Gilead Sciences, Inc. Posted September 8, 2026

Director, Executive Protection - Foster City, CA

Foster City, United States Full time
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Gilead Sciences, Inc. is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

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

As a Director, Executive Protection, at Gilead you will...

Support the operational execution of Gilead’s Executive Protection Program, providing close protection and security support to senior executives globally. This role leads planning and implementation of executive protection strategies by utilizing protective intelligence assets and briefings to identify and mitigate threats. This role serves as a trusted advisor during executive travel, high-profile events, and crisis situations, ensuring the protection of employees, facilities, physical assets, and sensitive information across a complex, highly regulated global environment. This position reports to the Head of Executive Protection, within the CFO organization and is based in Foster City, CA.

Key Responsibilities:

Security Advances and Risk Assessments - Conduct advances for travel, work, and residential security needs, including threat and vulnerability risk assessments at airports, hotels, and other assigned venues.

Briefings - Provide travel safety and security briefings to executives and flight crews, including those traveling abroad to high-risk locations.

Coordination - Conduct special services designated by the Sr. Director – Executive Protection, such as Annual Stockholder Meetings, Board Meetings, conferences, and other high-profile events.

Collaboration – Develop and maintain working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including cross-functional communication with legal, HR, corporate communications, and corporate security leadership. Liaise with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, as needed.

Vendor Relationships - Provide oversight and coordination of third-party service providers to mitigate security risks and vulnerabilities of offices, executive residences, vehicles, transportation routes, and event venues, as needed.

Intelligence - Conduct intelligence reviews and pre-trip analysis, monitor local and geopolitical threats, integrate with Corporate Security GSOC and intelligence teams.

Travel – This role requires flexibility to support executives on short notice, both domestically and internationally, to include irregular hours.

Continual Improvement - Identify and assist in developing and implementing procedures and processes; promoting a consistent and effective approach to the security and protection of Gilead’s people, assets, property, and information.

Leadership Competencies - Owns operational delivery of assigned protection missions by displaying effective leadership qualities including executive presence, high-pressure decision-making, and always using confidentiality, discretion, and good judgement.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree and Twelve Years' Experience

OR

Masters' Degree and Ten Years' Experience

OR

PhD and Eight Years' Experience

Preferred Qualifications:

12+ years of law enforcement experience, former federal agency or protection experience preferred (Secret Service, State Department, FBI)

H.R. 218 – Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) credentials

Ability to obtain a Federal Air Marshal Service ASO certification

Hold a valid passport and be able to travel internationally while meeting the company’s travel requirements (approximately 30%)

Possess a valid driver’s license and the ability to safely operate motor vehicles

Experience working in a corporate security team environment

Experience   and   proficiency   in scheduling,   logistics,   personnel   management,   and   use/performance   metrics

International   security-related   professional   experience

Comfortable   interacting with senior   level   executives, board   members, and government   representatives

Familiarity   with   EP   technology   to   include   mobile   security   apps,   secure   communications,   and   tracking tools

Excellent   planning   and   analytical   skills

Ability   to   work   within   a   team   environment   as   well   as   individually,   and   able   to   work   long   hours   including   occasional weekends   and   holidays

Experienced people leader with a track record of leading high performing teams

Experience   in   building   or   being   a   member   of   a   new   security   program

Self-directed,   be   able   to adapt   to changing priorities, meet   deadlines, and work   with minimal   guidance

Experience   in   event   security   management   and   working   with   vendor   partners

Demonstrated   strong   decision-making   in   both   crisis   and   non-crisis   situations

Proven   record   of   successfully   collaborating   with   internal   and   external   stakeholders

People Leader Accountabilities :

•Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the way they manage their teams.

•Develop Talent - understand the skills, experience, aspirations and potential of their employees and coach them   on   current performance and future potential. They ensure employees are receiving   the feedback   and insight needed to grow, develop and realize their purpose.

•Empower Teams - connect the team to the organization by aligning goals, purpose, and organizational objectives, and holding them to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem.

The salary range for this position is: $210,375.00 - $272,250.00. Gilead considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans*.

For additional benefits information, visit:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

For jobs in the United States:

Gilead Sciences Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex , age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact ApplicantAccommodations@gilead.com  for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the  'Know Your Rights' poster.

NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT

YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

Gilead Sciences will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the  legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.

Our environment respects individual differences and recognizes each employee as an integral member of our company. Our workforce reflects these values and celebrates the individuals who make up our growing team.

Gilead provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.

Job details

Seniority
Director
Function
Facilities & Administration
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Foster City, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Facilities & Administration role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 5 comparable Director Facilities & Administration roles across 4 biopharma companies.

5Comparable roles tracked
5Currently active
4Companies hiring similar roles
2Countries represented

Salary context

4 of 5 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $210,375/yr – $272,250/yr
Lowest disclosed · Director R&D EHS Program Lead · Pfizer $176,600/yr – $294,300/yr
Peer group range $235,450 – $270,700 (median $242,731)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 5 comparable roles

United States4
Ireland1

Seniority mix

5 of 5 peers have a known seniority level

Director3
Principal1
Senior Director1

Therapeutic area mix

0 of 5 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

No peers with a known therapeutic area yet.

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

60%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Tarrytown, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Gilead Sciences, Inc. Foster City, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Pfizer Groton, United States Director
Same function Same seniority Same country
50%similar
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) Renss, United States Senior Director
Same function Adjacent seniority Same country
35%similar
Regeneron Ireland Limerick, Ireland Principal
Same function Adjacent seniority

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

60%
Director Critical Utilities
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Tarrytown, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
60%
Director, Facilities Operations
Gilead Sciences, Inc. · Foster City, United States · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
50%
Senior Director, Fill Finish Facilities Maintenance
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc (USA) · Renss, United States · Senior Director
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
35%
Principal Facilities Engineer
Regeneron Ireland · Limerick, Ireland · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Adjacent seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.