Senior Director, M&A and BD&L

Bristol Myers Squibb EU Policy; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 234,000 - 283,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Time Off

11 paid company holidays

Vacation time for new hires

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Bristol Myers Squibb is seeking a Senior Director, M&A and BD&L in Princeton, NJ, to lead and execute high-impact external transactions. You will structure, negotiate, and close deals such as mergers, licensing, and divestitures, collaborating with executive leadership and cross-functional partners.

The role requires deep M&A/BD&L expertise, strong financial and strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor junior colleagues while influencing senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, advanced business or science degree strongly preferred.
• MBA/JD/PhD or equivalent highly preferred for senior leadership in external transactions.
• Experience in biotech or pharmaceutical corporate development, including M&A and licensing.

Responsibilities

• Lead and negotiate significant transactions including M&A, licensing, and divestitures.
• Manage deal process from initial contact to definitive agreements.
• Partner with therapeutic area leads to execute external asset strategies.
• Present analyses to senior stakeholders and support governance approvals.
• Build external relationships with banks, law firms, and partner companies.

Skills

M&A & BD&L experience

Financial analysis

Valuation

Negotiations

Strategy development

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA/JD/PhD preferred

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.

Position Summary

The Senior Director, M&A and BD&L will report to the Executive Director, M&A and BD&L and be a member of the organization responsible for executing external transactions to grow and complement BMS’ R&D portfolio. The individual will be responsible for structuring, negotiating and executing a variety of transaction types, including mergers & acquisitions, research collaborations, licensing, externalizations (out-licensing, spin-outs), divestitures and equity investments. This is a senior individual contributor role within the M&A and BD&L function, and the individual will be a key member of the M&A and BD&L team, working closely with the Leadership Team to support the function's overall performance. The Senior Director will manage their assigned work, lead the execution of significant transactions, and serve as a trusted representative of BMS in negotiations, internal governance, and strategic discussions. The Senior Director is expected to provide strong peer leadership across the team and may mentor more junior colleagues; direct people management experience is not required for this role but is considered a plus.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead (including structuring and negotiating) significant transactions on behalf of BMS, including M&A, licensing, and divestitures, under the guidance of the Executive Director; Drive the deal process from first contact with potential partners to execution of definitive agreements
• Support the M&A and BD&L Leadership team in managing the pipeline of M&A BD&L opportunities, contributing insights and analysis to inform strategic priorities, in partnership with R&D and Commercial colleagues
• Lead valuation, financial, and strategic analyses for assigned transactions, ensuring rigor and consistency in decision-making
• Partner with therapeutic area leads and other key personnel to define and execute strategies for acquiring/licensing external assets
• Serve as a skilled negotiator on assigned transactions, representing BMS's interests with rigor and professionalism
• Presents business rationale, analyses and proposals to senior stakeholders and supports the governance and approval process for assigned transactions end-to-end
• Build and maintain strong external relationships, including with investment banks, law firms, and target or partner company leadership
• Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the Executive Directors and SVP, M&A and BD&L on assigned transactions and strategic priorities
• Provide peer leadership and mentorship to junior members of the M&A and BD&L team; direct management of a team is not required but is a plus

Core Capabilities & Experience Desired

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA, JD, PhD or other advanced business or science degree very strongly preferred
• 12 years of relevant experience in biotech or pharmaceutical companies, including a strong track record of identifying, evaluating, and executing transactions; Must have significant experience in M&A and BD&L, investment banking, or corporate development
• Financial Acumen: Highly skilled in financial analysis, valuation, and structuring deals; contributes to rigor and consistency in financial decision-making across the function
• Negotiations & Contracting Proficiency: A skilled negotiator with a strong track record leading and closing complex transactions
• Business Judgement: Skilled at solving complex deal issues, exercising sound and independent judgment on significant decisions;
• Strong strategic thinker with a growing external network and point of view on the biopharmaceutical innovation landscape
• Peer Leadership & Process Management: Strong influence and collaboration skills; capable of leading through influence and mentoring colleagues without formal authority, and adept at cross-functional interactions across R&D, Commercial, Legal, Finance, and other partner functions
• People Leadership: direct experience managing is not required but is viewed favorably; eagerness to teach and coach junior team members is required
• Demonstrated presence and credibility with senior internal leaders and external stakeholders
• Consistently models BMS values and exercises sound, independent judgment on significant decisions

Compensation Overview

Princeton - NJ - US: $233,750 - $283,250

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] 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.

R1606083 : Senior Director, M&A and BD&L