Director, Global Trial Lead

Overview

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.

Position Summary

The Director, Global Trial Lead (GTL) is accountable for the strategic leadership and operational excellence of global clinical trials, driving delivery across all phases and therapeutic areas. This role sets the vision for successful trial execution, influences organizational strategy, and ensures alignment with business objectives, regulatory standards, and quality benchmarks. As a senior leader within Global Development Operations (GDO), the Director GTL is responsible for critical decision making, risk management, and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Works closely with internal and external stakeholders, identifying, defining and executing meaningful and targeted process improvement initiatives, supporting strategic planning efforts. The Director, GTL leads cross-functional study teams and study vendors to ensure successful study delivery. Collaborates and develops strategic partnerships internally within GDO, across R&D, Commercial, and other stakeholders to consistently foster innovation, maximize trial execution, and drive corporate growth strategy. This role may also lead global initiatives, mentor future leaders, and represent the organization in high-stakes internal and external forums. The Director, Global Trial Lead plays a pivotal part in driving delivery of registrational and non-registrational studies, with broad impact across therapeutic areas and global teams.

Responsibilities

Duties/Responsibilities

• Project Management
• Provides leadership and oversight for multiple, complex clinical trials and programs, ensuring delivery of high-quality data and regulatory compliance.
• Spearheads collaboration with internal study teams and vendors to ensure clinical trial delivery meets established timelines, budgets, and quality benchmarks.
• Provides strategic input on study feasibility and oversees operational activities of internal and external contributors.
• Serves as a decision maker for complex issues, identifies and proactively manages risks, balancing trade-offs between cost, deliverables, quality, and timelines to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Manages the highest value study level budgets, contracts, and scope of work (SOW) for CROs and Vendor Partners.
• Participates in vendor selection and evaluation processes. Oversees vendor and partner relationships at a strategic level, ensuring alignment with contractual terms and organizational standards.
• Sets and monitors performance metrics, proactively identifying and resolving operational challenges. Utilizes quality indicators to monitor and optimize trial execution.
• Maintains and ensures accurate data records in study management systems such as Veeva (i.e. CTMS, eTMF, etc.).
• Establishes and maintains study-level project management tools, including action logs, decision trackers, issue registers, and risk mitigation plans.
• Develops and enforces trial-specific standards aligned with broader portfolio strategies to promote operational consistency.
• Leads organizational change initiatives, drives development and execution of cross-functional and global best practices.
• Fosters robust cross-functional collaboration to ensure timely and effective sharing of knowledge and information.
• Champions breakthrough innovation, consistently seeking transformative solutions that surpass conventional approaches, always aiming for greater acceleration.
• Inspires a forward-looking vision that integrates therapeutic area, program, and asset perspectives, actively promoting the exchange of best practices and lessons learned to drive accelerated progress.

• Study Input & Strategic Guidance
• Defines and communicates the strategic direction for global clinical trial execution, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and portfolio priorities.
• Offers therapeutic and operational guidance on study protocols and execution strategies.
• Provides consultation across programs/studies with a focus on risk mitigation and operational excellence.
• Monitors trends in clinical operations and advises teams on proactive responses.
• Mentors global GDO Study Team members within assigned therapeutic areas and others, as applicable. Supports building a pipeline of future leaders within Global Trial Management.
• Fosters an inclusive, high-performing team culture, promoting collaboration, accountability, and resilience.
• Champions a culture of critical thinking, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Leads by example, modeling ethical behavior, integrity, and a commitment to continuous learning.

• Budgeting & Resource Planning
• Drives upfront planning of study timelines and budgets in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Leads quarterly budget reviews, flagging anticipated variances for assigned trials and collaborating with Finance on forecasting.
• Approves and reconciles vendor invoices, accruals, and scope amendments. Ensuring alignment with contractual terms, budgetary targets, and quality standards.
• Identifies and resolves issues impacting budget and timeline adherence.
• Manages study/program level and vendor logistics and escalates resourcing needs appropriately.

• Program & Study Oversight
• Oversees strategic planning and execution of multiple clinical trials, ensuring timely and high-quality deliverables. This may include program/study oversight for multiple clinical trials.
• Provides lifecycle leadership and oversight from start-up to close-out phases.
• Leads cross-functional Study Teams and coordinates with clinical, regulatory and development departments.
• Analyzes operational metrics to optimize study execution and ensure alignment with franchise objectives.
• Identifies organizational and procedural challenges, proposing actionable solutions.
• Builds and maintains strategic partnerships with internal stakeholders (e.g., Clinical Research, Affiliates) and external collaborators (e.g., CROs, AROs).

Qualifications

Education/Experience/ Licenses/Certifications

• Advanced degree (MS, PharmD, PhD, MD, or equivalent) preferred; BA/BS required.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in clinical operations and global project management roles in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry, including multi-national experience.
• Experience in leading global clinical trials and programs at the Director level demonstrating strong knowledge of the study and program strategy.
• Experience leading global and multi-functional study teams.
• Experience in managing CROs and external partners at a strategic level preferred.
• Proficiency in AI tools and familiarity with technological advancements preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Global Trial & Project Management – Extensive experience in global clinical trial and project management, including strategic planning, execution, and oversight. Leads global clinical trials with expertise in planning, execution, and oversight. Ensures regulatory compliance, patient safety, and timely delivery of high-quality data. Drives project outcomes through strategic coordination and progress tracking.
• Operational & Budget Oversight – Manages end-to-end trial operations, including site selection, recruitment, vendor coordination, and resource planning. Oversees budgets, forecasts, accruals, and cost optimization to ensure financial accuracy and efficiency.
• Risk & Quality Management – Advanced leadership competencies with identification and mitigation of risks to ensure trial continuity and overall delivery focusing on successful analysis for the trial. Maintains GCP/GXP compliance and supports audit readiness with a strong quality mindset.
• Stakeholder & Vendor Engagement – Advanced leadership competencies and influencing skills with senior leaders and cross-functional leaders. Proven teambuilding skills and the ability to lead partnerships across projects and multidisciplinary teams. Builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Manages communications, escalations, and alignment across functions and geographies.
• Clinical & Regulatory Expertise – Demonstrates deep knowledge of clinical trial phases, therapeutic areas, and regulatory requirements. Ensures readiness for submissions and compliance with global standards.
• Systems & Data Management – Utilizes CTMS and other clinical systems to track milestones, ensure data quality, and support decision-making. Partners with technical teams to maintain system integrity. Supports AI-driven tools, technology advancement, automation and accelerating progress.

Leadership & Personal Effectiveness

• Leadership Competencies – Demonstrated advanced ability to lead large cross-functional teams. Drives global teams toward shared goals. Builds consensus and fosters an inclusive, high-performing culture. Mentors GTL team members and supports development of others.
• Critical Thinking & Decision Making – Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Proven track record of effective decision making in complex, high-pressure environments. Solves complex problems and makes timely, informed decisions prioritizing patient safety and data integrity.
• Accountsability, Adaptability & Relationship Building are emphasized as part of role expectations.

Travel

Travel requirement up to 25%.

Additional Information

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.

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation: Madison - Giralda - NJ - US $213,300 - $258,468; Princeton - NJ - US $213,300 - $258,468. The starting compensation range is for a full-time employee. Additional incentive cash and stock opportunities may be available. Final compensation will be based on experience.

• Health Coverage, Wellbeing & Financial benefits (details on benefits site)
• Paid Time Off and work-life programs

For more on benefits, please visit careers.bms.com/life-at-bms. This post contains standard EEO and data protection notices in line with company policy.

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