{"id":988210,"url":"https://alion.io/job/gilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology","title":"Principal Scientist, Biology","company":{"id":8130,"name":"Gilead Sciences","domain":"gilead.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/gilead","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":89,"open_postings":14,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.357,"repost_share":0.143,"time_to_fill_p50_days":41,"computed_at":"2026-10-29T05:49:05Z"}},"role":"Biotech","role_family":"Biotech","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Foster City, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":195670,"max":253220,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":253220},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-16T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-16","last_verified_at":"2026-10-29T13:24:22Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":43,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":43},"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.\nEvery 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.\nWe 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.\nJob Description\nThe Virology Department is seeking a highly motivated scientific leader to join our herpesvirus research team and help drive antiviral drug discovery programs targeting viruses associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases as well as viruses relevant to immunocompromised populations. The successful candidate will advance established as well as new programs, evaluate emerging antiviral concepts, mentor scientists, and remain directly involved in experimental design, assay execution, data interpretation, and troubleshooting. This position offers the opportunity to shape Gilead’s growing antiviral portfolio in a fast-paced, collaborative, and well-resourced environment.\nKey responsibilities\nProvide scientific and technical leadership for antiviral discovery programs, advancing initiatives from identification through candidate selection and progression\n\nLead the design and execution of in vitro virology studies, maintaining hands-on involvement in key cell-based assays, mechanistic studies, data interpretation, and resolution of complex scientific and technical challenges.\n\nIdentify and address critical scientific questions by evaluating novel antiviral targets, therapeutic concepts, technologies, disease models, and assays that strengthen scientific understanding and accelerate decision-making.\n\nServe as a scientific leader on cross-functional teams, providing strategic guidance on data interpretation, project direction, priorities, risks, trade-offs, and next steps.\n\nMentor and develop scientists, maintain high standards for experimental rigor and laboratory practices, and foster an inclusive, collaborative, and accountable research culture.\n\nCommunicate scientific insights effectively to project teams and senior leadership, and contribute to scientific publications, patents, regulatory submissions, and external presentations.\n\nBasic qualifications\nBS virology, immunology, microbiology, or a related discipline with 10+ years of relevant research experience.\n\nOR\nMS virology, immunology, microbiology, or a related discipline with 8+ years of relevant research experience.\n\nOR\nPhD virology, immunology, microbiology, or a related discipline with 5+ years of relevant research experience.\n\nDemonstrated expertise in virology with a record of independently advancing complex research through high-quality experimental design, execution, data interpretation, and scientific communication.\n\nExperience mentoring or supervising lab-based scientists\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nPostdoctoral training in virology, microbiology, molecular biology, cell biology, or a related discipline with 6+ years of relevant industry experience is strongly preferred\n\nExpertise in herpesviruses, immunology, and a broad understanding of viral diseases associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and/or immunocompromised patients.\n\nExperience in drug discovery and/or preclinical development is a plus\n\nExtensive hands-on experience with assay development and cell-based virology, including viral infection models and antiviral potency assays.\n\nProven ability to design and execute scientific studies, interpret complex datasets, identify key risks and opportunities, and drive project decisions.\n\nDemonstrated impact in antiviral drug discovery through program advancement, peer-reviewed publications, patents, regulatory contributions, and/or successful development of new technologies or approaches.\n\nStrong leadership, mentoring, communication, and collaboration skills, with the ability to work influence cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced multidisciplinary environment.\n\nThe 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:\nhttps://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing\n* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.\nFor jobs in the United States:\nGilead 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, geneticinformation 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  for assistance.\nFor more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.\nNOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT\nYOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT\nGilead 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.\nOur 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.\nGilead provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.\nFor Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:\nPlease apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8106,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Life insurance"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Prescription Drugs","Oncology Therapeutics","Infectious Disease Therapeutics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-17T00:31:17Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":35,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.805,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":43,"expected_fill_days":41,"reasons":["conf:2","velocity","win:tail","crowd:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-29T05:49:05Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":253220,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/gilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/gilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-29T14:50:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":22376,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-30T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":8130},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=8130"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fgilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fgilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fgilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/gilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fgilead-sciences-principal-scientist-biology"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":988210}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"gilead.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":988210},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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