Architect I

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 fulfill their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.

Job Description

Enterprise Architect Governance Lead

Level – 28/29

The Enterprise Architecture Governance Lead manages and executes the enterprise architecture decision-governance model. The role ensures that governance processes operate consistently; decisions are routed to the right people at the right level, and decision rights, approval authority, accountability, delegated authority and escalation paths are applied in practice. Governance is measured by reliable execution and the quality and business impact of decisions—not by the volume of reviews completed.

The role applies enterprise strategy and established architecture direction when coordinating material architecture decisions. It manages risk-based guardrails and the Architecture Review Board process, coordinates stakeholders, challenges incomplete or non-conforming submissions, facilitates resolution of cross-enterprise conflicts and ensures exceptions remain controlled, transparent and time-bound.

Working across business, application, data, integration, technology, security and solution architecture, the position coordinates how EA pillars contribute to enterprise decisions while preserving their accountable ownership. It also manages the operational connection between EA governance and capability-based planning, roadmaps, standards and reusable patterns, portfolio and lifecycle management, architecture repository and data governance, sourcing and product selection, control functions, assurance, reporting and continuous improvement.

Job Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture Governance Execution

Implement and administer enterprise-wide architecture decision rights, approval authorities, delegated authority, accountability and escalation paths so decisions are routed to the appropriate people at the appropriate level.

Apply enterprise strategy, business priorities, capability outcomes, strategic investments, target-state roadmaps and established architecture direction when coordinating material architecture decisions.

Operate risk-based governance policies, review tiers, decision thresholds, service levels and guardrails that fast-track conforming decisions while applying proportionate scrutiny to material deviations, trade-offs and risks.

Coordinate decision mechanisms for duplicate investments, competing standards, cross-domain dependencies, portfolio overlap and conflicting architecture priorities, escalating material trade-offs to the appropriate enterprise authority.

Architecture Review Board Leadership and Process Ownership

Manage and facilitate the enterprise Architecture Review Board, keeping attention on material architecture choices, enterprise risk, strategic alignment and technology investment decisions.

Serve as the accountable process manager for the end-to-end ARB lifecycle, including engagement triggers, intake, triage, review classification, decision, documentation, conditions, action tracking, exception management, closure and retention of decision evidence.

Maintain and administer the ARB charter, process documentation, policies, controls, roles, quorum, handoffs, service levels, templates, decision records, supporting guidance and performance measures.

Coordinate updates to the ARB operating model as enterprise direction, delivery models, regulatory expectations, organizational maturity and emerging technology risks evolve, obtaining approval from the appropriate owners.

Drive consistent ARB adoption across business units, domains, architects and delivery teams through communications, enablement, change management, stakeholder feedback and transparent reporting.

Strategic Investment, Standards and Exception Governance

Coordinate architecture engagement in strategic sourcing, product RFPs, vendor shortlisting, build-versus-buy decisions, renewals and major investments before commercial or technical commitments become difficult to reverse.

Administer the approval, adoption and lifecycle processes for enterprise standards, approved platforms, reusable patterns and reference architectures, using conformity to accelerate decisions and focus governance on material deviations.

Manage architecture exceptions in accordance with approved principles, ensuring accountable owners, justified business value, proportionate risk acceptance, review or expiry points and a path to resolution where needed.

Cross-Functional Process Integration and Assurance

Manage ARB touchpoints with portfolio and investment governance, intake and demand management, SDLC and delivery gates, strategic sourcing and Procurement, vendor due diligence, Security, Privacy, Responsible AI, Legal, Quality/GxP, change governance and technology lifecycle processes.

Coordinate triggers, prerequisites, data requirements, handoffs, sequencing, decision dependencies, evidence exchange and escalation paths with accountable process owners, resolving operational gaps, duplication and conflicting requirements while preserving each function’s independent authority.

Coordinate participation by relevant control functions at the appropriate decision points and ensure unresolved material security, privacy, Responsible AI, legal, quality and compliance risks are visible to accountable enterprise authorities.

Decision Accountability and Governance Effectiveness

Maintain clear ownership records for decisions, conditions of approval, risk acceptance, waivers, unresolved concerns and follow-through, and coordinate closure with accountable decision makers.

Monitor governance effectiveness through decision quality, enterprise alignment, timely outcomes, reuse, reduced avoidable risk and rework, portfolio simplification and completion of approved actions—not review or approval volume alone.

Analyze recurring decision patterns, audit findings, exceptions, performance evidence, stakeholder feedback and emerging risks, and recommend improvements to policies, controls, decision rights, standards and governance practices.

Identify process friction, control gaps, recurring rework and automation opportunities, and manage approved improvements that make the governance journey simpler, faster, traceable and more effective.

Partner closely with the Enterprise Architecture Operations Lead to translate approved governance direction, policy, decision rights, risk-based guardrails and improvement priorities into executable operating plans, processes, measures and communications; coordinate delivery, resolve operational issues and review evidence of performance and follow-through.

Governance Across Enterprise Architecture Pillars

Manage governance expectations, decision interfaces and accountability across business, application, data, integration, technology, security and solution architecture; capability-based planning and roadmaps; standards and r