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
Senior Director, Legal (Lead International Employment Law Counsel)
We have the following exciting opportunity for a Senior Director, Legal on our global employment law team. This role directly reports to our Senior Associate General Counsel, Global Head of Employment Law.
Gilead Sciences
Gilead’s mission is to innovate and deliver transformative therapies to create a healthier world for all people. This mission drives our litigation, investigation, and risk assessment strategies. This lawyer will help direct, manage, and execute our complex, high-profile and sophisticated portfolio of matters toward optimum results while leveraging innovation, incorporating a keen understanding of Gilead and industry dynamics, and applying a sophisticated knowledge of the law and external dynamics.
Gilead is a very collaborative and people- focused environment. Therefore, this lawyer will need a high level of emotional intelligence. The role requires excellent judgment and experience demonstrating the ability to understand and adapt to highly complex and evolving legal issues and external dynamics in a way that furthers effective communication, advice, decision-making and execution in both independent and collaborative workstreams. This lawyer will also be expected to effectively manage outside counsel and other legal service providers in a manner that brings out the highest calibre of legal advice, work product, advocacy, and results with maximum efficiency. There will be opportunities to counsel and present to our business leaders including executive management across the company and serve as a representative in external forums.
The Position
Employment Counsel at Gilead are responsible for providing legal advice and guidance on a wide range of employment matters in a fast-paced environment, including day-to-day management of employment litigation, key internal investigations and employee disputes, as well as work closely with Human Resources, Total Rewards, Employee Resources, country/affiliate counsel, and other functions to assist with employment issues that arise from the Company’s operations of 18,000+ employees worldwide.
This position is the lead attorney for the International team of Gilead’s Employment Law Group (ELG), which is part of the Litigation & Investigations (L&I) function in Gilead’s Legal Department. This role is located in Gilead's Stockley Park office in Uxbridge, UK and will report to the Senior Associate General Counsel, Global Head of Employment Law located in the U.S. The International ELG team consists of one other employment law counsel (Associate Director, Legal) that this position works in tandem with and has a dotted line reporting relationship.
This position should enjoy working collaboratively and closely with colleagues; align with L&I’s culture of respect, support, high standards, and affability; and demonstrate Gilead’s Core Values of Integrity, Inclusion, Teamwork, Excellence, and Accountability.
Key Responsibilities
Serve as the lead lawyer for the employment law function outside of the U.S., with a focus on Gilead's ACE Region (Australia, Canada, & Europe) as well as support for LatAm, Middle East, APAC, and any of Gilead’s other 30+ global sites or affiliates.
Provide advice and counsel on a broad range of employment issues, including recruitment, hiring, high risk disciplinary actions and terminations, re-organizations, complex leaves of absence and accommodations issues, compensation, contingent workers, HR policies and practices, and performance management, among others.
Partner and coordinate on matters as needed with country/affiliate counsel, HR Business Partners, Employee Relations, and local external counsel.
Provide employment law advice related to Works Council matters in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Austria.
Manager or support on employment-related litigation and internal investigations, engaging external counsel as needed.
Support on corporate initiatives with global impact, such as reorganizations, M&A, commercial, and compliance matters.
Manage and support HR compliance, employee escalations, and employee disputes.
In coordination with HR and Employee Relations, assist with the creation of policies, standards and business procedures designed to foster compliance with various employment laws and regulations.
Enhance and develop organizational knowledge of employment law matters through training and other internal resources.
Build and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders such as GMs or business executives, other members of the legal team, the Human Resources and Employee Relations team, and other internal clients to support employment law compliance and manage employment law risk.
Knowledge, Experience & Skills
Qualified lawyer with UK market experience and significant experience practicing employment law at a reputable law firm and/or in-house in the UK. In-house experience highly preferred.
The position will require substantive expertise in UK/European employment law and regulations combined with excellent management skills and sound judgment in delivering legal opinions, managing matters, and interacting with internal business clients and stakeholders.
Must have experience and expertise in advising on and coordinating advice on matters across multiple jurisdictions, including across European region.
Understanding of multinational corporations headquartered in the U.S. with a global presence.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with a variety of different personalities.
High influencing and persuasion skills; ability to drive alignment with internal cross-functional stakeholders and also negotiate with opposing counsel.
Demonstrated client service orientation; able to recognize and respond quickly and pragmatically to urgent situations.
Exceptional and demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to competently carry-out and follow through on directives, learn quickly, apply practical legal analysis in a business context, and work independently to identify issues and goals.
Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment is critical. The position requires appropriate triaging of a heavy workflow, setting appropriate priorities with clients, and delivering results within the reasonable agreed timelines.
Ability to manage or coordinate the work of others, including the Associate Director, Legal on the International ELG team, external counsel and working groups or project teams.
Ability to communicate legal opinions and risk assessments in a practical, business oriented manner to senior leaders, members of the legal and HR teams, and other internal clients to help reach alignment and solutions.
The candidate must demonstrate ability to learn, think creatively, and devise solutions to challenging problems and must exercise mature and reliable judgment.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
It is the policy of Gilead Sciences, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively "Gilead" or the "Company") to recruit select and employ the most qualified persons available for positions throughout the Company. Except if otherwise provided by applicable law, all employment actions relating to issues such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, returns from layoffs, company-sponsored training, education assistance, social and recreational programs are administered on a non-discriminatory basis (i.e. without regard to protected characteristics or prohibited grounds, which may include an individual’s gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, veteran status, and age, unless such protection is prohibited by federal, state, municipal, provincial, local or other applicable laws). Gilead also prohibits discrimination based on any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.
For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:
Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.