Principal Scientist, Oncology Research

Gilead Sciences
Foster, CA

Job Description

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 Principal Scientist of Tumor-Intrinsic Biology you will lead a discovery lab and collaborate across functions to pursue creative science, develop strategic initiatives, and evaluate external partnerships, in the service of discovering novel medicines that impact patients’ lives.

Additional Key Responsibilities

Leadership

  • Mentor a lab-based scientific team, advancing their projects and careers.

  • Serve as a scientific and technical thought leader throughout the Research organization.

  • Collaborate across functions to guide interdisciplinary projects, with experts in oncology, immune-oncology, protein engineering, chemistry, translational medicine, biomarkers and clinical development. Identify project risks and mitigate effectively, while communicating with project teams and other leaders.

Innovation and Scientific Acumen

· Proactively ideate to accelerate early-stage discovery activities, enhance understanding of disease mechanisms, and develop new technologies and novel targeting modalities.

  • Develop expertise in relevant scientific fields and the external landscape, including the scientific literature, conference proceedings, and competitive programs. As an in-house expert, propose creative and rigorous research to discover, validate and understand targets.

  • Think critically and creatively, emphasizing nimble decision making that balances risk-taking with thoughtful experimentation within the strategic/competitive context to fuel a differentiated pre-clinical pipeline.

  • Contribute expertise to multi-disciplinary due diligence teams to evaluate and recommend partnerships and acquisitions.

  • Contribute to research reports, INDs, and patent filings.

  • Establish an external presence through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and external collaborations.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

  • Ph.D. degree and 5+ years of experience (tumor biology, drug discovery, target identification and technology development), with post-doctoral training highly preferred.

  • Strong track record of impact in scientific field, including first- or senior-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.

  • Strong knowledge base in cancer genomics and oncogenic signaling.

  • Broad technical skillset of cutting-edge methods and models of cancer, in vitro and in vivo , with experience in biochemically analyzing protein (and protein-nucleic acid) complexes a plus.

  • Demonstrated success in leading research teams to productive, creative, data-driven decisions.

  • Team-centric mindset, with proven managerial excellence and ability to motivate skilled team members from diverse backgrounds.

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

The salary range for this position is: $195,670.00 - $253,220.00. 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:

* 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 [email protected] for assistance.


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


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.

Posted 2026-04-27

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