Associate Director, Trade Operations – Middle East & Russia

About Gilead Sciences

Gilead Sciences is dedicated to improving global health by tackling critical diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, and cancer for over 35 years. The company focuses on developing innovative therapies and ensuring their availability worldwide, driven by collaboration and a commitment to making a significant impact.

Role Overview

The Associate Director of Trade Operations for the Middle East and Russia leads the regional strategy to guarantee seamless patient access through precise demand planning, supply chain governance, tender management, and strategic supply network oversight. This position acts as the vital link between regional commercial initiatives and global supply chain teams, overseeing end-to-end planning, mitigating supply interruptions, optimizing inventory, and managing government and commercial procurement efforts.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Direct regional demand planning across various markets, ensuring forecasts are precise, data-based, and aligned with commercial goals.
• Integrate demand, supply, inventory, and financial factors to enhance service levels and product availability.
• Manage Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes, offering transparency on supply risks and mitigation strategies.
• Collaborate with global planning teams to align forecasts and ensure supply chain readiness.
• Design and maintain contingency plans to handle market fluctuations, regulatory shifts, and geopolitical risks.
• Lead operational readiness for product launches, expansions, and discontinuations, coordinating cross-functional teams.
• Oversee tender and RFQ procedures, ensuring alignment with commercial and financial strategies.
• Resolve supply issues with global stakeholders and establish governance to monitor supply performance.
• Steer supply chain transformation projects including 3PL integration, packaging, distribution optimization, and SAP platform deployment.
• Foster partnerships across Commercial, Finance, Market Access, Regulatory, Quality, Legal, and Supply Chain teams.
• Promote continuous improvement by enhancing forecasting accuracy, inventory control, and operational efficiencies using analytics and KPIs.

Stakeholder Engagement

Internally, collaborate with global supply chain, commercial teams, market access, finance, regulatory, quality assurance, legal, and commercial operations. Externally, work with distributors, government procurement bodies, 3PL providers, CMOs, and packaging vendors.

Qualifications and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Pharmacy, Life Sciences, or related disciplines; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 10 years’ progressive experience in supply chain, commercial operations, or related areas within pharmaceuticals or regulated industries.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-country, cross-functional operations.
• Strong expertise in tender management, institutional procurement, supply planning, and inventory oversight.
• Experience in global matrix organizations and supply chain transformation initiatives.

Core Skills

• Strategic leadership and business acumen
• Demand forecasting and S&OP proficiency
• Supply risk management and mitigation
• Tender and contract administration
• Product launch and lifecycle management
• Distribution, logistics, and 3PL operations
• Stakeholder management and cross-functional coordination
• Project and program management
• Data analysis and digital tool utilization (especially SAP)

Preferred Experience

• Operations management within the Middle East or emerging markets.
• Hands-on involvement with supply chain redesign, 3PL, and localization strategies.
• In-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical tendering and procurement.
• Leadership in SAP or major ERP implementation projects.