Undergraduate Leads Discovery and Optimization Intern

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

Leads Discovery & Optimization (LDO) is a diverse group of scientists and engineers, providing critical assay information to therapeutic research centers (TRCs) throughout research and early development (R&ED).  We are seeking a highly motivated and innovative intern scientist to join the Lead Discovery (LD) group within LDO. The group is pursuing the identification of the viability of our inventory to be assessed in screening campaigns and seeks to facilitate further efforts through semi-quantitative methods.

We invite undergraduates with appropriate training from organic chemistry to biochemistry backgrounds to apply for this opportunity in our collaborative and fast-paced team. You will work in a highly dynamic environment at the center of the R&ED drug discovery engine to use cutting-edge technology and instruments to identify molecules suitable for in vitro translation purposes. The candidate will create an iterative library of molecules to be assessed and be instructed in molecular biology assays and guided through organic chemistry reactions, pursuing the final identification and hierarchizing its success rate.

Furthermore, the candidate’s efforts will be indexed into the company records and compared to shed light on future campaigns. This will give the candidate hands-on experience in the interface of molecular biology and organic chemistry fields in a corporate environment.

The full-time internship will take place June - August 2026.

Key Responsibilities

• Gain practical experience in organic chemistry, chemical biology, and mass spectroscopy.
• Design and execute experimental flowthroughs independently.
• Analyze and categorize the obtained results and harmonize with corporate records.
• Propose trends and future approaches for technology expansion.
• Maintain a safe work environment in accordance with policies/procedures/regulations

Qualifications & Experience

• Junior or Senior undergraduate enrolled in a full-time university program in a technically relevant field, such as Biology, Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, or any related field.
• Have strong analytical reasoning skills and a demonstrated ability to perform independent data analysis.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), ChemDraw is desired.
• Organic Synthesis and molecular biology basic background, mass spectroscopy is a plus.
• A team player with a passion for quality science and an eagerness to learn new technologies. Ambitious and resilient individuals are highly desired.
• This role is an experimental position located at our Lawrenceville, NJ site and requires onsite presence.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn through hands-on work and mentorship.
• All candidates must be authorized to work in the US both at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment. Please note that immigration or visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This is a temporary, time-bound position intended for the duration of the internship or co-op program. Employment in this role does not imply or guarantee ongoing or permanent employment with BMS.

The starting hourly compensation for this assignment is within the range of $27.00 to $29.00/hr. Please note that the final individual compensation and any applicable benefits will be determined by your employer of record (and not BMS). Factors influencing this decision may include the characteristics of the assignment, such as demonstrated experience, required skill, and the geographic location of the job. Compensation details are subject to change.

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/

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