Executive Director, Strategy & Operations - Neuroscience Commercialization

Bristol Myers Squibb • Princeton, NJ

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is part of the Neuroscience Leadership Team (NLT) and reports to the SVP, Neuroscience Commercialization. The Exec. Director, Strategy & Operations (S&O) Neuroscience Commercialization will play a critical role in continuing to establish and expand Neuroscience as an area of focus at BMS, ensuring continued performance of Cobenfy in schizophrenia, and successfully preparing the organization to launch Cobenfy in new indications. The Exec. Director serves as a trusted advisor, strategic partner, and operational leader to the SVP. This role is pivotal in driving the effectiveness of the NLT, ensuring the organization operates with clarity, speed, and accountability. The Exec. Director acts as an extension of the SVP, managing organizational priorities, leading high-impact initiatives, and ensuring seamless execution across all functions of the Neuroscience organization. Working in partnership with the SVP and commercialization teams, the Exec. Director will help shape the Neuroscience commercialization strategy, provide strategic guidance, monitor performance metrics, and make data-driven decisions to optimize the launch and commercial success of our brands. This position will have direct reports and is responsible for leading the centralized S&O capability across the integrated Neuroscience business unit. The S&O team is accountable for the cross functional development and execution of a strategic planning process and operational support of Neuroscience teams (including field teams) that enables the organization to create sustainable value for our in-line brands as well as pre-launch assets. The ideal candidate is a proven enterprise leader with deep commercial experience, exceptional emotional intelligence, and the ability to influence, align, and drive outcomes across a highly matrixed organization, often without direct authority. This person must be equally comfortable operating at the strategic level and rolling up their sleeves to solve complex operational challenges.

Requirements

• B.S./B.A. required; MBA or post-graduate degree strongly preferred
• Minimum 10–15 years of pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare experience in Commercialization, Strategy & Operations, or related functions
• Deep understanding of BMS systems, processes, and the broader biopharmaceutical commercial landscape
• Mastery in commercialization (marketing, sales, market research), launches, and lifecycle management
• Demonstrated experience in change management: leading teams through organizational transformation, rolling out new systems and technologies, influencing new ways of thinking and working
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence and ability to navigate sensitive interpersonal dynamics, handle confidential matters with discretion, and build trust at all levels of the organization
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to write in the executive's voice across a wide range of communications formats
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority across senior stakeholders in a highly matrixed organization
• Understanding of the evolving AI and technology landscape; ability to translate business needs into technology applications and use cases
• Ability to "flex" across different cultures, work styles, complexities, business situations, and matrix partners
• Demonstrated learning agility; thrives in fast-paced, dynamic, and rapidly evolving environments
• Leadership experience in selecting, leading, developing, motivating and achieving results through teams (direct and/or indirect leadership).
• Demonstrated operational and planning excellence, and creative problem-solving.

Nice To Haves

• Marketing experience a benefit, including understanding of US markets and Global Commercial Strategy
• Functional knowledge of Pricing & Reimbursement, Outcomes Research, Government Affairs, and Payer Management (preferred)

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the SVP, providing candid counsel, managing sensitive matters with discretion, and acting as a sounding board for high-stakes decisions
• Support the SVP in shaping Neuroscience long-term vision, strategic imperatives, and annual priorities
• Manage and protect the SVP's time and bandwidth: optimize calendar, triage incoming requests, and ensure focus is placed on the highest-value activities
• Act as a proxy and delegate for the SVP in internal forums, cross-functional working groups, and senior leadership meetings; empowered to make commitments on behalf of the leader where appropriate
• Draft and edit executive-level communications (in collaboration with Corporate Communications where appropriate) including Board of Directors presentations, all-hands talking points, town hall remarks, investor relations materials, and strategic memos, accurately representing the SVP’s voice
• Lead the development and delivery of presentations for the Board of Directors, BMS Leadership Team, and investor relations forums
• Partner with Finance and Business Insights & Analytics (BIA) on the development of business updates and performance narratives for senior leadership
• Prepare briefing materials, reports, and recommendations to support executive decision-making at all levels
• Design and manage the Rhythm of Business for the Neuroscience Leadership Team (NLT) including the annual strategic planning calendar, governance forums, quarterly business reviews, town halls, and key operating cadences
• Lead strategic offsite planning, development of long-term vision, and definition of short-, mid-, and long-term goals for the NLT
• Identify and lead special projects and "white space" initiatives at the direction of the SVP (often ambiguous in scope, cross-functional in nature, and high-priority for the business)
• Drive the agenda for key internal meetings; maintain a rigorous system to track decisions, commitments, and action items across all leadership forums, ensuring accountability and closure
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance operational efficiency across the business unit; monitor and evaluate the performance of various functions and teams
• Accountable for OpEx management of the business unit, including resource allocation, monthly expense oversight, projections, and preparation of insights for senior leadership reviews
• In partnership with Finance, coordinate budget and funding-related processes including annual budget cycle, projections, and business reviews
• Drive enterprise initiatives such as process simplification, engagement, and transformation at the business unit level
• Support the execution of key corporate processes across the organization and ensure timely delivery (Contributions setting, Talent reviews, Performance reviews, Earnings calls, etc.)
• Serve as an early-warning system for the SVP: identify, triage, and resolve emerging organizational issues before they escalate
• Exercise sound judgment on when to resolve issues independently versus when to escalate to the executive or Leadership Team
• Unblock barriers to knowledge sharing and decision-making; support navigation of complex challenges for the Leadership Team and key stakeholders
• Effectively interface across BMS Leadership Teams, matrix functions, and external partners to ensure alignment on strategic priorities, minimize risk, and accelerate execution
• Working with Corporate Communications on both internal and external communications plans and messaging
• Build and manage relationships with internal matrix stakeholders and Business Partners (HR, Finance, BI&T, Legal/Compliance, CASA, etc.)
• Represent Neuroscience at meetings in place of the leader as necessary
• Demonstrate a consistent ability to drive alignment and results across senior stakeholders without direct authority, leveraging credibility, relationships, and persuasion
• Define and drive the Neuroscience AI strategy and operating model (ways of working, decision rights, and engagement with enterprise AI/IT partners)
• Identify, prioritize, and sponsor high-impact AI use cases across strategy, planning, performance management, and communications; ensure benefits tracking and value realization
• Build AI fluency across the organization through training, playbooks, and coaching; promote adoption of approved tools and reusable prompts/templates
• Partner with Finance, Legal/Compliance, CASA, and Corporate Communications to standardize AI-enabled reporting and insights while maintaining quality, accuracy, and appropriate approvals
• Directly lead S&O employees, defining and prioritizing their Book of Work and ensuring alignment and best practice sharing to gain efficiencies
• Develop, embed, and execute a strategy to attract, develop, and retain talent across the business unit
• Shape development plans of the S&O team, including succession planning
• Navigate sensitive organizational dynamics with emotional intelligence and discretion; manage up, down, and across the organization with diplomacy
• Embed and drive a culture of innovation, collaboration, inclusion, and diversity
• Support the onboarding of new hires across the business unit

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.

What This Job Offers

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