Vice President, Head of Audit & Risk Management
Gilead Sciences · United States, California, Foster City
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
Reporting administratively to Andy Dickinson, Chief Financial Officer, and with direct access to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, the Vice President, Head of Audit & Risk Management will lead Gilead’s global Internal Audit, enterprise risk management and business continuity functions. This executive will provide independent and objective assurance regarding the effectiveness of the company’s governance, risk management, internal controls and business processes, while also leading the company’s enterprise-wide risk management and business continuity frameworks. The role will serve as a trusted advisor to the Audit Committee, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and senior leadership team, providing clear perspectives on Gilead’s most significant and emerging risks and helping ensure that risk considerations are appropriately incorporated into enterprise decision-making.
Leading an established global organization, the Vice President, Head of Audit & Risk Management will have the opportunity to shape the next evolution of the function. Gilead has built a strong foundation and has begun investing in new technologies and approaches to enhance audit effectiveness. The next leader will build on this progress, bringing a forward-looking perspective on how technology, data, automation and artificial intelligence can enable more continuous and predictive approaches to audit and risk management.
This executive will lead a risk-based audit strategy spanning Gilead’s global operations and evolving risk landscape, including financial, operational, commercial, compliance, technology, cybersecurity, supply chain and manufacturing-related risks. In parallel, the role will lead Gilead’s broader enterprise risk management and governance framework, providing senior leadership and the Audit Committee with an integrated and forward-looking perspective on the company’s most significant and emerging risks. As Gilead continues to transform, including through the increasing adoption of AI and other emerging technologies, this leader will ensure that the company’s audit coverage, risk governance and control environment evolve alongside the business.
The Vice President, Head of Audit & Risk Management will operate with the independence required of the Internal Audit function while developing strong and constructive relationships throughout Gilead. This individual will communicate regularly with the Audit Committee and will have the credibility and executive presence to engage directly with Gilead’s CEO and senior leadership team, ensuring that significant risks and issues are surfaced early and communicated at the appropriate level of depth.
This role will be based at Gilead’s headquarters in Foster City, California, and will include travel to Gilead’s affiliates and operations globally.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Internal Audit & Assurance
- Develop and execute a comprehensive, risk-based Internal Audit strategy aligned with Gilead’s strategic priorities, operating environment and evolving enterprise risk profile.
- Lead the annual audit planning and risk assessment process, maintaining the flexibility to adjust audit priorities as business conditions and emerging risks evolve.
- Provide independent assurance across financial, operational, commercial, compliance and technology-related risks and controls, including areas such as cybersecurity, data, supply chain and manufacturing.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of governance, risk management, internal controls and key business processes and provide practical, actionable recommendations that strengthen the organization while enabling the business.
- Oversee the execution and quality of audits across Gilead’s global operations and affiliates and ensure significant findings and remediation plans are appropriately tracked and communicated.
- Maintain appropriate coordination with external auditors and other assurance and compliance functions to ensure effective coverage of enterprise risks and minimize unnecessary duplication.
Enterprise Risk Management & Risk Governance
- Lead Gilead’s enterprise risk management framework and associated governance processes, ensuring a comprehensive and forward-looking view of the company’s principal and emerging risks, including cybersecurity, AI and other rapidly evolving areas of enterprise risk.
- Facilitate enterprise risk identification and assessment across the organization, partnering with senior leaders and risk owners to evaluate risk exposure, mitigation strategies and changes in the business and external environment.
- Provide an integrated view of enterprise risk to senior management and the Audit Committee, identifying themes, interdependencies and emerging issues that warrant leadership attention.
- Continue evolving the company’s risk management approach toward more dynamic and continuous risk monitoring, leveraging data and technology to identify changes in risk indicators earlier.
Audit & Risk Transformation
- Set the vision and roadmap for the continued modernization of Internal Audit and risk management, building on the organization’s existing foundation while identifying opportunities to adopt leading practices.
- Accelerate the use of technology, data analytics, automation and AI across the audit lifecycle, including risk assessment, planning, testing, monitoring and reporting.
- Partner with technology, cybersecurity and business leaders as Gilead expands its use of AI and other emerging technologies, ensuring that related risks, governance and controls are appropriately incorporated into the company’s audit and enterprise risk frameworks.
Business Continuity Management (BCM)
Business Continuity Management (BCM) lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of the overarching Business Continuity Management framework, policies, and resilience strategies.
Responsibilities include:
- Business Impact Analysis (BIA): Lead organization-wide BIAs to identify critical business processes, operational dependencies, and recovery time/point objectives.
- Plan Development: Oversee the creation and regular updating of Business Continuity Plans (BCP) and technical Disaster Recovery (DR) strategies in partnership with IT and department heads.
- Testing & Simulation: Design and facilitate tabletop exercises, functional drills, and full-scale disaster simulations to validate readiness and uncover gaps.
Executive & Audit Committee Partnership
- Serve as a principal advisor to the Audit Committee on Internal Audit and enterprise risk management matters, providing clear, independent perspectives on significant risks, audit findings, control matters and remediation progress.
- Maintain direct and effective communication with the Audit Committee and ens