Senior Manager, Research Program Management

Working with Us
Challenging. Meaningful. Life-changing. Those aren’t words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it. You’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high-achieving teams. Take your career farther than you thought possible.

Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.

Position Summary

We are seeking an accomplished Research Program Manager (Senior Manager level) to join our dynamic Research organization. This role will support multiple complex, cross-functional research programs and bring strategic AI/LLM expertise to transform how we manage programs and operate as a project management organization. Reporting to the Director of Research Program Management, the senior manager will support programs that span early discovery through development candidate identification and recommendation for development.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Leadership
  • Partner closely with Research Program Leaders and Team Leads to execute program strategies, integrating cross-functional plans, and guiding programs from early discovery stages through the development phase.
  • Provide leadership to research core teams to develop presentations and updates for therapeutic areas and governance forums. Prepare and advise teams on governance expectations and key decision-making points.
  • Accountable for the development of integrated, cross-functional project timelines, defining operational strategies, managing timelines, and executing risk assessment and mitigation plans.
  • Provide an independent voice in shaping project strategy to drive optimal decisions with a focus on broader portfolio value and science-based business decisions.
  • Partner with Drug Development Program Managers, Global Program Leaders, and strategic partners to form transition teams and deliver strong data packages and forward-looking clinical plans.
  • Foster and monitor the health and operating efficiency of high-performing teams. Lead the creation of operating principles, ensuring cross-functional input and accountability.
  • Ensure key issues and decisions are effectively communicated to stakeholders across research and development functions.
  • Ensure appropriate resourcing of research teams in preparation for the transition into the development phase.
  • Facilitate effective business decisions by generating multiple development scenarios and options, highlighting interdependencies and downstream impacts of strategic decisions.
  • Coach project team members to drive excellence and accountability, serving as a Change Agent to spearhead continuous improvements and transformational initiatives within the program management function.

• AI/LLM Strategy & Integration –
  • Apply publicly available AI/LLM tools (for example: ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot) and enterprise/Research AI platforms to enhance program management workflows, decision-making, and knowledge management.
  • Serve as a power user of LLM tools for the project management team, identifying best practices, training peers, and surfacing user feedback to enterprise product teams for continuous improvement.
  • Pilot and refine use cases where AI/LLM solutions can enhance research planning, reporting, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Mentor program managers and project team leaders on leveraging AI/LLM for research workflows, literature synthesis, and experimental design support
  • Stay at the forefront of AI, LLM, and digital transformation trends in R&D; assess and pilot emerging tools relevant to scientific research.

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree in life sciences, computational sciences, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in biotech/pharmaceutical/health care industry, including at least 1+ year in project management or leadership of cross-functional matrix teams
• Demonstrated competency in early phase drug development, a solid understanding of disease area and early phase drug development pathway with the ability to fa