Associate Director, Intelligence Systems Lab

Bristol Myers Squibb • Princeton, NJ

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role leads research into the principles of intelligence and architects advanced agentic AI systems grounded in rigorous evaluation science. The Associate Director is responsible for advancing the lab's understanding of reasoning, planning, memory, and generalization in AI agents, while establishing benchmarking methodologies that set the standard for agent evaluation. This position is pivotal in shaping the strategic direction of intelligence systems research and implementing advanced frameworks that accelerate insight generation across Commercial, Manufacturing, Clinical Development, and Research functions.

Requirements

• BA/BS required (quantitative area of study such as Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Cognitive Science, or Engineering preferred).
• Proficiency in Python (R or Julia), with experience in ML frameworks (Scikit-Learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.)
• Experience with agentic AI frameworks (Strands, LangGraph, AutoGen, DSPy, CrewAI, or similar).
• Experience with LLMs, prompt engineering, and RAG architectures.
• Strong background in benchmarking and evaluation methodologies for AI systems.
• Proficiency in SQL and familiarity with cloud-based environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Experience with Git, MLOps practices, and containerization technologies.
• Strong foundation in experimental design, statistical analysis, and research methodology.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to explain complex research and analyses to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in data science, machine learning, AI development, or AI research.
• Proven experience in leading complex research or development projects with multi-functional team members.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. or other graduate degree preferred.
• Experience presenting at conferences or publishing research preferred.
• Experience leading research initiatives or technical teams preferred.
• Experience with pharmaceutical or life sciences industry preferred.

Responsibilities

• Research Leadership and Framework Architecture: Lead research initiatives exploring foundational principles of intelligence, including reasoning, planning, memory, and generalization in AI systems. Architect frameworks for agent cognition, abstraction, goal decomposition, and adaptive planning; establish design principles for multi-agent systems. Define research hypotheses and experimental agendas that advance the lab's understanding of intelligent behavior in artificial systems. Synthesize academic literature and industry advances to shape the lab's technical roadmap for reasoning and cognitive architectures. Publish findings and represent the lab's research at internal forums and external conferences.
• Benchmarking and Evaluation Science Leadership: Lead the development of benchmarking and evaluation science for AI agents, establishing rigorous methodologies to assess reasoning, planning, and generalization. Define evaluation frameworks and success criteria for multi-agent systems across diverse enterprise use cases. Oversee the creation of test harnesses, evaluation datasets, and measurement standards. Ensure experimental rigor and reproducibility across all benchmarking activities. Set the strategic direction for how the organization measures and validates agent intelligence.
• Agentic AI Development and Implementation: Lead the design and development of multi-agent AI systems using frameworks such as Strands, LangGraph, DSPy, and similar agentic architectures. Oversee development of RAG applications, knowledge graphs, and conversational AI solutions informed by research insights. Drive the implementation of autonomous workflows and decision systems that demonstrate advances in agent reasoning. Ensure solutions reflect the latest research in planning, memory, and generalization capabilities
• Rapid Prototyping and Innovation: Translate research concepts into working prototypes and production-ready demonstrations. Apply ROI-first evaluation approaches to prioritize high-impact research initiatives. Identify opportunities to deploy next-generation reasoning and planning capabilities across the enterprise. Lead documentation efforts for research findings, experimental results, and technical methodologies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with analytics and business stakeholders across Commercial, GPS/Manufacturing, Clinical Development, and Research functions to translate research into business value. Collaborate with IT, data engineering, and platform teams to ensure research prototypes are deployable on enterprise infrastructure. Translate complex AI research insights into actionable recommendations for technical and non-technical stakeholders. Represent the Intelligence Systems Lab in enterprise-wide AI initiatives and strategic planning.
• Team Development and Best Practices: Mentor and develop data scientists and researchers within the team; build a culture of scientific rigor and intellectual curiosity. Establish governance frameworks and best practices for agent evaluation, benchmarking science, and research methodology. Lead knowledge sharing through internal presentations, publications, and collaborative research initiatives. Shape team capabilities and hiring strategies to advance the lab's research mission.

Benefits

• Medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision care.
• Programs such as BMS Well-Being Account, BMS Living Life Better, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
• 401(k) plan, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, accident insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection, personal liability protection, identity theft benefit, legal support, and survivor support.
• Paid Time Off US Exempt Employees: flexible time off (unlimited, with manager approval, 11 paid national holidays (not applicable to employees in Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico or Rayzebio employees)
• Phoenix, AZ, Puerto Rico and Rayzebio Exempt, Non-Exempt, Hourly Employees: 160 hours annual paid vacation for new hires with manager approval, 11 national holidays, and 3 optional holidays
• Based on eligibility, additional time off for employees may include unlimited paid sick time, up to 2 paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military needs and an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas and New Years Day.

What This Job Offers

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