Negotiation Governance Lead, Site Contracting

Bristol Myers Squibb • Montreal, QC

9d • CA$130,470 - CA$158,095 • Hybrid

About The Position

This role leads complex site contract and budget negotiations, manages escalations, ensures legal and budget governance, and implements fallback standards for global clinical trial agreements during negotiations. The Lead acts as the final escalation point for Site Contracting Operations and provides training and quality oversight.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in site contract and budget negotiation for clinical trials, including complex and escalated cases.
• Advanced understanding of global contracting standards, governance frameworks, and fallback language libraries.
• Strong knowledge of legal, financial, and compliance requirements in clinical research agreements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to lead, mentor, and train team members in negotiation and governance best practices.
• Strategic thinking and process improvement orientation.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including multilingual capabilities.
• Proficiency in contract management systems and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Law, Business Administration, Life Sciences, or related field.
• Minimum 7 years of direct clinical contract negotiation experience, preferably in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience in leading teams and managing complex projects.

Nice To Haves

• Certifications in contract management or legal compliance (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution of BMS Sponsored Research Agreements with investigators and institutions, focusing on complex and escalated negotiations.
• Develop, negotiate, and oversee site-level and country-level budgets, ensuring alignment with global standards and strategic objectives.
• Develop and execute the global strategy to drive efficiencies and accelerate contract negotiations with clinical research sites – developing master agreements, rate cards, therapeutic area agreements and frameworks.
• Own the study level contracting strategy to enable faster site activation and enrolment across regions.
• Serve as the final escalation point for legal and budget queries from site contracting operations, providing direct negotiation support in local languages where required.
• Collaborate with global colleagues and external partners to execute site budgets and contracts, ensuring consistency and compliance.
• Monitor budgets and contract status at the study and portfolio level, providing updates and strategic insights to project teams and leadership.
• Develop and maintain negotiation templates, decision histories, and fallback language libraries in partnership with legal department.
• Assure that all contractual terms and provisions comply with corporate processes, guidelines, and policies.
• Identify, drive, and implement process improvements, including automation, template standardization, and governance enhancements.
• Escalate significant legal or financial risks to appropriate BMS colleagues and ensure timely resolution.
• Ensure proper filing, documentation, and status reporting of all agreements within approved company systems.
• Provide training, mentorship, and quality oversight to team members, fostering continuous improvement and knowledge sharing.
• Lead initiatives and manage projects aimed at enhancing governance, compliance, and operational excellence.

Benefits

• Competitive benefits
• Services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives.

What This Job Offers

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