Associate Director, Federal Government Affairs

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 Associate Director, Federal Government Affairs is a critical, high-impact role responsible for enhancing and executing Bristol Myers Squibb's (BMS) strategic engagement with key stakeholders on Capitol Hill. This position serves as the nexus for internal policy expertise and external Congressional outreach, strategically positioning BMS as a trusted educational resource and policy thought leader.

This is an outward-facing role focused on strategic impact, not direct lobbying. The successful candidate will be charged with developing, managing, and executing innovative and creative outreach strategies including educational programs, policy events, and targeted communications initiatives. The primary objective is to effectively elevate and articulate BMS' core policy priorities and therapeutic area expertise to Congressional audiences, ensuring a sophisticated understanding of our mission and contributions to healthcare innovation. The role requires exceptional organizational acumen, high-level communication skills, and a proven ability to translate complex policy matters into impactful educational materials.

 Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify and assess Congressional and external forums (e.g., hearings, caucuses, think tank events) to position BMS messaging.

• Lead the design and execution of high-impact educational events on Capitol Hill, including briefings, panels, and policy roundtables.

• Secure and staff opportunities for BMS experts and executives to speak at external forums, positioning BMS as the authoritative policy voice.

• Serve as the central hub for policy materials and intelligence to directly support and enable the Federal Affairs lobbying team.

• Act as the internal point of contact to gather, synthesize, and disseminate current data and messaging from internal teams and external trade groups.

• Quickly mobilize resources to capitalize on opportunities flagged by lobbyists, such as securing witness seats for key hearings or panels.

• Ensure timely, compelling information is consistently available to the entire team to support direct lobbying efforts and external engagement.

• Collaborate closely with Federal Government Affairs, Policy, and Alliance Development teams to ensure unified approach to any Congressional engagements.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 5-7 years of professional experience working in Congress or other organizations with Congressional focus

• Proven ability to translate complex scientific and policy issues into clear, compelling, and politically relevant messages for Congressional audiences.

• Demonstrated success in building and maintaining strong, non-partisan working relationships with Congressional staff and key D.C. political and policy stakeholders.

• Exceptional organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to independently manage and execute multiple complex, high-visibility projects and events under tight deadlines.

• Strategic, creative, and proactive approach to engagement, focused on education and solutions rather than traditional, direct lobbying.

• Ability to navigate internal processes and functions, while driving alignment for outreach initiatives within the U.S. Policy and Government Affairs team.

#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 then in effect and may include the following: Medical, pharmacy, dental and vision care. Wellbeing support such as the BMS Living Life Better program and employee assistance programs (EAP). Financial well-being resources and a 401(K). Financial protection benefits such as short- and long-term disability, life insurance, supplemental health insurance, business travel protection and survivor support. Work-life programs include paid national holidays and optional holidays, Global Shutdown Days between Christmas and New Year’s holiday, up to 120 hours of paid vacation, up to two (2) paid days to volunteer, sick time off, and summer hours flexibility. Parental, caregiver, bereavement, and military leave. Family care services such as adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, fertility/infertility benefits, support for traveling mothers, and child, elder and pet care resources. Other perks like tuition reimbursement and a recognition 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.

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 [email protected]. 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.

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/

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