About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company dedicated to creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, Gilead has tackled some of the world's biggest health challenges, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer. The company's relentless pursuit of innovative therapies has transformed lives globally, ensuring access to groundbreaking treatments in oncology, inflammatory diseases, and beyond. Headquartered in Foster City, California, Gilead fosters a collaborative, determined culture where every team member contributes to life-changing scientific advancements. With a focus on immune oncology and cancer biology, Gilead is at the forefront of developing therapies that address unmet medical needs.

Role Overview

As a Principal Scientist, Oncology Bioinformatics at Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California, you will lead statistical analysis of multi-omics and next-generation sequencing data. This pivotal role supports research from target evaluation to biomarker discovery, with a strong emphasis on immune oncology and cancer biology. Working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment, you will impact high-level decision-making for internal pipelines and external collaborations. Develop cutting-edge bioinformatics methods to integrate large-scale omics datasets, enabling novel target identification, mechanism of action elucidation, drug combination strategies, and patient stratification. This full-time position offers the opportunity to formulate scientific questions into actionable analytical efforts and communicate findings across research functions.

Key Responsibilities

Your core duties will drive innovation in oncology research:

• Develop and apply statistical and computational tools to analyze large-scale omics and high-dimensional data from internal, public, commercial, and real-world datasets.
• Design statistical techniques and machine learning algorithms for discovering and evaluating preclinical predictive and prognostic biomarkers in oncology projects.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to interpret complex datasets and communicate findings effectively to non-computational scientists and senior leaders.
• Enable research objectives like target identification, target assessment, MoA elucidation, drug combination rationale, and patient stratification.
• Manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment, adapting to changing priorities while maintaining scientific rigor.

Qualifications & Requirements

To excel in this role, you need a PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, biostatistics, cancer genomics, or a related field, plus 8+ years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. Essential qualifications include:

• Extensive hands-on experience analyzing RNA-Seq (bulk and single-cell), WES, WGS, ATAC-Seq, CITE-Seq, and TCR-Seq data; plus experience with spatial transcriptomics, ChIP-Seq, or similar is advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of statistics, including probability theory, univariate/multivariate analysis, regression, survival analysis, feature selection, and power analysis.
• Proficiency in R, Python, Perl, JAVA, or C/C++, with expertise in high-performance and cloud computing environments.
• Excellent communication skills to synthesize scientific questions, present results to project teams, and influence senior leaders.
• Demonstrated track record of high-quality publications, proactive mindset, and ability to thrive in team settings with a deep understanding of cancer biology, immunology, and molecular/cell biology.

Basic qualifications: Bachelor's with 8 years, Master's with 6 years, or PhD with relevant experience.

Benefits & Perks

Gilead Sciences offers a premium compensation package designed to attract top talent:

• Competitive salary estimated at $180,000 - $250,000 annually, based on biopharmaceutical sector rates in Foster City, CA, with a 5-10% upside buffer.
• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, and wellness programs.
• Generous 401(k) matching, stock options, and retirement savings plans.
• Paid time off, family leave, and flexible work arrangements.
• Tuition reimbursement, professional development opportunities, and onsite fitness centers.

Career Growth

At Gilead, career advancement is a priority. As a Principal Scientist, you will have opportunities to lead projects, mentor junior scientists, and contribute to people leadership accountabilities like creating inclusion and developing talent. Gilead's commitment to evolving culture ensures every employee feels empowered. With exposure to high-impact oncology programs, you can advance to senior leadership roles, influencing global therapies for HIV, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. The company's bold ambitions provide a platform for ambitious professionals to make direct impacts.

Why Join Gilead

Joining Gilead means becoming part of a mission-driven team fighting the world's biggest health challenges. Work on groundbreaking research in immune oncology alongside passionate colleagues in a supportive Foster City environment. Gilead's focus on collaboration, innovation, and employee development sets it apart. Contribute to therapies improving lives in HIV, oncology, and inflammatory diseases while enjoying a premium workplace that values diversity, inclusion, and scientific excellence. Make a difference—together with Gilead.

Role FAQs

What is the location and work arrangement?

This role is based in Foster City, California, in a full-time, on-site capacity to foster collaboration.

What salary can I expect?

Estimated $180,000 - $250,000 USD yearly, depending on experience, with comprehensive benefits.

Is prior industry experience required?

Yes, 8+ years in pharma/biotech post-PhD is preferred for this principal-level position.

What omics experience is essential?

Hands-on with RNA-Seq, WES/WGS, ATAC-Seq, etc.; machine learning and statistics are key.

How does this role impact Gilead's mission?

You'll drive biomarker discovery and target validation, accelerating oncology therapies to patients worldwide.