Associate Director, Drug Development Excellence

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Drug Development Excellence supports the advancement of Drug Development (DD) strategy and enables consistent, high-quality execution across high priority cross-functional strategic initiatives. This role partners with business leaders and subject matter experts across Drug Development domains to translate strategic goals into practical frameworks, operating models, process improvements, and improved ways of working that drive measurable and sustainable outcomes across the portfolio.

An important focus of this role is the deep analysis of end‑to‑end processes and ways of working—integrating performance metrics and KPIs to identify gaps and opportunities, and driving improvement through process re‑engineering and digital enablement as BMS advances toward an AI‑enabled Drug Development operating model. This role reports to the Executive Director, Drug Development Excellence and operates within a highly matrixed, cross‑functional environment.

• Conduct deep, data‑driven analysis of end‑to‑end Drug Development processes and ways of working to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, capability gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Translate process analysis insights into actionable recommendations, connecting process health to KPIs and strategic performance outcomes.
• Map, document, and maintain process maps and standard operating frameworks to drive efficient day‑to‑day execution and organizational clarity.
• Apply fit‑for‑purpose process re‑engineering methodologies to redesign workflows, eliminate waste, and improve quality, speed, capacity and value.

• Partner with cross‑functional business leaders and subject matter experts to establish, monitor, and report on KPIs and performance metrics that track critical health indicators against strategic targets.
• Support the design and evolution of performance management frameworks in alignment with Portfolio Insights & Reporting (PIR) and broader DD Excellence priorities.
• Leverage data and analytics tools and root cause analyses to surface performance trends, risks, and opportunities, and inform prioritization and improvement actions.
• Project manage and drive strategic execution of initiatives end‑to‑end, with clearly defined scope, project plans, allocated resources, and value realization.

• Identify and embed relevant technologies, workflow automation tools, and digital solutions that enhance process performance and move DD toward an AI‑enabled operating model.
• Partner with AI Enablement and technology stakeholders to ensure digital tools are integrated as part of broader process and capability solutions, not standalone enablers.
• Maintain knowledge of external best practices, frameworks, and emerging tools in process management, performance management, and digital operations.

• Collaborate with functional leads and process owners across Drug Development (e.g., Clinical Development, Trial Operations, Biostatistics, Regulatory, Safety) to drive strategic alignment and operational excellence from a people, process, technology perspective.
• Shape and support change management activities to ensure adoption and sustainability of new operating models, capabilities, and new ways of working.
• Contribute to communities of practice and capability‑building efforts that foster a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence across DD functions.

• BA/BS degree required; advanced degree in a related discipline preferred (e.g., Life Sciences, Business, MBA, MS, PhD, PharmD).
• 5‑7 years of experience in operational excellence, process improvement, or strategy execution roles within the pharmaceutical industry; experience within Drug Development functions (Clinical Development, Trial Operations, Biostatistics, Regulatory, Safety, or Project Management) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct deep process and ways‑of‑working analysis, connecting process health to KPIs and operational outcomes.
• Experience with process…