone, and platform strategy regionally.

• Has a high level of executive presence and communicates with impact at the senior-most levels and represents the company with credibility externally.

• Stays focused and composed through organizational change, ambiguity, and challenge.

• Has a growth mindset and continuously learns, adapts, and inspires a culture of innovation and experimentation.

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s Degree and 16+ years of experience, or

• Master’s Degree and 14+ years of experience, or

• 12+ years’ healthcare experience working in-house or in an agency in area of communications, preferred.

Location: Foster City, CA