Bristol Myers Squibb · Primly Community

Went through the BMS commercial marketing loop last month, here's what I actually encountered

staff_steph · 4 replies

Just finished a Senior Marketing Manager loop at BMS (oncology franchise, NJ-based). Overall: 5 rounds over about 5 weeks. Here's the breakdown.

Round 1: Recruiter, 30 min. Mostly logistics, salary range check, relocation question (they asked twice). Nothing hard.

Round 2: Hiring manager, 45 min. She was sharp. Lots of 'tell me about a campaign that didn't go the way you planned' and 'how do you work with medical affairs when you disagree on messaging.' Not trick questions, but she wanted real texture, not a highlight reel.

Round 3: Case study take-home. I had 5 days. It was a launch scenario, fictional drug, real therapeutic area dynamics. They wanted a go-to-market strategy and a slide deck. I spent probably 15 hours on it. This was the most work by far.

Round 4: Panel, 4 people (cross-functional: market access, medical, another marketer, ops). Each person had about 15 min. A lot of 'how do you prioritize when you have 3 stakeholders with competing priorities.' Classic BMS.

Round 5: VP, 30 min. Mostly values and vision. She asked what I think the biggest shift in oncology marketing is over the next 3 years. I gave a real answer, not a textbook one.

Total time: about 5 weeks. Offer was competitive for pharma, below big tech obviously but that's just the sector. Culture vibes were real. The people I talked to seemed to genuinely like working there.

4 replies

laidoff_lena

The case study taking 15 hours feels on-brand for pharma. Did they give any feedback on the deck afterward, or is it the usual black box?

marketer_mei

No feedback on the deck itself. They just said it 'reflected strong strategic thinking' in the debrief call. You kind of have to infer what landed. I think the payor section helped.

intl_isla

Was the role posted as hybrid or fully in-person? I see BMS listings that say hybrid but then the HM clarifies they want 4 days onsite. Trying to calibrate before I apply from outside the US.

ae_andre

The 'how do you work with medical affairs when you disagree on messaging' question is basically the pharma equivalent of 'tell me about a conflict.' Good to know it comes up at BMS specifically. I'd have a tight answer ready for that one.