When it comes to quality control managers and investigation specialists at Bristol Myers Squibb, our colleagues’ backgrounds are interesting and diverse, and many of them were not planning on a career in cell therapy. But once introduced to the manufacturing, quality and investigative aspects of cell therapy, many have found rewarding employee experiences here. Cell therapy is one of the most groundbreaking forms of cancer treatment being studied today and is still in its infancy. But with BMS’ continued investment in our cell therapy capabilities, the growth potential of this science, your career and the ability to help patients are unlimited.

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Zach Neidich, Senior Specialist, Investigations, and Cheryl Dennis, Senior Manager, Quality Control Compliance, are two colleagues who discovered careers in this cutting-edge field, with Zach working out of our Devens, MA location, and Cheryl at our Summit, NJ facility.

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Curiosity and Cross-Functional Backgrounds Pay Off

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Both Zach and Cheryl point to backgrounds that involved interests in processes and focusing on the significance of quality in the pharmaceutical manufacturing operation. This is especially important when it comes to cell therapy – an immunotherapy process that reprograms a patient’s own cells to recognize and attack cancer.

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“An internship really opened my eyes to how cross-functional an investigation can be,” said Zach. “After a little over a year at BMS, I’ve been able to understand the implications of the compliance and quality aspects of my job.”

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Cheryl weighed in on the 360 aspects of what it takes to be exceptional in her role. “Helping people understand the big picture,” she said. “But always examining what we are doing and asking, ‘how can I make this process better?’ Then sharing those learnings with your colleagues, building on their skill sets – all that makes for a successful quality control manager.”

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Zach concurred. “Regardless of your background, there’s a huge learning curve for anyone entering cell therapy,” he said. “But it’s important to feel confident in managing projects, meeting timelines, working cross-functionally, and a plus is a familiarity with DMAIC principles: define, measure, analyze, improve and control.”

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A Passion Among our People to do Transformative Work

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The passion that Cheryl mentioned comes through in every aspect of the work, from leadership on down, which brings an entirely different and communal feel among BMS colleagues. “I attended a BMS town hall meeting during my first month here,” she shared. “A patient was introduced who had received our drug just a few months earlier – and I was sold. I said to myself, ‘this is where I’m going to retire from.’ I knew I was in the right place.”

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"Working in cell therapy has profound meaning to us all," added Zach. "Every lot we produce is medicine that’s specific to that one patient. Everyone realizes the urgency and accountability. It’s something I see and experience daily.”

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Vertical, Lateral and Cross-Functional Growth Make Strong Teams

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Management support for career growth opportunities is a constant at BMS and often presents itself in ways that might be outside the usual avenues. These opportunities could be promotional or even exploring a new and different area. Zach shared a few examples.

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“We have a recent transfer to our team from biologics,” he said. “Another person from our team transferred to our facility in The Netherlands. One of my managers is out on leave right now, so I am the interim lead for one of our specialized teams. Taking on that added responsibility and gaining experience is awesome.”

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Developing Professionally and Personally

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Sometimes those opportunities involve collaboration with BMS teams around the world. “One of my site-specific roles is working in the Quality Control (QC) lab,” Cheryl said. “But I've recently worked with global QC folks on a project. Maybe in the future I’d want to pursue a more global role, or move from QC to quality assurance, or quality systems. There are so many different directions. That’s what it’s like in cell therapy: lots of room and options for growth.”

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Both colleagues also have opportunities to give back, whether it’s Cheryl’s training as a volunteer BMS mental health ally to support fellow colleagues or Zach’s work attending college fairs to offer career advice to the next generation of scientists-to-be. Along with BMS’ People Business Resource Groups which are open to every employee, to the Total Rewards compensation packages, you’ll find a work environment that, in Cheryl’s words, “shows that BMS really cares about your development, outside of the expected.”

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If the BMS culture that Cheryl and Zach describe and an investigation specialist role or quality control compliance role sound intriguing, learn more about some of our current openings today.