Director, Functional Lead, Global Functional Center of Excellence

Bristol Myers Squibb • Madison, WI

5d • $213,300 - $258,468

About The Position

The Functional Lead provides strategic and functional leadership for the Global Trial Lead (GTL) organization across an assigned Therapeutic Area, TA cluster, or Pillar. The role builds and sustains GTL capability, leads talent and succession management, and aligns workforce capacity, skills, and deployment with portfolio and study needs in partnership with Operational Program Leaders (OPLs) and other stakeholders.

The role fosters an engaged GTL/GTA community, provides functional coaching and guidance, and establishes consistent functional standards, playbooks, and ways of working across therapeutic areas and geographies. It monitors functional performance and workforce trends, identifies systemic risks and capability gaps, and translates insights into actions to improve quality, efficiency, and trial execution.

The Functional Lead also provides strategic leadership for an enterprise-wide functional portfolio, such as Capability, Talent, Resource Management, Functional Excellence, Digital and Innovation, or Ways of Working, and contributes to the evolution of the GTL operating model. As a change leader and functional subject matter expert, the role champions continuous improvement, digital and AI-enabled transformation, and cross-functional initiatives that strengthen the scalability, consistency, and long-term effectiveness of the GTL function.

The position reports to the Head of Global Trial Functional Center. Its functional leadership scope includes GTLs across the full career ladder: GTL, Senior GTL, Associate Director GTL, and Director GTL. The role operates through defined decision rights with OPLs, TA Heads, the Operational Excellence process lead, and relevant department or function heads and their representatives. It partners with the GTL Resourcing Lead on demand-supply balancing and with enterprise functions on its assigned horizontal portfolio.

Requirements

• BA/BS in a relevant discipline.
• 12 or more years in pharmaceutical clinical development or clinical operations, including functional leadership of clinical trial professionals in a matrix environment.
• Demonstrated track record building capability systems at scale, including competency frameworks, structured upskilling programs, succession planning, and talent pipelines.
• Demonstrated clinical trial delivery process improvement experience.
• Hands-on experience with workforce planning, capacity analytics, and skill-based deployment models.
• Proven change leadership through organizational transformation, including hub build-up or operating-model transitions.
• Ability to manage global teams through indirect leadership within a matrix organization.
• Fluency in the GTL role end-to-end and the clinical trial delivery ecosystem sufficient to assess capability without assuming delivery accountability.
• Data-driven decision-making skills, including comfort with workforce analytics, study-level KPI frameworks, dashboarding, and trend interpretation.
• Digital and AI literacy sufficient to sponsor adoption within the function.
• Change agility, including the ability to anticipate opportunities, scan the environment, and lead change management.
• Ability to lead through influence across a matrix of OPLs, TA Heads, and enterprise partners while maintaining role boundaries with clarity and tact.
• Proficient English language skills.
• Travel requirement of up to 20%.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in life sciences or healthcare.
• Hands-on experience leading global trials.
• For expanded-scope assignments, experience influencing leaders and owning a function-wide or enterprise-level initiative.
• Experience establishing or operating a Center of Excellence, PMO, or equivalent enablement function.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute GTL capability strategies, including competency assessments, identification of skill gaps, targeted upskilling initiatives, and standardized best practices.
• Evolve GTL career architecture through career pathways, mentoring, cross-TA development opportunities, and future-ready workforce strategies that account for AI and automation.
• Collaborate with the OPL Line Manager on GTL capacity planning, skill-to-study matching, workload balancing, deployment, and rebalancing across an assigned TA, TA cluster, or Pillar.
• Translate portfolio demand and capacity forecasts into resource requirements, hiring plans, hub and location strategies, and future GTL capability requirements.
• Partner with OPLs to define annual core objectives for GTLs and adapt them to the priorities and operational requirements of individual trials.
• Lead development of an engaged GTL/GTA community through continuous learning, functional coaching and guidance, support for capability and resource challenges, and feedback loops across operational and matrix leadership teams.
• Develop, implement, and govern GTL functional standards, playbooks, and ways of working across therapeutic areas and geographies; harmonize processes and promote lessons learned and best practices.
• Oversee functional performance for the assigned Pillar by establishing and monitoring KPIs, analyzing trends, identifying systemic barriers and organizational risks, and leading targeted improvement initiatives.
• Partner with OPLs, GTL leadership, and cross-functional stakeholders to drive accountability, close feedback loops, and improve organizational effectiveness.
• Provide strategic leadership for enterprise-wide functional portfolios such as Talent, Capability, Functional Excellence, Resource Management, Digital and Innovation, or Ways of Working.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives and contribute to future operating models, workforce strategies, and investment priorities for the global GTL function.
• Champion transformation and innovation by driving adoption of digital solutions, AI-enabled capabilities, and simplified ways of working.
• Serve as a functional subject matter expert and change leader for process improvement initiatives; support departmental budgeting and resource planning.
• Partner with the Functional Head to define, implement, and sustain Centers of Excellence.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit plans, including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance offerings, subject to plan terms and eligibility.
• U.S.-based exempt employees are eligible for Flexible Time Off without a set accrual limit, subject to manager approval.
• 11 paid company holidays each year.
• For eligible non-exempt employees, RayzeBio employees, and employees located in Puerto Rico: 160 hours of paid vacation annually for new hires, subject to manager approval, 11 paid company holidays, and 3 optional holidays.
• Depending on eligibility, 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.
• May be eligible for additional discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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