Job Description

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet.

Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next.

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 Kite and help create more tomorrows.

Job Description

We are seeking an Associate Director, Real-World Evidence (RWE), who will lead real-world evidence generation across the product lifecycle, with a core focus on execution of external control arms (ECAs) and other complex observational studies. This role is central to Kite’s ability to contextualize single-arm trials and evolving treatment landscapes, support access, and strengthen evidence packages for innovative cell therapies. You will also serve as a leader of RWE in scientific forums, and collaborate with external physicians, scientists, and researchers, as well as alliance partners, on RWE activities.

This role can be office-based in our Foster City, CA, Parsippany, NJ or Santa Monica, CA.

Kite is transitioning from its current Santa Monica headquarters, with employees expected to relocate to our El Segundo office beginning in January 2027. While this role will be based in Santa Monica through 2026, applicants should take this planned relocation into consideration. Kite supports a flexible working policy, offering a balanced approach with two days of remote working and three days working onsite

Key Accountabilities:

• Provide scientific and financial leadership for the execution and communication of real‑world evidence across the product lifecycle.

• Lead design and oversight of observational studies (retrospective/prospective cohorts, registries, external control arms).

• Ensure methodological rigor is incorporated into study conceptualization, protocol and analysis.

• Application of advanced epidemiologic and statistical methods (e.g., propensity score methods, survival analysis, causal inference).

• Translate complex analyses into clear, decision-relevant insights for internal and external stakeholders.

• Partner closely with Clinical Development, Biostatistics, Medical Affairs, HEOR, Regulatory Affairs, Value & Access, and Commercial teams to align evidence generation with business needs.

• Provide RWE expertise and input for regulatory filings (e.g. MAA, BLA, sBLA) as well as response to questions from regulatory authorities and HTA agencies.

• Engage with external collaborators, registries, academic partners, and data vendors.

• Ensure scientific rigor, transparency, and reproducibility consistent with internal RWE standard.

• Oversee vendors and ensure timely, high-quality study delivery.

Minimum Required Education and Years of Experience

• Bachelor's Degree and Ten Years’ Experience OR

• Masters' Degree and Eight Years’ Experience OR

• PhD and Two Years’ Experience

Preferred Education and Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree (e.g. PhD, MD, ScD, PharmD) in Epidemiology or related discipline, such as Outcomes Research, Medicine, Biostatistics from an accredited institution, with a minimum of 6+ years of relevant, post-graduation experience with doctoral training OR Master’s degree (e.g. MSc) in Epidemiology or related discipline, such as Outcomes Research, Medicine, Biostatistics from an accredited institution with 8+ years of relevant experience with Master’s training.

• Deep understanding of observational study design and causal inference, real‑world data sources, bias, confounding, and sensitivity analyses.

• Understanding of the RWE regulatory landscape preferred.

• Experience in working with international data sets and/or Common Data Models (e.g., OMOP) preferred.

• Strong technical reading, writing and communication skills

• Prior corporate experience in hematology/oncology therapeutic area is highly preferred-Minimum of four (4) years of professional experience in the biopharmaceutical industry

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:

Kite 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.

Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA.

NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT
YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

Kite Pharma 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.

Our environment respects individual differences and recognizes each employee as an integral member of our company. Our workforce reflects these values and celebrates the individuals who make up our growing team.

Kite Pharma provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.