Associate Director, Global Congress Excellence, Congress Engagement

Bristol Myers Squibb • Princeton, NJ

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Congress Engagement is a key member of Bristol Myers Squibb’s Congress Excellence Team and helps shape the direction of the company’s congress initiatives. The role leads cross-functional collaboration and budget management, and owns strategic planning and coordination across the congress ecosystem, including sponsorship strategy, thought leader engagement, exhibition booth planning and content, educational activities, and pre- and post-congress deliverables.

The role champions effective execution, maintains best practices, drives continuous improvement through congress metrics, and translates insights into actionable outcomes. It cultivates strategic partnerships and collaborations to establish the Congress Excellence Team as a subject matter expert, align congress activities with organizational goals, and enhance the experience for customers and stakeholders. The position includes travel as needed for congress execution.

Requirements

• College degree required.
• Proven ability to lead without authority and influence across a matrix team.
• Excellent collaboration skills and a diplomatic approach.
• Ability to think strategically, communicate clearly, and negotiate with key stakeholders across a large cross-matrix team.
• Innovative mindset focused on simplification and doing things better, faster, and more cost-effectively.
• Proactive, resourceful, results-oriented, and self-directed, with the ability to work independently.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills, including the ability to handle multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines.
• Agility and the capacity to prioritize and make critical decisions quickly in a changing environment.
• Proven project planning and management skills, with strict adherence to timelines.
• Knowledge of global markets and stakeholders.
• Strength in communicating effectively with global audiences, in business situations, and with matrix partners.

Nice To Haves

• A minimum of seven years of congress management experience or relevant experience in pharmaceutical marketing and/or medical affairs is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic sponsorship planning and tactical execution, aligning internal teams and building relationships with external congress societies.
• Maintain accountability for BMS congress standards and consistent, high-quality congress execution.
• Support the Congress Excellence Director with functional planning, annual congress strategy setup, and development of strategy objectives.
• Execute the congress pre-planning operations roadmap and assist Senior Managers, Congress Operations and Planning as needed.
• Lead major congresses as an Engagement Lead or Tactical Lead while coordinating multiple Tier 1 and Tier 2 congresses.
• Support governance processes with the Congress Excellence Director and partner with Legal and Compliance to maintain compliance with applicable requirements.
• Lead and deliver congress communications and briefings.
• Work proactively with cross-functional colleagues throughout congress planning and execution to drive continuous improvement.
• Design and implement approaches to enhance the customer experience at congresses.
• Develop Thought Leader Encounter strategies with cross-functional teams and lead planning, coordination, and budget management for execution.
• Lead booth exhibitions, including planning, materials development, staffing, and budget management.
• Model BMS behaviors and company values.
• Travel as needed for congress execution.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit plans, including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• Flexible Time Off for eligible U.S.-based exempt employees, subject to manager approval.
• Paid company holidays.
• Additional time-off benefits may include 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 may receive an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• Eligible employees may have access to discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director