For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors:
Please log onto your Internal Career Site ( to apply for this job.
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 a Senior Manager of Event Planning to lead the design and implementation of small, medium, and large-scale internally driven US events, including, but not limited to, the National Meeting, Managers Meetings, leadership meetings, department off-sites, teambuilding events and employee appreciation events. Reporting to the Director of US Event Planning, the Senior Manager, will be responsible for the implementation and coordination of all event planning functions, including collaborations with key internal stakeholders and external vendors, to ensure operational excellence and high-level outcomes are met.
This opportunity can based out of Kite’s Santa Monica, CA Headquarters (Santa Monica, CA – our preference) or Gilead’s Headquarters (Foster City, CA) or, for the ideal candidate, based remotely exclusively within the state of California.
Responsibilities of the Senior Manager of Event Planning include:
Independently manage all aspects of execution for Kite’s US Commercial, Sales, Managed Markets, Medical and other cross-functional meetings
Manage the logistics for key conventions and conferences, including storing all documentation in the appropriate SharePoint site
Provide internal cross-functional leadership for all aspects of event development and execution, including but not limited to, venue sourcing, site selection, hotel/vendor contract negotiations, budget management, attendee/logistics communications, producing creative assets, coordinating ground transportation, researching teambuilding activities for off-sites, menu planning, coordinating room set ups, audio-visual/production and researching swag
Interact regularly with senior stakeholders and executives, understand their goals and targets for various events and take a proactive approach to planning and executing current and future events
Develop and implement event timelines and action plans in collaboration with cross-functional partners and vendors
Produce communications pre-during-post event life cycle, create surveys, conduct debriefs, where applicable, identify areas of opportunity and drive recommendations
Manage the creation of SOWs (Statement of Work)
Create cost estimates, where applicable, develop budgets, manage reconciliations, process invoices and handle the cross-charge process for internal stakeholders
Experience managing and providing strategic guidance to logistics partners, production companies and other event partners
Establish deep collaborative partnerships with the US Commercial, Marketing, Sales, CL&D, Medical, Market Access and the Gilead internal Meetings & Convention Planning team
Ability and flexibility to travel (up to 50% domestically) and perform weekend and evening work
Basic Qualifications:
Doctorate degree
OR
MA / MS degree with 6+ years of experience
OR
BA / BS degree with 8+ years of experience
OR
Associates degree with 10+ years of experience
OR
High School Diploma / GED and 12+ years of experience
Preferred Qualifications:
BS or BA degree in Event Management or in Hospitality & Tourism Management
Significant meeting management experience, preferably in the Oncology, Biotechnology, or Pharmaceutical industry; convention management experience desired
Possess an understanding of the pharmaceutical/biotech environment
Strong experience in negotiating hotel and other vendor contracts
Excellent experience in agency/vendor management with logistics, audio-visual and production companies
Demonstrated ability to persuade by communicating with excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills to influence senior management and establish effective working relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders
Experience working with C level executives
Excellent organizational/time management skills and demonstrated ability to manage planning/execution of small, medium, and large-scale internally driven events
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with and lead cross-functional partners during event planning process
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) desired
Resourceful, self-starter; detail-oriented and have the ability to multi-task
Flexible in a fast-paced setting with competing and ever-changing tasks and calm under pressure
Proficient in Microsoft Office suite; comfortable embracing new technologies and digital tools, such as, mobile app technologies, SharePoint, Survey Monkey and Cvent
Does this sound like you? If so, please apply today!
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The salary range for this position is: $130,220.00 - $168,520.00. 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:
- 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. For more information on Kite, please visit . Sign up to follow @KitePharma on Twitter at .
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As an equal opportunity employer, Gilead Sciences Inc. is committed to a diverse workforce. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact for assistance.
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Gilead 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 log onto your Internal Career Site ( to apply for this job.
Change The World With Us
Everyone at Kite is grounded by one common goal – curing cancer. Every day, we aim to establish a direct line between that purpose and our day-to-day work.
We are creating Kite together, with the recognition that the best teams are built by the best people. We maintain an attitude of curiosity, and creativity with each challenge as we develop a new market for cancer therapies. We appreciate and respect one another, and most importantly, we don’t take success for granted.
While we’ve come a long way to make what others viewed as impossible, possible, we know one thing is certain. Today is just the beginning.