Negotiation Governance Lead, Site Contracting

Bristol Myers Squibb • Princeton, NJ

18h • Hybrid

About The Position

As Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) Negotiation Governance Lead, Site Contracting, you'll be the final word on complex, escalated contract and budget negotiations for global clinical trials. When site contracting gets difficult, legally, financially, or operationally, you're the person who resolves it. This is a senior role with real authority, strategic scope, and the chance to shape how a global biopharmaceutical company negotiates its most critical clinical site agreements. This role offers the scope, visibility, and support to match the level of influence and professional authority.

Requirements

• Deep clinical contracts expertise, including complex, escalated cases.
• Command of global contracting standards and governance, including legal and financial compliance requirements for clinical research agreements.
• Stakeholder management and conflict resolution skills to navigate competing interests and bring parties to agreement.
• Strategic thinking and a process improvement mindset to identify and implement better ways of doing things.
• Ability to lead and develop others through mentoring and training.
• Excellent communication skills, including multilingual capability.
• Proficiency in contract management systems and Microsoft Office.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Law, Business Administration, Life Sciences, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of direct clinical contract negotiation experience, preferably within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven experience leading teams and managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

Nice To Haves

• Certifications in contract management or legal compliance are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, escalated site contract negotiations, resolving challenging Research Agreements with investigators and institutions to ensure faster resolution and quicker site activation.
• Drive the global contracting strategy by developing master agreements, rate cards, therapeutic area frameworks, and fallback standards to accelerate negotiations across the portfolio.
• Own study-level contracting strategy end to end, shaping the approach from design through execution to achieve faster site activation and earlier enrollment.
• Serve as the final escalation point for legal and budget queries, resolving issues that others cannot, providing direct negotiation support in local languages where needed.
• Shape negotiation standards and governance frameworks in partnership with Legal, developing and maintaining templates, decision histories, and fallback language libraries.
• Identify and lead process improvements, such as automation, template standardization, or governance enhancements, to increase efficiency.
• Monitor budgets and contracts at a portfolio level to provide insights for leadership decision-making.
• Mentor, train, and elevate the team through coaching, quality oversight, and knowledge sharing.
• Ensure compliance and manage risk proactively by identifying and acting decisively on emerging legal or financial risks.
• Ensure compliance and manage risk proactively when legal or financial risks emerge, protecting the organization and keeping trial timelines intact.

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.
• 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
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees