Associate Director, Data Scientist

United States - California - Foster City · full time · Lead / Staff / Principal

$210,375 – $272,250

Listed on Gilead Sciences’s own careers site. You apply with them directly — we never stand between you and the employer.

What this role is

This role leads applied AI initiatives at a pharmaceutical company, combining hands-on machine learning development with oversight of contractors and technical teams. It suits experienced AI practitioners who want to bridge research and production while shaping governance and adoption of AI in drug development and clinical workflows.

Our summary, not Gilead Sciences’s wording. The full posting is on their site.

Skills this role names

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What they ask for

Required

PhD in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Statistics, or Engineering with 4+ years industry experience, or MS with 8+ years, or BS with 10+ years
Hands-on programming in Python with modern AI/ML libraries
Experience guiding technical contributors or contractors with technical direction and quality review
Experience building, evaluating, and deploying AI/ML solutions in applied research, product, or enterprise environments
Experience designing and implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation systems
Experience developing agentic AI workflows with tool-use patterns and prompt engineering
Experience with APIs, microservices, notebooks, Git, automated tests, containerization, and deployment patterns
Experience deploying AI solutions in regulated environments with governance and security controls
Strong knowledge of Generative AI, Large Language Models, and advanced analytics
Experience with MLOps, LLMOps, CI/CD, cloud-based AI infrastructure, and monitoring
Experience with AWS and Azure AI and ML services
Experience with Langfuse or equivalent for LLM tracing and evaluation
Demonstrated product mindset translating technical capabilities into measurable value
Experience working with multidisciplinary teams and managing contractors
Ability to communicate complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders

Nice to have

Experience applying AI in life sciences, drug development, clinical research, healthcare, or regulated industries
Experience with clinical trial operational data and real-world data
Experience contributing to publications, patents, open-source projects, or technical standards
Ability to travel as needed