Associate Director, Succession and Assessment Strategy

Bristol Myers Squibb • Princeton, NJ

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Succession & Assessments serves as a key leader in building frameworks to drive leadership continuity, executive readiness, and long‑term workforce sustainability. This role leads the strategy and design of enterprise succession planning, executive assessment, and strategic workforce planning initiatives. This position reports to the Senior Director, Enterprise Talent Processes and Enablement. Partnering closely with senior HR leaders, Talent Partners and business stakeholders, this role ensures the organization has clear visibility into leadership pipelines, critical roles, and future capability needs. The Associate Director integrates data, assessments, and workforce insights to support thoughtful, equitable, and forward‑looking talent decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 7+ years of experience in succession planning, executive assessment, workforce planning, or related talent disciplines.
• Strong expertise in succession frameworks, critical role identification, and leadership readiness evaluation.
• Experience working with executive assessments and coaching providers.
• Familiarity with HR systems (Workday preferred), reporting, and talent analytics.
• Proven ability to partner with senior leaders and facilitate high‑stakes talent discussions.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Able to manage multiple, interdependent initiatives with strong execution and attention to detail.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity while driving clarity and alignment.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s in HR, Organizational Psychology, or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and evolution of enterprise succession planning and succession pool strategy across executive and enterprise critical roles.
• Define and maintain clear succession frameworks, criteria, and readiness definitions that support consistent and effective succession planning.
• Partner with Executive Talent Partners, HR Business Partners and functional leaders to identify and align critical roles and capabilities essential to business continuity and future growth.
• Identify, design and implement critical pipeline development and engagement experience.
• Ensure functional succession plans are aligned with enterprise standards while reflecting unique business needs.
• Design and implement succession planning discussion tools and resources to ensure ETM’s ability to translate insights into actionable development and risk mitigation plans.
• Own succession data governance, reporting, and analytics to provide clear visibility into bench strength, readiness, and leadership risk.
• Partner with HR Operations and Technology to configure and optimize Workday succession and talent planning functionality.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and insights that support executive decision‑making and workforce planning conversations.
• Ensure data accuracy, consistency, and usability across succession and talent planning processes.
• Lead the strategy and design of assessment approaches, including discovery, tool selection, and application across leadership populations.
• Ensure assessments are purpose‑driven, evidence‑based, and aligned with leadership expectations and succession needs.
• Translate assessment insights into development priorities and coaching recommendations.
• Own executive coaching vendor management, including selection, contracting, oversight, and quality assurance.
• Partner with Learning, Talent, and HR Business Partners to integrate assessment and coaching insights into development and succession strategies.

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.

What This Job Offers

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