Associate Director, Campus Laboratory and Benchtop Systems

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. 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.

The Devens Campus Laboratory and Benchtop Systems Associate Director serves as the campus-wide lead for all laboratory informatics and benchtop instrument systems, providing strategic leadership and accountability for the deployment, validation, integration, and lifecycle management of laboratory technologies supporting GxP and non-GxP research and quality operations across the site. This position is responsible for defining requirements, driving continuous improvement, and maintaining the validated state of laboratory systems, while working collaboratively with Quality, Research, Manufacturing, Engineering, enterprise teams, and other BMS network sites. The role ensures that all laboratory systems comply with BMS regulatory, data integrity, and cybersecurity expectations.

Additionally, the Associate Director leads and empowers the campus Laboratory and Benchtop Systems team, including overseeing instrument qualification and laboratory informatics activities, and partnering with enterprise platform teams to support site laboratory priorities.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Lead the Campus Laboratory and Benchtop Systems team

  • Promote a safe and compliant environment and mindset.

  • Select, develop, coach, and manage the Devens Campus Laboratory and Benchtop Systems team.

  • Set goals, objectives, and contributions of the Campus Laboratory and Benchtop Systems team.

  • Drive continuous improvement of team productivity and KPIs.

  • Ensure the team delivers critical projects on time.

  • Act as a liaison between laboratory and research stakeholders and enterprise/application teams to ensure laboratory system continuity and alignment with scientific needs.

  • Manage service providers and ensure alignment with contractual SLAs.

  • Engage and support PBRG teams in support of the BMS culture.

• Act as the campus-wide process owner for laboratory systems qualification, validation, and lifecycle management

  • Provide guidance to laboratory scientists, Quality, and site functional groups on instrument qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ) and laboratory informatics system validation processes.

  • Participate actively with other groups to analyze and address process deficiencies.

  • Support the BMS Data Integrity and Quality Risk Management programs.

• Lead campus-wide laboratory and benchtop systems support and project execution

  • Ensure appropriate support for laboratory and GxP operations across the Devens campus, including LIMS, ELN, CDS, SDMS, and benchtop instrument connectivity.

  • Define, implement, and track Service Level Agreements (SLA) for supported business-critical activities.

  • Collaborate with Devens laboratory operations and Digital Plant leaders to address issues and develop plans to enhance laboratory system reliability and user experience across the site.

  • Manage organizational adoption of BMS standard laboratory systems and processes, including LIMS, ELN, and chromatography data systems, and continuously enhance processes to simplify laboratory workflows.

  • Foster business and enterprise partner relationships to ensure a high customer satisfaction rating.

  • Represent laboratory systems during internal audits and regulatory inspections, serving as the subject matter expert for laboratory informatics and instrument qualification.

  • Ensure that procedures, guidance documents, and other GxP-related documents are maintained in a high state of compliance and audit readiness.

  • Ensure the qualification, validation, implementation, and change management of laboratory and benchtop systems used across the site are conducted in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, including USP, EP, and ICH guidelines.

  • Participate actively with other groups to analyze and address process deficiencies, working collaboratively with peers in Laboratory Sciences, Validation, Manufacturing, Quality, and Digital Plant.

  • Effectively track project progress to address priorities, meet schedules, maximize productivity, reduce costs, and increase efficiencies.

  • Provide updates to management through established tools and project dashboards.

• Pursue innovative solutions.

  • Periodically review, specify, and revise laboratory informatics systems and benchtop instrument integrations supporting site scientific and quality operations.

  • Follow industry trends and innovation, finding new technical solutions to meet evolving business needs

  • Evaluate vendor recommendations and lessons learned from other BMS sites.

Qualifications

·       Ability to lead highly effective teams both at a local site level and across the network.

·       Strong collaboration and cross-functional leadership skills to drive continuous improvement, promote knowledge sharing, and implement best practices across the network.

·       Communicates effectively across different levels of the business.

·       Ensures accountability and takes responsibility to drive successful outcomes on key initiatives.

·       Works both independently and in a team environment at all levels of the organization, particularly across Laboratory Sciences, Validation, Quality, Engineering, and Digital Plant.

·       Exercises sound judgment in making decisions and recommendations within generally defined practices and policies and notifies senior management when necessary.

·       Ability to work in a diverse work environment and manage multiple priorities.

·       High degree of familiarity with health authority requirements pertaining to laboratory systems and data, including Data Integrity, 21 CFR Part 11, USP <1058> Analytical Instrument Qualification, and GAMP 5 guidance for laboratory computerized systems.

·       Strong attention to safety is a must.

·       Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field, with a minimum of 12 years of experience in pharmaceutical laboratory operations, laboratory informatics, instrument qualification, analytical systems, and/or IT roles supporting laboratory environments.

·       Proven leadership skills and track record of success in managing laboratory informatics programs, instrument qualification initiatives, and benchtop systems across a multi-functional campus.

·       Demonstrated leadership skills in coaching, managing, and mentoring staff members, including effective team selection and personnel management.

·       Expertise in 21 CFR Part 11, USP <1058>, GAMP 5 Category 3/4/5 systems, and ICH Q2/Q7 guidelines; hands-on experience with LIMS (e.g., LabWare, SampleManager), ELN, CDS (e.g., Empower, Chromeleon), and SDMS platforms is required.

·       Knowledge of Quality principles, system development lifecycles, and QA methodologies, such as ISO 9001.

·       Experience with IT oversight and integration of laboratory instruments and electronic systems supporting GMP and R&D operations is required, including familiarity with instrument connectivity, data acquisition, and benchtop automation.

·       Demonstrated ability to work effectively with US FDA and other regulatory agencies.

·       Substantial knowledge of QSR, GMP, FDA, GAMP, ISO, ICH, and other applicable standards and guidance regimes.

·       Experienced documentation and technical writing skills.

·       Excellent technical troubleshooting abilities.

Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills.

 #LI-Hybrid

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.

The starting compensation range(s) for this role are listed above for a full-time employee (FTE) basis. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities (based on eligibility) may be available. The starting pay rate takes into account characteristics of the job, such as required skills, where the job is performed, the employee’s work schedule, job-related knowledge, and experience. Final, individual compensation will be decided based on demonstrated experience. 

Eligibility for specific benefits listed on our careers site may vary based on the job and location. For more on benefits, please visit https://careers.bms.com/life-at-bms/.
 

Benefit offerings are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans in effect at the time and may require enrollment. Our benefits include:

• 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.

*Eligibility Disclosure: The summer hours program is for United States (U.S.) office-based employees due to the unique nature of their work. Summer hours are generally not available for field sales and manufacturing operations and may also be limited for the capability centers. Employees in remote-by-design or lab-based roles may be eligible for summer hours, depending on the nature of their work, and should discuss eligibility with their manager. Employees covered under a collective bargaining agreement should consult that document to determine if they are eligible. Contractors, leased workers and other service providers are not eligible to participate in the program.

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 a supportive culture, promoting global participation 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 an 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.

Supporting People with Disabilities

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.

Candidate Rights

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

If you live in or expect to work from Los Angeles County if hired for this position, please visit this page for important additional information: https://careers.bms.com/california-residents/

Data Protection

We will never request payments, financial information, or social security numbers during our application or recruitment process. Learn more about protecting yourself at https://careers.bms.com/fraud-protection.

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

If you believe that the job posting is missing information required by local law or incorrect in any way, please contact BMS at TAEnablement@bms.com. Please provide the Job Title and Requisition number so we can review. Communications related to your application should not be sent to this email and you will not receive a response. Inquiries related to the status of your application should be directed to Chat with Ripley.