Vice President, Federal Government Affairs

Gilead Sciences

United States - District of Columbia - Washington Onsite Corporate Affairs Group

About this role

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

The Vice President, Federal Government Affairs serves as the enterprise leader for Gilead’s engagement with the U.S. federal government, responsible for shaping and advancing Gilead’s federal engagement and advocacy strategies and ensuring alignment with corporate priorities across innovation, access and public health.

This leader translates complex legislative and regulatory dynamics into clear strategic direction, informing enterprise decision-making, risk management, and business planning. The VP serves as the company's principal strategist regarding and critical representative to Congress, the Administration, and federal agencies, advancing Gilead's priorities through trusted, bipartisan engagement and ensuring the company maintains credibility and influence across changing political and policy environments.

As a member of the Government Affairs Leadership Team – reporting to the SVP, Global Government Affairs – this role contributes to enterprise-wide strategy, alignment, and execution, and acts as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on federal policy risks, opportunities, and stakeholder engagement.

Key responsibilities include:

Executive Leadership and Strategic Counsel

Advise senior leadership on federal legislative and regulatory risks and opportunities and their implications for enterprise strategy.

Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, SVP Government Affairs, and executive team on federal policy dynamics and stakeholder engagement.

Contribute to enterprise-level Government Affairs strategy, alignment, and execution.

Prepare briefing materials and guide executive engagement with policymakers, industry trade associations and other stakeholders.

Federal Policy Strategy and Advocacy

Develop and execute an integrated, comprehensive federal government affairs strategy aligned with Gilead’s corporate priorities and values, including innovation, access, affordability, and global health leadership.

Develop and sustain trusted, bipartisan relationships across Congress and the Administration to advance Gilead's policy priorities and strengthen the company's long-term influence and reputation.

Shape and influence policy outcomes through direct engagement with Congress, the Administration, federal agencies, and key policy stakeholders across both political parties.

Build support for Gilead positions by engaging coalitions of aligned organizations.

Position the company as a credible, science-driven partner in policy discussions.

Anticipate and respond to evolving legislative, regulatory, and political dynamics impacting the biopharmaceutical sector.

Advocate for policies that support biomedical innovation, equitable patient access, and strong public health infrastructure, and position Gilead as a trusted thought leader on critical health policy issues.

Enterprise Integration and Business Impact

Translate policy developments into actionable insights for business leaders and cross-functional partners.

Partner cross-functionally to align policy priorities with business objectives and to maximize the impact of our advocacy.

Ensure coordination across federal, state and international Government Affairs strategies.

External Engagement and Industry Leadership

Build and maintain strong bipartisan relationships with Members of Congress, congressional staff, Administration officials, and federal agency leaders, ensuring Gilead is viewed as a trusted and credible partner regardless of changes in political leadership.

Lead Gilead’s engagement with key industry trade associations, including PhRMA and BIO, to align advocacy strategies, shape industry positions, and amplify impact.

Develop and execute engagement plans for GA team and senior executives.

Team and Operational Leadership

Lead the Federal Government Affairs team, fostering a high-performance and inclusive culture.

Oversee external consultants, lobbyists, and advisors to ensure alignment with company and industry priorities.

Manage the Gilead Political Action Committee.

Ensure compliance with all lobbying, ethics, and political activity requirements.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a forward-looking government affairs leader who combines strategic vision with disciplined execution, anticipating political, legislative, and regulatory developments multiple years ahead and translating them into proactive advocacy strategies that advance business objectives. They bring the credibility, relationships, and political acumen to engage effectively across both parties, Congress, the Administration, and federal agencies, while building long-term champions and coalitions that strengthen Gilead's influence over time. Successful candidates will have demonstrated the ability to maintain trust, relevance, and effectiveness across political transitions and changing governing priorities.

Equally important, this leader is a strong people manager who thrives in a fast-moving environment, effectively prioritizing competing demands, delegating responsibility, and developing high-performing teams. They are action-oriented, agile in navigating shifting political dynamics, and skilled at converting complex challenges into clear direction, timely decisions, and measurable outcomes.

Qualified candidates will bring the following experience and expertise:

15+ years of progressive leadership experience in federal government affairs, public policy, or related fields.

Significant experience in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare sector strongly preferred.

Proven success shaping federal legislative or regulatory outcomes, with established relationships across Congress, the Executive Branch, federal agencies, and key industry associations.

Deep understanding of U.S. healthcare policy, legislative, regulatory, and appropriations processes.

Demonstrated success building and maintaining bipartisan relationships and advancing policy objectives across multiple administrations and congressional leadership cycles.

Deep ability to translate complex policy environments into clear, actionable guidance for senior leadership.

Strong enterprise mindset with the ability to influence across a highly matrixed organization.

Executive presence and sound judgment, with experience advising senior leaders.

Strong leadership skills with experience managing high-performing teams and managing external partners.

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level briefing and message development.

Passion for advancing scientific innovation and improving patient outcomes and an unwavering commitment to integrity, compliance, and ethical engagement.

In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:
Setting Strategy

The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization, not only for the areas they are directly responsible for, but the enterprise as a whole.

The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization's overall strategy.

An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.