Director, Med Affairs - Anonymous employee Gilead Sciences Employee Review

2.0
8 Jan 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There are some brilliant people in Gilead. I cannot name names, but those familiar with clinical research and med affairs will know whom I am talking about. These are some of the trailblazers and world thought leaders in HIV - and they are actually extremely humble, collaborative, and kind people (in addition to being flat-out brilliant). If you come to Gilead, you will get the chance to work with great people and touch cutting-edge research. Also, the pay is comparatively better in my experience than the industry. Stock bonuses reach down to levels that are lower than in many other pharma industry peers, and the actual base (and bonus) compensation is considerable.

Cons

Management can be unhelpful - and at times actually harmful and unprofessional. If you get the wrong boss, you will be micromanaged, no matter what level you are at. And this goes all the way down to senior vice presidents arguing with you about font and colour choices in PowerPoint slides. This is not a joke or an exaggeration. Managers - especially those who have been in the company for a while - lead by fear, humiliation, and bullying. And in some cases, they "lead" by humblebragging - in the middle of presentations being led by their subordinates. I have been working for 25 years, and my boss (and I mean BOSS, not manager or leader) was the worst I have ever had, including when I was a minimum wage worker selling cheap suits in college. Gilead prides itself on being 'flexible' - work gets done quickly and without bureaucracy because there are few SOPs or explicit rules to follow, which can be good. On the other hand, this means that channels to get approval or feedback rely almost completely on precedence. So, if you're a newcomer (read: someone who has less than 5 years in), you will either simply have to guess the "right" way (which is "The Gilead Way") to get something done, or you will be at the mercy of the goodwill of someone who does. Finally, the internal culture is very Manichean - the "long timers" (who have 10+ years in) and everyone else. The former - leaders will say hi to you, will call you out in meetings, and in some cases invite you to "in group" events at their homes. The latter - leaders will walk by you in the hall way and not even smile at you.

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5.0
18 June 2026
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Pros

good company to work for

Cons

no serious cons to be listed

1.0
18 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

-The only pros are the amazing benefits - probably the best 401K I've seen as well as the highly competitive salaries.

Cons

-Lack of culture is a growing and rampant issue - there is a very high level of favoritism -Micromanagement from senior leadership - instances occuered where they essentially forced an employee to resign and not directly fire him/her just so that they wouldn't have to pay severence package, etc. Managers want to just make themselves look good and make it clear that your only job is to acf as if they are God's gift to this messed up planet. -Lack of proper communication and frequent unnecessary team meetings held which are a waste of time and do not accomplish any desirable results.

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