Manager, Government Affairs (m/w/d)

At Bristol Myers Squibb, our employees often ask, “Who are you working for?”—a question that fuels collaboration, accountability, and urgency in our work. Our purpose-driven culture inspires us to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines to prevail over serious diseases. We offer uniquely interesting and meaningful work, opportunities for growth, and a supportive environment that values inclusion, wellbeing, flexibility, and comprehensive benefits. This is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it.

Duties and responsibilities

The Manager Government Affairs supports the company’s political advocacy within the German healthcare system and contributes actively to shaping a healthcare-policy environment that is conducive to innovation for research-based pharmaceutical companies. This position works closely with the market access, medical and communications teams.

The core responsibilities are in particular:

• Monitoring and analysing the healthcare-policy environment. Systematically tracking and interpreting current pharmaceutical-policy developments at federal and EU level (e.g. pharmaceutical market and cost-containment legislation, further development of AMNOG, industrial and location policy, research and innovation funding). Preparing the findings for internal and external stakeholders.

• Supporting the development and implementation of policy positions. Contributing to position papers, lines of argument and political briefings on key healthcare-policy questions relevant to the company portfolio and to the research-based pharmaceutical industry.

• Building and maintaining networks (strong emphasis). Actively building, maintaining and continuously expanding a robust network of political decision-makers, ministries, parliaments, associations, think tanks and other relevant stakeholders in the healthcare-policy environment. Preparing and supporting meetings, parliamentary evenings, expert events and background briefings.

• Collaborating with associations and external partners. Participating in working groups and committees (e.g. industry and professional associations), supporting association positioning and coordinating joint political initiatives.

• Acting as an internal interface. Close alignment with the market access, medical affairs, pricing, communications and leadership teams to ensure consistent political positioning and to translate political developments into commercial and strategic implications.

• Project and topic ownership. Taking ownership of individual policy topics and sub-projects, including the coordination of external agencies and service providers, and contributing to interdisciplinary and, in part, international projects.

• Modern ways of working and digital support. Using digital tools and AI-based applications (e.g. for political research, trend analysis, briefing preparation or stakeholder mapping) to continuously improve the efficiency and quality of government affairs work.

Requirements

Professional qualifications

• Completed degree in political science, economics, social sciences, public administration, law, natural sciences or health sciences, or a comparable background

• Initial relevant professional experience (minimum 2–5 years) in the healthcare-policy environment, for example:

• In ministries or parliaments

• At associations, think tanks or political organisations

• In consultancies or agencies, or in the pharmaceutical industry

• Foundational knowledge of the German healthcare system and of current pharmaceutical-policy issues

• Interest in market access, reimbursement and regulatory topics (AMNOG, G-BA, pharmaceutical pricing)

Personal and methodological competencies

• Strong communication and networking skills, and genuine enjoyment of active relationship building

• A confident presence with political stakeholders and internal counterparts

• Analytical thinking, a structured working style and the ability to present complex political matters clearly

• Initiative, willingness to learn and the ability to take ownership of one’s own topics

• Very good German and English, written and spoken

• Confident use of MS Office; familiarity with digital tools and AI-supported applications in day-to-day political work

• Team orientation, the ability to integrate, and sensitivity to internal and external stakeholder needs

Please note that this role requires presence in Berlin.

We hire for skills and capabilities, not just credentials – if this role excites you, but doesn’t perfectly match your resume, we encourage you to apply anyway.

How We Work

Where you work matters – because collaboration, innovation and patient impact happen in many settings. Our roles are structured across four work models: site-essential, site-by-design, field-based and remote-by-design. The model assigned to this role is based on its core responsibilities. Learn more at https://careers.bms.com/ways-of-working.

Supporting People with Disabilities

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.

Candidate Rights

BMS will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

For roles based in Los Angeles County only:  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/

Data Protection

We will never request payments, financial information, or social security numbers during our application or recruitment process. Learn more about protecting yourself at https://careers.bms.com/fraud-protection.

Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations.

If this posting is missing required information required by local law or incorrect, contact BMS at [email protected] with the Job Title and Requisition number. Do not send application-related inquiries to this email. To check your application status, please login to your Candidate Home Account.