Job Details

Working with Us
Challenging. Meaningful. Life-changing. Those aren’t words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it. You’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high-achieving teams rich in diversity. Take your career farther than you thought possible.

Bristol Myers Squibb recognizes the importance of balance and flexibility in our work environment. We offer a wide variety of competitive benefits, services and programs that provide our employees with the resources to pursue their goals, both at work and in their personal lives. Read more: careers.bms.com/working-with-us.

When you join BMS, you are joining a diverse, high-achieving team united by a common mission. 

The Discovery Biotherapeutics team at BMS seeks to understand the structure and function of complex molecules such as bispecific antibodies, antibody drug conjugates and endogenous proteins in order to optimize their utility as therapeutic agents.  We collaborate with biology and translational scientists imbedded in the Thematic Research Centers in order to prosecute Targets and Biological pathways with disease modifying potential. By using a blend of internal and external technologies and capabilities, we work to discover and deliver first-in-class as well as best-in-class molecules that warrant clinical evaluation for patient benefit.

Here, you’ll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities that are uncommon in scale and scope. You’ll pursue innovative ideas while advancing professionally alongside some of the brightest minds in biopharma.

As part of the Discovery Biotherapeutics efforts at BMS, the Senior Director of Protein Engineering will play a key role in discovering and delivering a first-in-class and best-in-class Biotherapeutics pipeline. 

The Senior Director, Protein Engineering, will be responsible for leading a team of 20+ scientists across three Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) sites located in Cambridge (MA), San Diego (CA), and the San Francisco Bay Area (CA). The primary responsibility will be to design, engineer, and characterize biologic drug candidates, including antibody drug conjugates, bispecific and multi-specific antibodies, and other biomolecule formats to progress BMS’s robust pipeline that spans multiple disease areas including oncology, hematology, immunology, neuroscience, and cardiovascular disease. The Senior Director, Protein Engineering, role will be crucial in innovating and advancing protein engineering capabilities, supporting drug development initiatives, and ensuring the success of BMS's research activities.

You will work in close collaboration with scientific leaders across the global Research organization and beyond (e.g., Biologics Drug Product/CMC teams) to deliver on our Biologics pipeline.  You must have a thorough understanding of biologics modalities with an appreciation of the requirements and processes needed to advance biologics programs (including novel formats) through discovery and into development.  A proven track record of establishing and/or using cutting edge protein engineering technologies (either internal or external) to progress an innovative biologics pipeline is key.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and drive innovation in protein engineering and core platform processes.
• Manage resources for protein design and production to support new drug development technologies and research initiatives.
• Engineer biotherapeutic modalities, including novel formats, identifying, and mitigating risks in protein engineering projects.
• Utilize structural and sequence analysis to guide the design of drug candidates.
• Oversee the optimization, quality validation, and stability studies of drug candidates.
• Make clear and impactful data-driven recommendation on programs.
• Contribute to regulatory filings of biotherapeutics.
• Prepare reports, papers, and patent applications in collaboration with cross-functional scientists and other functional areas.
• Drive timeline planning and decision-making regarding research priorities and project feasibility.
• Manage group budgets, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure cost-effectiveness.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Engage in strategic planning, setting research priorities, and advancing drug development pipelines, driving continuous improvement.
• Oversee multiple projects, set timelines, and ensure timely delivery of objectives.
• Represent the company externally, engage with key opinion leaders, and present at external scientific meetings.
• Additional responsibilities may include oversee and implement automation for high-throughput plate-based cloning, expression, and purification of biologic drug candidates.

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree with 15+ years of academic / industry experience

Or

Master’s Degree with 12+ years of academic /industry experience

Or

Ph.D with 10+ years of academic / industry experience

And 8+ years of leadership experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, or a related field.
• 10-15 years of increasing responsibilities and experience in protein engineering, preferably with industry experience.
• Demonstrated leadership and people management skills, with the ability to effectively lead and manage teams.
• Strong strategic vision and experience in developing and executing strategic plans that align with organizational goals.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify challenges and propose innovative solutions.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively interact with cross-functional teams and stakeholders at all levels.
• Track record of scientific publications and presentation at meetings, or authorship of patents, regulatory documents.

These qualifications and responsibilities will enable the Senior Director, Protein Engineering, to successfully lead the protein engineering teams across multiple sites, drive innovation, and contribute to the success of drug development initiatives at BMS.

If you come across a role that intrigues you but doesn’t perfectly line up with your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway. You could be one step away from work that will transform your life and career.

Uniquely Interesting Work, Life-changing Careers
With a single vision as inspiring as “Transforming patients’ lives through science™ ”, every BMS employee plays an integral role in work that goes far beyond ordinary. Each of us is empowered to apply our individual talents and unique perspectives in an inclusive culture, promoting diversity in clinical trials, while our shared values of passion, innovation, urgency, accountability, inclusion and integrity bring out the highest potential of each of our colleagues.

On-site Protocol

BMS has a diverse occupancy structure that determines where an employee is required to conduct their work. This structure includes site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design jobs. The occupancy type that you are assigned is determined by the nature and responsibilities of your role:

Site-essential roles require 100% of shifts onsite at your assigned facility. Site-by-design roles may be eligible for a hybrid work model with at least 50% onsite at your assigned facility. For these roles, onsite presence is considered an essential job function and is critical to collaboration, innovation, productivity, and a positive Company culture. For field-based and remote-by-design roles the ability to physically travel to visit customers, patients or business partners and to attend meetings on behalf of BMS as directed is an essential job function.

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to adastaffingsupport@bms.com. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

BMS cares about your well-being and the well-being of our staff, customers, patients, and communities. As a result, the Company strongly recommends that all employees be fully vaccinated for Covid-19 and keep up to date with Covid-19 boosters.

BMS will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations.