Executive Director, Neuroscience External Innovation

Bristol Myers Squibb; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 264,000 - 319,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing support

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Disability insurance

Job summary

Bristol Myers Squibb is seeking an Executive Director for Neuroscience external innovation within Integrative Sciences, focusing on identifying and advancing high-value external opportunities in neurology and related diseases.

This senior role represents Neuroscience to internal teams and external partners, leads cross-functional diligence, and shapes collaboration plans, governance, and strategic execution across Research, Business Development, and Alliance Management. Travel ~30%.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent advanced scientific training in neuroscience, CNS biology, or a related discipline relevant to nervous system diseases.
• 10+ years of drug discovery and/or early development experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with deep, hands-on expertise in neuroscience research.
• Strong understanding of neurology, neuropsychiatry, neuromuscular, or specialty neurological disease biology.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate external scientific opportunities, including academic collaborations, biotech partnerships, platform technologies, and pre-IND or IND-stage assets.
• Experience shaping external collaboration plans — scientific objectives, work plans, milestones, governance structures, decision points, and success measures.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to represent Neuroscience external innovation and the broader Integrative Sciences mission to internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Communicate internal Neuroscience Research priorities to the Integrative Sciences group and align external search and triage with Research principles and the Therapeutic Area strategy.
• Lead the Neuroscience triage process within Integrative Sciences, enabling disciplined evaluation of opportunities.
• Identify, evaluate, and advance neuroscience opportunities — academic collaborations, biotech partnerships, platform technologies, and pre-IND/IND assets.
• Form and lead cross-functional diligence teams for opportunity evaluation and provide expert scientific opinion during reviews.
• Partner with Search & Evaluation and Business Development to accelerate prioritized opportunities within budgets.
• Work with Research Finance to ensure activities are aligned with budgets.

Skills

PhD in neuroscience or related

Strategic leadership

External collaborations

Science communication

Education

PhD or equivalent advanced scientific training

Job description

Bristol Myers Squibb is seeking an Executive Director for Neuroscience external innovation within Integrative Sciences, focusing on identifying and advancing high-value external opportunities in neurology and related diseases.

This senior role represents Neuroscience to internal teams and external partners, leads cross-functional diligence, and shapes collaboration plans, governance, and strategic execution across Research, Business Development, and Alliance Management. Travel ~30%.