DST Lab Operations Specialist at Gilead Sciences · United…

DST Lab Operations Specialist

Location: United States - California - Foster City · Onsite Required

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

The Discovery Sciences & Technology (DST) Operations and Equipment Specialist is responsible for ensuring the seamless operation, maintenance, and optimization of laboratory infrastructure, equipment, and shared resources that support high-throughput assay development and screening activities. This role serves as a critical operational partner to DST scientists, enabling efficient, reproducible, and compliant scientific workflows.
The successful candidate will combine technical expertise in laboratory operations and equipment management with strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills. Acting as a bridge between scientific teams, Research Operations, Facilities, Procurement, IT, and external vendors, this individual will drive operational excellence, maximize equipment availability and utilization, and ensure laboratory readiness to support Discovery research objectives. Experience with laboratory automation and high-throughput environments is highly desirable.

Laboratory Equipment & Resource Management

• Manage the inventory, tracking, and utilization of laboratory equipment and shared resources, including cold storage infrastructure and specialty instrumentation.

• Coordinate equipment scheduling, user access, and reservation systems to maximize availability and operational efficiency. Monitor equipment performance and reliability through routine inspections, calibration programs, and preventive maintenance activities.

• Partner with scientific teams to identify opportunities for equipment optimization and improved laboratory workflows.

Equipment Lifecycle Management

• Oversee the full lifecycle of laboratory assets, including procurement support, installation, qualification, maintenance, upgrades, and retirement.

• Maintain equipment records, service histories, and asset documentation to ensure operational readiness and compliance.

• Manage vendor relationships, service agreements, and maintenance contracts to optimize performance, minimize downtime, and control costs.

• Coordinate service visits and repair activities, ensuring timely resolution of equipment issues.

Laboratory Operations Leadership

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership to support a safe, efficient, and collaborative laboratory environment.

• Translate organizational priorities into actionable operational plans that support scientific productivity.

• Promote effective communication, accountability, and constructive problem-solving across laboratory teams.

• Foster a culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement, and customer-focused service.

Inventory, Procurement & Budget Management

• Support the development and management of departmental operating and capital budgets.

• Oversee inventory planning and procurement activities for laboratory consumables, reagents, and operational supplies.

• Work closely with Procurement and vendors to ensure uninterrupted supply chains and cost-effective purchasing strategies.

• Track expenditures and identify opportunities for cost savings and resource optimization.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Research Operations, Facilities, EHS, Procurement, IT, and external service providers to maintain laboratory infrastructure and services.

• Support laboratory expansion, equipment installations, facility upgrades, and technology implementation projects.

• Serve as a key liaison between scientific users and support functions to proactively address operational needs and challenges.

Quality Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Establish and monitor laboratory operational metrics, equipment performance indicators, and quality measures.

• Implement processes that improve reproducibility, efficiency, data integrity, and equipment uptime.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on workflow optimization, standardization, and operational effectiveness.

• Maintain accurate documentation, SOPs, and operational records in accordance with company standards.

Compliance, Safety & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with company policies, laboratory regulations, and industry best practices.

• Promote and enforce laboratory safety standards, including hazardous material handling and waste management procedures.

• Support laboratory inspections, audits, corrective actions, and compliance initiatives.

• Partner with Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) teams to maintain a safe and compliant working environment.

Technical Expertise

• Strong knowledge of laboratory instrumentation, equipment maintenance practices, and asset lifecycle management.

• Familiarity with automated laboratory systems and robotics platforms, such as Thermo Fisher, Beckman Coulter, Hamilton, or similar technologies.

• Experience with laboratory operations software, laboratory information management systems (LIMS), and equipment tracking systems.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and data reporting tools.

• Demonstrated experience managing laboratory equipment, facilities, and operational processes in a complex scientific setting.

• Experience supporting assay development, screening operations, compound management, or laboratory automation is preferred.

Basic ​Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting automated assay development or high-throughput screening laboratories.

• Knowledge of laboratory facilities management, infrastructure planning, and laboratory expansion projects.

• Familiarity with lean operations, process improvement methodologies, and operational excellence practices.

• Experience managing laboratory capital projects and vendor relationships.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• Excellent organizational, project management, and prioritization skills.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities, with a proven ability to work effectively across functions.

• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to operate independently in a fast-paced research environment.

• Strong customer-service mindset with a commitment to enabling scientific success.

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.

The salary range for this position is: $126,820.00 - $164,120.00. 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:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

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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 ApplicantAccommodations@gilead.com for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

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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.

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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.