Associate Director, R&D IT Portfolio Delivery Lead

Bristol Myers Squibb • Princeton, NJ

1d

About The Position

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. Summary: The Associate Director, R&D BI&IT Portfolio Delivery Lead, is responsible for leading the delivery and management of the R&D BI&IT project portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and optimal resource utilization. This role will oversee project execution, financial management, and stakeholder engagement to drive successful outcomes for BMS’s R&D objectives. The Associate Director will maintain portfolio governance, resource allocation, risk management, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on Agile principles to support successful Portfolio execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Proven experience in managing complex IT project portfolios within a research or pharmaceutical environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and tracking expenditures for both investment projects and ongoing operational support.
• 8+ years of experience in IT project management.
• At least 3 years in a portfolio or program management role, ideally within pharmaceutical research or life sciences, preferred.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical industry regulations and compliance requirements (e.g., GxP, FDA, GDPR).
• Proven track record of successfully delivering complex IT projects and portfolios on time and within budget, with hands-on experience in Agile environments.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and scaling Agile methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) across teams and portfolios.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with project management and Agile tools (e.g., Jira)
• Ability to influence and drive change in a matrixed, global organization.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

Nice To Haves

• PMP, PgMP, Agile certification (e.g., Certified ScrumMaster, SAFe Agilist) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the management and delivery of the R&D IT project portfolio, ensuring alignment with the prioritized Book of Work (BOW) and supporting effective decision-making and resource allocation.
• Build trusted partnerships with IT Leadership, Product Managers, and cross-functional stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and drive portfolio success
• Serve as the primary contact for portfolio-level updates, ensuring clear and transparent communication and translating technical information into business-relevant insights
• Manage financial for both investment projects and ongoing operational (run) support, including budgeting, forecasting, and tracking expenditures to ensure optimal use of resources and value delivery.
• Oversee project planning, execution, monitoring, and closure, ensuring adherence to best practices, regulatory requirements, and that projects remain within scope, schedule, and budget.
• Establish and monitor portfolio-level risks, issues, and dependencies, ensuring timely resolution and escalation as needed.
• Support consistent use of project and program management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) and collaborate with stakeholders to define scope, budget, timeline and success criteria.
• Serve as a coach and escalation point for project managers, enabling delivery excellence and risk mitigation.
• Manage objectives and key results to assess portfolio health and value realization, track key performance indicators, and provide regular status updates to R&D IT leadership.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by implementing lessons learned and feedback loops.
• Ensure compliance with pharmaceutical industry regulations and BMS policies throughout project delivery.

Benefits

• Health Coverage: Medical, pharmacy, dental, and vision care.
• Wellbeing Support: Programs such as BMS Well-Being Account, BMS Living Life Better, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP).
• Financial Well-being and Protection: 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.
• Work-life benefits include: 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. All global employees full and part-time who are actively employed at and paid directly by BMS at the end of the calendar year are eligible to take advantage of the Global Shutdown.
• Eligibility Disclosure: The summer hours program is for United States (U.S.) office-based employees due to the unique nature of their work. Summer hours are generally not available for field sales and manufacturing operations and may also be limited for the capability centers. Employees in remote-by-design or lab-based roles may be eligible for summer hours, depending on the nature of their work, and should discuss eligibility with their manager. Employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement should consult that document to determine if they are eligible. Contractors, leased workers and other service providers are not eligible to participate in the program.

What This Job Offers

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