Scientist - Process Development - II

Position: Scientist - Process Development - II*
Onsite Position - Foster City

Gilead's Process Technologies & Development team is seeking a highly motivated contractor to play a foundational role in establishing and operationalizing our new primary container development laboratory. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in a hands-on environment, enjoys building systems from the ground up, and takes pride in maintaining high standards of scientific rigor. You will be responsible for helping set up the new lab facility, ensuring all equipment is properly installed, qualified, and maintained, and developing the organizational structures that keep laboratory operations running smoothly.

As part of this role, you will learn to operate a wide range of equipment to support study execution. You will design and run high quality experiments, contribute to method readiness, and ensure the lab remains in a state of scientific excellence. This position directly supports development workflows involving container closure systems, device interface evaluations, product compatibility studies, and process characterization.

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations & Equipment Expertise:

Support the setup and launch of the new Process Technologies & Development lab space, including organizing the workspace, assisting with equipment installation and qualification, and ensuring all systems are ready for routine study execution.

Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot a wide range of primary container and analytical laboratory equipment (e.g., leak detection systems, headspace analyzers, optical and particle counting microscopes, micro

CT scanners, automatic filling equipment, filtration and mixing tanks, balances, etc.)

Independently refine and develop existing laboratory processes and equipment workflows to improve efficiency, robustness, and usability, ensuring that methods and operational practices are easily adoptable by other teams.

Maintain accurate equipment logs, calibration verifications, and support routine instrument readiness for ongoing studies. Ensure the laboratory environment is well-organized, including consumable tracking, chemical inventory, and compliance with Gilead's safety, quality, and documentation requirements.

Partner with Facilities, Metrology, EH S, and cross functional PD teams for seamless lab operations and timely issue resolution.

Scientific Excellence & Continuous Improvement:

Apply sound scientific judgment in planning and troubleshooting studies.

Support method development, lab workflow optimization, and evaluation of new technologies relevant to primary container development and characterization.

Drive improvements in lab workflows, equipment utilization, and operational efficiency.

Proactively maintain a culture of cleanliness, organization, and scientific excellence in the lab.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related technical field.

Hands-on laboratory experience (academic or industry) with strong familiarity in equipment operation and lab best practices.

Demonstrated experience designing and executing experiments with attention to detail and scientific rigor.

Strong organizational skills with a track record of maintaining a clean, structured, and efficient laboratory environment.

Excellent communication skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience supporting laboratory setup, including equipment installation, qualification, and initial operational readiness.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to maintain a clean, structured, and well-run lab environment.

Familiarity with a broad range of laboratory equipment, with hands-on capability in routine operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance.

Familiarity with studies involving container closure integrity (CCI), extractables/leachables, device drug interface, or fill finish operations.

Ability to design and refine lab workflows that improve efficiency, robustness, and usability across teams.

Previous experience working within cross-functional development teams.

Why Join Us?

This contract role offers the opportunity to support high impact development programs, expand technical skillsets in primary container development, and collaborate with cross-functional teams working on cutting-edge drug product development. You will directly contribute to ensuring that Gilead delivers safe, stable, and high quality medicines to patients.