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Associate Director, Medical Communications Excellence Lead, WW Medical Neuroscience

Karuna Therapeutics

Karuna Therapeutics

Marketing & Communications
Princeton, NJ, USA
USD 166,350-201,600 / year + Equity
Posted on Jul 10, 2025

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 Medical Communications Excellence Lead will collaborate with the Executive Director of Medical Communications & Medical Strategy to support medical communications & medical strategy within the identified therapeutic area. The primary focus is to drive innovation and process evolution, manage the Medical Communications and Strategy budget, responsible for driving project management, strategic planning within the WW Medical Neuroscience organization and serve as the primary point of contact between Finance, Medical Governance & Policy, and Agency partners. The Associate Director will be a core member of the WW Medical Neuroscience Strategy and Operations team and will report directly to the Senior Director, WW Medical Neuroscience Strategy and Operations.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Work with the Executive Director of Medical Communications & the AIMS lead in the identified therapeutic area to collaborate across functions and within the medical matrix to support medical communications excellence.
  • Support innovation, idea generation, and execution of objectives to continually evolve processes, and enhance the value of Medial Communications.
  • Develop and maintain Medical Communications budget in financial management systems to ensure continued transparency into medical communication spend.
  • Serve as the medical communications TA point of contact between Finance, Medical Governance & Policy and our Agency partners.
  • Oversee the Agency partners to ensure deliverables are met within budget and timelines. Support appropriate usage of publication management tools.
  • Interface with vendors and Strategic Sourcing & Procurement to optimize strategic outsourcing partnerships including developing performance scorecards & metrics reports, evaluating Agency performance, and leading initiatives for successful onboarding and integration of new Agency partners. Communicate to team members and stakeholders. Implement mitigation strategies as necessary.
  • Continuously assess Agency resource model for defined span of control. Anticipates and proactively partners with TA lead, Agency Leadership, and Medical Communication Leads to implement adjustments ensuring readiness to meet current and future business needs. Escalates risks appropriately to TA Lead and Agency Leadership for action.
  • Develops pro-active, cross-functional portfolio (above brand/indication) medical communications metrics.
  • May serve as the Medical Communications Congress execution lead on cross-functional Congress planning teams.
  • Collaborates with Medical Communications Director to identify TA efficiencies and implement best practices.
  • Create and track project timelines, plans, and deliverables, identify risks to timelines and deliverables, implement mitigation strategies, and escalate issues appropriately.
  • Communicates with external medical education providers as needed and directed on operational issues, to ensure receipt of interim and final project outcome reports within pre-established timelines and guidelines.
  • Tracks status of medical education projects as needed, ensuring receipt of program details prior to activity launch.
  • Ensures maintenance of live calendar IME events for Project Coordinator to populate IME SharePoint site and to send calendar invites to colleagues as directed by Associate Director, Medical Education.
  • Lead planning and execution of the AIMS team operations, including effective meeting management, project management, and budget oversight for the Neuroscience area of responsibility.
  • Supervise working groups with deliverables and other requirements, to ensure they remain on track, meet deadlines, stay under budget and develop as planned.
  • Support working groups with deliverables and other requirements.

Other Regular Medical Activities

  • S&O and LT support (LT meetings, QBR, WWM Exchange/ Interchange, budget reduction scenario plans).
  • Support Department initiatives: Newsletter, Lunch and Learn, Dept meetings, Offsites.
  • Partner with finance PM including budget, forecasting, performance against targets, facilitate key budget discussions in partnership with the MPL.
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders, including Development Teams, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Commercial and Medical team members, to influence strategic alignment on key Medical objectives.
  • Distribution List Management (adding / removing members, setting permissions)
  • Vendor Management, new vendor setup and onboarding on Ariba. Create and manage project briefs for external consultant engagement.
  • Coordination with the Congress Management team and EMCoE.
  • Adapt to flexible working conditions and support remote and in-office activities. Address ad hoc requests as they arise, ensuring prompt and effective resolutions.
  • Perform other regular activities to support team operations and objectives

Expected Areas of Competence

  • Demonstrates a high degree of independence, requiring minimal supervision from management to accomplish complex project work assignments. Proactively identifies projects and initiatives for self and eagerly accepts challenges and new responsibilities.
  • Capable of prioritizing multiple tasks to meet project deadlines.
  • Able to work effectively in an environment of changing priorities and goals.
  • Anticipates needs and emerging issues and proposes solutions, based upon gathered insights and established strategy.
  • Engages and energizes employees through communication of goals, priorities, and other business critical information.
  • Ensure all activities comply with company policy and legal and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications & Experience

  • Education: BA/BS degree minimum requirement in area relevant to pharmaceutical industry/ Life Sciences preferred) or advanced degree.
  • Experience: Minimum 7 years of experience in the pharmaceutical/life sciences industry and considerable experience with stakeholder and organizational engagement or partnerships (public and/or private).

Medical Communications Experience:

  • Demonstrated competence in publication field including execution across all phases of drug development and commercialization, good publication practices and guidance (GPP3, ICMJE), Sunshine Act, Pharma Code of Conduct, and other guidance related to post- marketing practices, scientific data communication, and transparency & conflict-of-interest environments.
  • Understanding of ACCME, OIG and FDA requirements for continuing medical education/independent medical education.
  • Expert experience managing 3rd party vendors and contracts.
  • Proven experience with effectively managing timelines, identifying resource needs and constraints, and implementing strategies to meet changing needs/requirements.

Project Management:

  • Experience in project and/or portfolio management with the ability to develop clear action plans and execute them.
  • Track record of success in leading complex projects.
  • Demonstrated strong project management skills; Project management certification (PMP) a plus.

Interpersonal Skills:

  • Ability to build relationships, influence, and drive organizational engagement at all levels.

Leadership:

  • Experience with change leadership and demonstrated success in leading across a cross-functional matrix team with excellent organizational, facilitation, interpersonal and leadership skills.
  • Ability to lead strategically, drive performance, build alignment, negotiate, and collaborate.

Communication:

  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, high-level negotiation skills, and the ability to resolve conflict constructively.
  • Highly effective written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.

Location:

  • Role is based in Princeton Pike, NJ, as required.

The starting compensation for this job is a range from $166,350 - $201,600, plus incentive cash and stock opportunities (based on eligibility).

The starting pay rate takes into account characteristics of the job, such as required skills and where the job is performed.

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.

#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.

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 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.

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.