Gilead Sciences, Inc. Posted August 4, 2026

Post Doc Scientist, Structural Biology and Chemistry

Foster City, United States Full time
Manufacturing & CMC

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

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 Post Doctoral Scientist at Gilead, you will support the Structural Biology and Chemistry department; working on AI/ML for Small Molecule Drug Discovery. A highly motivated, attentive and self-driven postdoctoral researcher candidate will join the Computational Modeling Group as part of a three-year postdoctoral training program

The successful candidate will work at the forefront of innovation by utilizing cutting-edge AI/ML-based technologies.

***This is a three year fixed-term postdoctoral position.***

Responsibilities:

Detailed evaluation and analysis of AI tools and ML models which can be impactful for various stages of Small Molecule Drug Discovery, from hit identification through hit-to-lead to lead optimization.

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to clearly communicate these findings via internal Gilead and external presentations, as well as through publishing in high-impact journals.

Essential Functions:

Utilizing the rich set of historical Gilead data and structures, evaluate co-folding tools, potency models and ADME models in partnership with other Computational Chemists and AI/ML Scientists.

Implement and analyze methods used to enable virtual screening of ultra-large libraries, including but not limited to Active Learning and Thompson Sampling.

Investigate the feasibility of utilizing machine learning models to predict properties of heterobifunctional degraders (EPSA, permeability, etc.) using either SMILES strings or three-dimensional conformational ensembles as starting points.

Knowledge, Experience, and Skills:

Knowledge of machine learning architectures relevant to chemistry and structural biology.

Strong programming skills in Python and proficiency with ML frameworks.

Ability to design, implement and evaluate robust model validation strategies, including uncertainty quantification and applicability domain assessment.

Expertise with cheminformatics toolkits such as RDKit, OpenEye or Schrodinger desired.

Excellent communication skills (both verbal and technical) and interpersonal skills.

Must think critically and creatively and be able to work independently, determine appropriate resources for resolution of problems and have strong organizational and planning skills.

Requirements:

Ph.D. and 0+ years of relevant research experience with deep expertise in AI/ML as applied to drug discovery and/or in Computational Chemistry.

People Leader Accountabilities:

Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the way they manage their teams.

Develop Talent - understand the skills, experience, aspirations and potential of their employees and coach them on current performance and future potential. They ensure employees are receiving the feedback and insight needed to grow, develop and realize their purpose.

Empower Teams - connect the team to the organization by aligning goals, purpose, and organizational objectives, and holding them to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem.

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.

NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT

YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

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.

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Foster City, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 1527 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 125 biopharma companies.

1527Comparable roles tracked
1434Currently active
125Companies hiring similar roles
44Countries represented

Salary context

456 of 1527 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Senior Scientist II – CMC Developmental Sciences · AbbVie $0/hr – $0/hr (≈ $0–$0/yr)
Peer group range $0 – $540,400 (median $140,000)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 1527 comparable roles

United States781
India104
Germany74
Singapore67
France64
Ireland54

+ 38 more countries

Seniority mix

705 of 1527 peers have a known seniority level

Senior251
Manager165
Principal79
Associate68
Director64
Associate Director44
Senior Director21
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc8
Executive/VP5

Therapeutic area mix

7 of 1527 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease6
Oncology1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

40%similar
Alexion New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
AstraZeneca Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Alexion New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
40%similar
Lilly Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America Associate
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Senior Director
Same function Same country

How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
Scientist II, LC Development, Biologics Analytical Development
Alexion · New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director, Global Regulatory Affairs – Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), Platform Innovation – Synthetic Peptides and Oligonucleotides
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
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Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Senior Principal Scientist - Bioanalytical Research
Lilly · Louisville, Colorado, United States of America · Principal
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.