Executive Director, Research – Integrative Sciences — Neuroscience

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

At Bristol Myers Squibb, our employees often ask, “Who are you working for?”—a question that fuels collaboration, accountability, and urgency in our work. Our purpose-driven culture inspires us to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines to prevail over serious diseases. We offer uniquely interesting and meaningful work, opportunities for growth, and a supportive environment that values inclusion, wellbeing, flexibility, and comprehensive benefits. This is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it.

About Integrative Sciences

Integrative Sciences is the external innovation engine of BMS Research. The group identifies and shapes collaborations with biotech, academic, platform, and venture partners that complement internal Discovery and Early Development priorities. Integrative Sciences connects Research strategy with external opportunity flow, working closely with Business Development, Global Alliance Management, Thematic Research Centers, and Therapeutic Area leadership to convert promising science into decision-ready, industry-workable collaborations. The group is expected to source strategically, triage rigorously, shape executable collaboration plans, manage scientific relationships effectively, and ensure external innovation strengthens the BMS pipeline and the broader Research operating system.

Position Summary

The Executive Director is a senior leader within Integrative Sciences focused on neuroscience external innovation, and serves as a key interface across Global Research, Early Development, Business Development, Alliance Management, and external collaboration partners. The role is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and advancing high-value external scientific opportunities, collaborations, and assets in neurology, neuropsychiatry, neuromuscular, and specialty neurological diseases.

The Executive Director will represent Neuroscience and BMS as required as a member of 1) internal research teams partnering with the Neuroscience Thematic Research Center (TRC), 2) Global Project Teams in the clinical development of internal Neuroscience assets and 3) the discovery and development Joint Executive Committees, Joint Scientific Committees, Joint Research Committees in external blended partnership programs and projects.

When required, the Executive Director will ensure timely completion of disclosures, publications and manuscripts related to these activities.

Where appropriate the Executive Director will participate in Site Leadership teams and lead governance of site activities such as IACUC.

Where appropriate, the Executive Director may serve as a Board Observer, or in other relevant governance roles, for external neuroscience companies on behalf of BMS.

This position sits within the BMS Research organization and reports to the U.S. Head of Integrative Sciences. Travel is approximately 30%, domestic and international. The location is San Diego, CA (SD) or Cambridge, MA (CMX); remote arrangements will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Opportunity Triage

• Communicate internal Neuroscience Research pipeline priorities to the Integrative Sciences group, and align external search, evaluation, and triage activities with BMS Research principles and the Enterprise Neuroscience Therapeutic Area strategy.
• Lead the Neuroscience triage process within Integrative Sciences, ensuring disciplined, criteria-driven evaluation of external opportunities.
• Identify, evaluate, and bring forward neuroscience opportunities — academic collaborations, biotech partnerships, platform technologies, and pre-IND or IND-stage assets — that add to or complement the internal pipeline.
• Form and lead cross-functional diligence teams for the evaluation of Integrative Sciences collaboration opportunities, and provide expert scientific opinion during Business Development reviews and due diligence.
• Partner with Search & Evaluation and Business Development transaction leads to advance prioritized opportunities on disciplined, accelerated timelines.
• Work with Research Finance to ensure activities are aligned, captured, and approved within Research budgets.

Collaboration Design and Execution

• Contribute to the design and execution of a blended external innovation strategy spanning corporate and academic collaborations.
• Shape opportunities into practical collaboration plans with clear scientific objectives, work plans, milestones, governance structures, decision points, and success measures.
• Advise on collaboration structures and contract development as the scientific lead, working closely with Business Development, transaction leads, Legal, and IP.

Governance, Representation, and Communication

• Serve on joint governance committees and oversight bodies established to coordinate agreed research plans with academic and industry partners, ensuring collaborations remain scientifically focused and operationally accountable.
• Represent Integrative Sciences, as appropriate, to other BMS organizations, regulatory agencies, investors, partners, and the broader scientific community.
• Communicate regularly to internal client and partner groups — and their leadership — on external research activities and progress.
• Compose progress reports and decision documentation for senior management, and deliver presentations and briefings on the scientific and organizational activities within the area of responsibility.

Leadership

• Model scientific leadership, collaborative behavior, and an enterprise mindset across Research and Integrative Sciences, consistent with BMS values.

Qualifications

Required

• 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, with the ability to assess external opportunities against BMS Research priorities.
• 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 — and negotiating them with external partners.
• 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.

Preferred

• Track record of advancing therapeutic programs toward IND stage or beyond, with knowledge of the scientific, translational, and operational requirements for decision‑ready programs.
• Experience working across Research, Early Development, Business Development, Alliance Management, Legal, IP, Finance, Thematic Research Centers, and Therapeutic Area leadership — or equivalent cross‑functional structures — to support disciplined opportunity triage and execution.
• Strong capability in building productive relationships, setting clear expectations, and keeping collaboration structures scientifically focused and operationally accountable.
• Understanding of the financial, legal, contractual, and geographic considerations that affect external research collaborations, including non‑U.S. partnerships.

Compensation Overview

$263,500 - $319,300

The starting pay range(s) listed above is for full‑time employees (FTE). You may also be eligible for additional discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities. We determine starting pay thoughtfully – carefully considering the nature of the role, required skills, work location, schedule and the knowledge and experience you bring. Final compensation is guided by pay equity principles and applicable employment laws. Compensation programs are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted over time to reflect evolving market factors, and individual, team or Company performance.

Benefits

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, you may be eligible to participate in our comprehensive benefit plans – including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and insurance offerings (medical, dental, vision, life and disability).

U.S.-based exempt employees are eligible for Flexible Time Off (FTO), which provides paid time off without a set accrual limit, subject to manager approval, along with 11 paid company holidays each year.

Non‑exempt employees, RayzeBio employees, and employees located in Puerto Rico receive 160 hours of paid vacation annually for new hires (subject to manager approval), 11 paid company holidays, and 3 optional holidays.

Depending on eligibility, employees may also have access to additional time‑off benefits, including paid sick leave, up to two paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, and leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, or military needs. Eligible employees also enjoy an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

U.S.-based job seekers can explore full benefit offerings at https://careers.bms.com/benefits

How We Work

Where you work matters – because collaboration, innovation and patient impact happen in many settings. Our roles are structured across four work models: site‑essential, site‑by‑design, field‑based and remote‑by‑design. The model assigned to this role is based on its core responsibilities. Learn more at https://careers.bms.com/ways-of-working.

Supporting People With Disabilities

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to [e-mail]. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

Candidate Rights

BMS will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

Data Protection

We will never request payments, financial information, or social security numbers during our application or recruitment process. Learn more about protecting yourself at https://careers.bms.com/fraud-protection.

Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations.

If this posting is missing required information required by local law or incorrect, contact BMS at [e-mail] with the Job Title and Requisition number. Do not send application‑related inquiries to this email. To check your application status, please login to your Candidate Home Account.