Summer 2026 - Global Discovery Chemistry Internship

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

We have an exciting undergraduate internship opportunity at our San Diego, CA site within our dynamic small molecule drug discovery organization. As an intern, you will be at the forefront of developing innovative chemical transformations that are crucial to our drug discovery process. You will be tasked with using organic chemistry to prepare key intermediates and spearhead the investigation into the scope, mechanism, and optimization of chemical transformations. This role offers a fantastic opportunity for personal and scientific development, allowing you to gain experience in a pharmaceutical company while honing technical skills relevant to drug discovery. Additionally, you will have the chance to expand your professional network and be mentored by experienced industry professionals in a stimulating and rewarding environment. In addition to contributing in the lab as an organic chemist, our interns will gain an appreciation and understanding of the many types of scientists it takes to discover a drug and deliver it to patients by meeting with diverse groups that comprise the drug discovery team. If you are passionate about chemistry and eager to advance your professional development while contributing to the creation of life-changing medicines, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity.

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

Key Responsibilities

• Preparation of molecules of interest through multi-step organic synthesis
• The isolation and purification of reaction products by standard laboratory methods
• Characterization of reaction products using NMR and LCMS
• Literature evaluation of proposed reactions and reaction routes
• Optimizing novel chemical transformations
• Following proper procedures for maintaining an electronic lab notebook
• Participating and contributing to scientific discussions, meetings and presentations
• Contributing to a research effort that may be amenable to publication or public presentation
  

Qualifications & Experience

• Completed their 2nd or 3rd year in college, but will not hold a bachelor’s degree before August 2026
• Two years of chemistry coursework at the college level; organic chemistry I/II required
• Strong preference for candidates with prior research experience in academic or industrial settings
• Self-motivated to learn and contribute, with demonstrated examples of independent productivity and team-based interpersonal skills
• Enthusiastic and curious about science, laboratory work, and drug discovery
• 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.

Compensation Overview:

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/

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