Director, Medicinal Chemistry, ADC Group Leader

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
 

At Gilead our pursuit of a healthier world for all people has yielded a cure for hepatitis C, revolutionary improvements in HIV treatment and prevention as well as advancements in therapies for viral and inflammatory diseases and certain cancers. 

We set and achieve bold ambitions in our fight against the world’s most devastating diseases, united in our commitment to confronting the largest public health challenges of our day and improving the lives of patients for generations to come.  As a Director, Medicinal Chemistry, ADC Group Leader at Gilead you will have the following responsibilities:

Program and Scientific Leadership  

• Serve as the chemistry/bioconjugation leader for one or more ADC programs, driving strategy from early concept through lead selection and development candidate nomination, with attention to developability and differentiation.  

• Define and drive small-molecule design strategy for ADC payloads and linkers, including mechanism-of-action alignment, stability/cleavage concepts, and property optimization to enable effective delivery via antibody conjugation.  

• Propose innovative solutions that address programmatic or platform based needs. 

• Translate complex data packages (chemistry, analytical, biology, DMPK) into clear recommendations and decisions for cross-functional teams and governance forums.  

Project Ideation & Portfolio Contribution 

• Identify and propose new opportunities from internal science and the external landscape; develop program proposals and present at scientific review meetings.  

• Maintain broad awareness of latest technologies, external platforms, and assets of interest and collaborate with Corporate Development on diligence efforts to evaluate and provide recommendations on these opportunities.   

Bioconjugation Chemistry & Cross-Functional Execution 

• Lead or coordinate the design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of ADC-related intermediates and protein conjugates using established and innovative conjugation methodologies. 

• Partner closely with protein therapeutics and DMPK colleagues to ensure conjugate quality and interpretability of key data (e.g., conjugation profile, DAR-related metrics, stability and release kinetics).  

Group Leadership  

• Lead, mentor, and develop scientists and teams; set a high bar for experimental design, data quality, and timely delivery; create an environment of scientific rigor and collaborative problem-solving. 

• Provide technical coaching and training in ADC and bioconjugation techniques and best practices across the group.  

Communication 

• Communicate clearly and effectively across functions and levels; present scientific strategy and results at team, department, and governance meetings, and with external collaborators where appropriate 

Required Qualifications 

• Ph.D. (+8 years) in organic chemistry, or equivalent discipline with an emphasis in ADC, medicinal chemistry and bioconjugation applications OR

• Master's (+10 years) in organic chemistry, or equivalent discipline wit