2026 Summer Intern PhD Student - Materials Characterization/Process Analytical Technologies

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.

This intern position is within the Drug Product Development (DPD). DPD develops formulations and processes to support drug products at both clinical and commercial stages. The intern will focus on exploring the feasibility of material characterization techniques (vibrational spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction) and PAT technologies to monitor and track processes in drug development. We are seeking highly motivated and self-driven candidates who have demonstrated innovative problem-solving abilities and can work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment. The ideal candidate will have experience in one or more of the following areas: Materials Characterization, Spectroscopy (Raman, NIR, IR), X-Ray diffraction, and Process Analytical Technologies along with a strong understanding of spectroscopic techniques.

Specific goals are:

• Develop methods for product characterization.

• Develop and implement PAT methods to monitor and control pharmaceutical processes.

• Design and execute experiments to evaluate PAT tools and develop and validate methods.

• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams, including formulation scientists, analytical chemists, process engineers, and process modelers, to enable drug product formulation development and manufacturing processes.

• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to characterization and PAT methodologies.

Summer interns will work with mentors for ~10 weeks on a guided research project within a PD Project Team. The program is organized to ensure that interns gain valuable industry and functional experience, work on challenging assignments, learn about BMS and meet diverse company representatives.

The program will feature:

• An orientation, including an overview of company structure, products and brands

• An introduction to the GPS and PD organizations

• Exposure to senior management and business leaders

• Formal presentation at the end of your internship

• Regular discussion of project progress with multiple mentors

• Formal review and feedback sessions

Program Dates:  Monday June 1, 2026 - Friday, August 7, 2026. Applications are currently being accepted and may be selected on a rolling basis. Those selected will be notified no later than February 2026.  Position is in New Brunswick, NJ.

The starting hourly compensation for this assignment is $43.00/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. Interns that will be in-person and reside more than 50 miles away from the work location are eligible for a travel or housing stipend.

Requirements:

• Candidates must be currently enrolled in an accredited university program seeking a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Materials Science, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Physics, or a related field, with a focus on Materials Characterization or PAT. Candidate must still be enrolled during Summer 2026.

• Candidates are expected to graduate between Fall 2026 and end of 2027.

• Must include GPA on resume for consideration (program requires GPA of 3.0 or greater).

• Expertise related to powders, crystallography, powder flow, particle size analysis, and/or with tools such as spectroscopy, chemometrics, or related techniques for process optimization and monitoring.

• Excellent critical thinking skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Effective communication and people skills.

• Proficiency in data analysis software and tools.

• 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 now or in the future.

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.

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 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/

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