Senior Manager, SAP – Planning and Manufacturing

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

As part of Gilead's Enterprise Data and ERP strategy, we are seeking a Senior Manager, SAP Manufacturing and Planning to serve as the Product Owner for enterprise-wide manufacturing execution, production planning, and shop floor digitization capabilities across our pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturing network.

This leader will define and execute the enterprise roadmap for S/4HANA Production Planning (PP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)/Digital Manufacturing, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), and segmentation capabilities, while enabling GxP-compliant manufacturing transformation across Pharmaceutical Development, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Kite organizations.

This position will report to the Associate Director, IT ERP PDM. This is an onsite role based on Foster City, CA or Raleigh, NC. We do offer a hybrid environment with three days in office and two days work from home.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Strategy & Business Partnership

• Develop and articulate a comprehensive SAP Manufacturing solution roadmap that aligns with the company's long-term business objectives within the Life Sciences sector.

• Architect scalable and flexible SAP solutions that can adapt to evolving business requirements and regulatory landscapes.

• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain leaders to define enterprise production priorities.

• Establish standards, operating procedures, and best practices for production planning and shop floor execution.

• Evaluate and recommend emerging SAP technologies and best practices to enhance system performance and efficiency

• Drive manufacturing data quality, GxP compliance, standardization, and business value realization.

• Produce detailed architectural blueprints, including data flow diagrams, system interface specifications, and configuration documentation.

Manufacturing & Platform Ownership

• Own the strategy, governance, architecture, and continuous improvement of S/4HANA PP, MES/Digital Manufacturing, and MRP platforms across multiple sites.

• Govern enterprise SAP manufacturing domains, including Production Orders, Routings, BOMs, Work Centers, Batch Management, and Shop Floor Integration.

• Define enterprise standards for production planning, execution, and manufacturing data quality within a validated (GxP) environment.

• Lead integration strategy connecting third-party MES platforms — including Werum PAS-X — with S/4HANA PP, MRP, and (where relevant) IBP/Kinaxis for seamless demand-supply and shop floor alignment.

Delivery Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead delivery of enterprise manufacturing initiatives including MES rollouts, PAS-X integrations and upgrades, PP/MRP optimization, and Digital Manufacturing transformation programs.

• Lead cross-functional teams including Manufacturing SMEs, Architects, Analysts, AMS partners, and System Integrators.

• Establish KPIs for production performance, planning accuracy, system adoption, GxP compliance, and operational excellence.

• Drive platform stability, validation lifecycle adherence (CSV/CSA), and continuous improvement across manufacturing sites.

Leadership

• Build enterprise manufacturing systems capabilities and digital maturity.

• Lead manufacturing systems councils and governance forums.

• Influence senior leaders on manufacturing technology strategy, investments, and operating model decisions.

• Foster a culture of operational excellence, quality ownership, and accountability on the shop floor.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree and Eight Years’ Experience OR

Masters' Degree and Six Years’ Experience

Key Skills & Experience

• 12+ years of SAP Production Planning, Manufacturing Execution Systems, and manufacturing/supply chain technology experience.

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