Associate Director, Investor Relations (San Diego/Hybrid)

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity? At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients. Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible. Position Summary: The Associate Director, Investor Relations provides strategic and operational leadership for Illumina’s investor relations activities, operating within a highly matrixed global environment. This role directs key investor relations initiatives including earnings preparation, investor engagement, market intelligence, and shareholder analysis, while ensuring alignment with corporate strategy, financial performance, and regulatory disclosure standards. The position partners closely with executive leadership, finance, communications, legal, and commercial leaders to translate complex financial and scientific information into clear and credible messaging for the investment community. The Associate Director plays a critical role in shaping investor communications, synthesizing market insights, and advising senior leadership on investor sentiment, competitive positioning, and emerging market dynamics. In partnership with the Vice President and Director of Investor Relations, this role provides leadership for core investor relations programs and processes, ensuring consistent execution, operational effectiveness, and alignment with enterprise messaging and disclosure practices. This role exercises significant judgment in navigating complex and evolving business conditions, frequently interacting with senior management and external stakeholders. The position helps shape the activities and priorities of the investor relations team and external partners, ensuring consistent, high-quality engagement with investors, analysts, and other key market participants while contributing to the strategic direction of the investor relations function.   *This is a full-time role, Monday through Friday, with an expectation of 2-3 in-office days per week and additional on-site presence as needed. The individual must reside in the San Diego, CA area and be able to commute to our corporate offices. Relocation assistance is available and should be completed within a six (6) month period or a mutually agreed upon time. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Investor Relations Strategy and Market Engagement Direct the execution of Illumina’s investor relations strategy in partnership with executive leadership, ensuring alignment between external messaging, corporate strategy, and financial performance. Engage with institutional investors and sell-side analysts, representing the company with credibility, accuracy, and consistency with disclosure standards. Analyze investor feedback, analyst commentary, and market sentiment to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, synthesizing insights for executive leadership and the Board where appropriate. Guide investor targeting strategies and shareholder ownership analysis to inform outreach priorities and long-term shareholder composition. Conduct peer benchmarking, disclosure analysis, and equity research monitoring to assess competitive positioning and evolving investor expectations. Earnings and Investor Communications Direct the planning, development, and cross-functional execution of quarterly earnings announcements, earnings calls, investor presentations, and investor day events. Direct the preparation and review of financial narratives, executive remarks, investor presentations, and Q&A materials in collaboration with finance, legal, and communications teams. Translate complex scientific, financial, and operational information—including next-generation sequencing (NGS) and multi-omics advancements—into clear and relevant investor messaging. Ensure accuracy, consistency, and regulatory compliance of investor communications across public disclosures, presentations, and digital platforms. Operational Leadership and Execution Oversee key operational workstreams within the investor relations function, establishing priorities, improving processes, and ensuring delivery of high-quality outputs. Serve as a strategic thought partner to investor relations team members to ensure consistency, quality, and professional development. Manage relationships with external partners and vendors, including investor relations advisory firms, financial data providers, and shareholder analytics services. Drive continuous improvement of investor relations processes, systems, and analytical tools to enhance the effectiveness and scalability of the function. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Strategic Insight Partner with finance, strategy, communications, and legal teams to ensure alignment of messaging, data integrity, and disclosure controls. Provide strategic insights to senior leadership regarding investor expectations, market perceptions, and competitive dynamics. Support executive leadership in preparation for investor meetings, conferences, and external engagement activities. Contribute to leadership discussions by synthesizing financial, scientific, and market information into actionable recommendations that support enterprise decision making. Key Competencies: Strategic Thinking – Ability to interpret financial performance, market trends, and investor sentiment to inform leadership decisions and shape external communications. Executive Communication – Exceptional ability to develop and deliver clear, credible messaging for senior executives and the investment community. Financial Acumen – Deep understanding of financial statements, capital markets, valuation frameworks, and investor expectations. Complex Problem Solving – Ability to navigate ambiguous or highly complex issues where multiple variables and stakeholders are involved. Influence and Stakeholder Management – Ability to persuade and influence senior leaders and cross-functional partners in sensitive or complex situations. Cross-Functional Leadership – Proven ability to operate effectively in a highly matrixed global environment with multiple functional partners. Operational Leadership – Ability to direct priorities, manage workstreams, and improve operational effectiveness within the investor relations function. Market and Industry Insight – Strong understanding of the life sciences and genomics landscape, including competitive dynamics and emerging trends. Leadership Responsibilities: This role serves as a key leader within the Investor Relations function and broader organization. The role provides strategic guidance, insights, and mentorship to Investor Relations team members, helping shape priority, support professional growth, and promotion consistency and quality in team deliverables. This position contributes to hiring, onboarding, and other people-related initiatives in alignment with company policies, values, and evolving workplace expectations. The Associate Director may also oversee the work of external advisors and vendors and provide direction to cross-functional partners contributing to investor relations deliverables.   Minimum Qualifications: Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Life Sciences, or a related field required. Advanced degree strongly preferred, such as a PhD, MD, MBA, or Master’s degree in a relevant discipline. Scientific training in fields such as biology, chemistry, molecular biology, genomics, bioinformatics, or other life sciences disciplines is particularly valued. Approximately 15 years of relevant professional experience in investor relations, equity research, investment banking, consulting, corporate finance, or a related function within the life sciences, biotechnology, diagnostics, healthcare, or technology sectors. Advanced scientific training (e.g., PhD or equivalent) may be considered comparable to a portion of professional experience where the role requires deep technical or scientific subject matter expertise. Demonstrated experience engaging with investors, analysts, and senior leadership on topics related to financial performance, corporate strategy, market positioning, and scientific or technological developments. Experience preparing and presenting executive-level financial and investor communications, including earnings materials, investor presentations, and market analyses. Preferred Credentials MBA, CFA designation, or equivalent advanced financial training. Experience within the life sciences, biotechnology, genomics, or healthcare industries. Background in or familiarity with scientific disciplines such as genomics, molecular biology, bioinformatics, or multi-omics technologies. Experience working directly with institutional investors and sell-side analysts. Familiarity with financial and investor relations platforms such as Bloomberg, FactSet, Nasdaq IR Insight, or similar systems. Experience using data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI and integrating advanced analytics or AI-enabled tools into workflows. Other Requirements Ability to operate effectively within a highly matrixed global organization and collaborate across multiple business functions. Flexibility to work across multiple time zones as business demands require. Ability to travel domestically and internationally as required. Anticipated travel: approximately 10% of the time. Valid passport and ability to obtain international travel documentation as required. #LI-HYBRID The estimated base salary range for the Associate Director, Investor Relations (San Diego/Hybrid) role based in the United States of America is: $170,600 - $255,800. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s qualifications, location where the role is to be performed, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off. We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.