Senior BD Transactions Counsel

Bristol Myers Squibb; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 290,000 - 352,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible time off

Discretionary incentive cash and stock

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Bristol Myers Squibb seeks a highly experienced associate general counsel to lead BD Transactions, overseeing complex licensing, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and divestitures. You will manage due diligence, external counsel, and a high-caliber legal team across matrixed environments.

The role demands 15+ years in biopharma law, strong negotiation, leadership, and strategic judgment, with a focus on risk management and business alignment.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and admission to a state bar.
• Minimum 15 years of legal experience in the biopharmaceutical/life sciences industry.
• Strong working knowledge of deal structures, development and commercialization models, and the regulatory environment.
• Track record of leading large, complex, high-risk transactions and advising senior executives.
• Leadership experience managing senior attorneys and/or managers in a matrixed environment.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional judgment and strategic thinking, with the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills; able to influence and advise senior stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and risk assessment skills, with demonstrated effectiveness in cross-functional, matrixed organizations.
• High integrity and commitment to BMS values.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute the legal strategy for BD Transactions, aligned with priorities and risk tolerance.
• Serve as a senior advisor to Business Development on complex transaction structures.
• Anticipate deal trends, regulatory developments, and industry dynamics; proactively position the organization to address legal and business risk.
• Oversee structuring, drafting, and negotiation of high-value, high-complexity BD transactions (licensing, collaborations, M&A, equity investments, divestitures).
• Own the due diligence model for complex BD transactions, defining scope, escalation, and coordination with IP, litigation, antitrust, regulatory, tax, and other teams.
• Select and manage external counsel, scoping engagements, negotiating fees, and managing legal spend.
• Own the transaction legal support model, including deal intake, staffing, escalation, and negotiation standards.
• Lead and develop a team of BD Transactions attorneys; foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive performance management and talent development.
• Hold accountability for enterprise-level legal exposure from the portfolio, including escalation strategies.
• Set the organizational capability agenda for BD Transactions (templates, playbooks, training, continuous improvement).
• Apply strong business acumen to navigate matrixed structures.
• Deliver practical, service-oriented legal advice aligned with BMS mission and values.

Skills

Executive presence

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Education

J.D. degree and admission to a state bar

Job description

Bristol Myers Squibb seeks a highly experienced associate general counsel to lead BD Transactions, overseeing complex licensing, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, and divestitures. You will manage due diligence, external counsel, and a high-caliber legal team across matrixed environments.

The role demands 15+ years in biopharma law, strong negotiation, leadership, and strategic judgment, with a focus on risk management and business alignment.