Global Head of Digital Laboratory and Plant Operations

Job Title: Global Head of Digital Laboratory and Plant Operations

About the Job

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible? Join Sanofi in one of our corporate functions and you can play a vital part in the performance of our entire business while helping to make an impact on millions around the world.

To ensure the success of Sanofi’s Research and Development strategy, Digital Laboratory and Plant Operations drives the strategy, delivery, and management of the Digital ecosystem (incl. applications, data foundation, analytics, AI/ML) supporting all aspects of laboratory and pilot plan operations throughout R&D.

• The successful can will enable business growth and transformation through best-in-class digital innovation and operational excellence that enable research, preclinical and CMC laboratory and plant staff to efficiently discover and develop medicines and vaccines.

• Working as a member of the Research, Research Platforms, and CMC leadership teams, they will be a change agent and thought leader on Digital opportunities and priorities.  They will also interface to Sanofi’s Translational Medicine Unit and comparable functions in the Vaccines business to ensure enterprise reach of digital solutions across modalities.  

• They will maintain Sanofi’s license-to-operate through scaled, high-quality delivery of digital capabilities globally.

• They will work across the Sanofi enterprise with business teams, other Digital R&D portfolio leaders (e.g. Digital Clinical Development), platform teams (e.g. R&D Data Science), and interface to the global Digital core functions (e.g. Tech, Data/AI, Architecture, etc), as needed.  

We are an innovative global healthcare company with one purpose: to chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. We’re also a company where you can flourish and grow your career, with countless opportunities to explore, make connections with people, and stretch the limits of what you thought was possible. Ready to get started?

Main Responsibilities

Relentlessly focus on business objectives and customer needs, while aligned with the overall global Sanofi digital strategy:

• Translate Research, Research Platforms, and CMC development functional strategies and operational improvement plans into clear, coherent, and value-based digital strategy and roadmap across technologies.  

• Strategically plan and prioritize product roadmaps for all wet lab and CMC lab and pilot plan digital products (applications, data, models) over a rolling 5-year timeframe, anchoring to a target ecosystem agreed with business leaders.  

• Directly manage Digital Wet Lab and CMC Guiding Coalitions as the main decision bodies for investments including internal resource and external spend.  Apply strategic aims and funding allocation targets set by Digital Tower (H. R&D, Chief Digital Officer) to prioritize and gate investments.  Monitor progress through mid-gate “health checks” to sustain value delivery and capture according to endorsed value cases.  Manage “pivots,” as needed as the software market matures and technical/operational feasibility are proven through digital product execution and business adoption.

• Be accountable for data quality in Service Now (Digital’s selected portfolio management toolset) to reflect plans and progress for governed product investments.

• Operationally plan delivery through in-house, outsourced, and co-developed models and through product-aligned, Agile ways of working.

• Deliver within allocated budgets and resources and aligned timeframes associated with roadmap delivery.

• In collaboration with legal, quality, and compliance teams, monitor the global regulatory and legal environment to anticipate changes to laws applying to acquisition, storage, and use of patient data as well as responsible application of AI/ML to evidence generation and reporting processses.   Balance and mitigate risks to maintain steady progression of innovative methodologies.

• Monitor the commercial software market for innovations, bringing an advisory point of view to build/buy/partner decisions, including engaging in Digital Strategic Partnering initiatives, as needed.

• Be accountable for oversight and quality delivery by digital vendors (software companies, SaaS platform providers, consultancies) working in the research and CMC space.

• Foster alignment and adherence to the enterprise data architecture standards and recommended principles.

• Lead the community of laboratory and plant Digital practitioners, direct and matrixed, to high degrees of team engagement (relative to company benchmarks).  Be accountable for performance management, talent management, and capability development to keep pace with the rapidly evolving technology landscape.  Leveraging and reinforcing enterprise Digital transformation resources.

• Engage in relevant Sanofi Digital communities of practice, transformation initiatives, and Extended Leadership Team as a catalyst for change and continuous improvement. ​

About You

Job Requirements

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree is required.  (A master’s degree in Science, Engineering, or MBA degree preferred).

• A minimum of 12 years of industry background and understanding.

• A minimum of 6 years industry experience in discovery, preclinical research and/or process/bioprocess development digital technologies.  Special focus on laboratory and plant data acquisition and flow as well as laboratory notebook and LIMs applications.

• Business acumen, strategic mindset, and demonstrable experiences delivering global scale digital solutions in a pharmaceutical or vaccines R&D setting with tangible business impact (e.g. measurable savings, efficiency, effectiveness).

• Demonstrable recent experiences with digital tools for both traditional and emerging methods to plan, conduct, and report laboratory experimental evidence, including AI/ML and other automations.

• Knowledge and experience engaging with a range of software players including large platform providers, niche software, and digital start-ups.

• Direct experience leading teams with demonstrable skills developing people and capabilities in a matrixed, multi-cultural, global organization.

• Ability to be present in Sanofi offices compliant with policies, currently 2-3 days per week on average.

• Ability to travel up to 30% overall to Sanofi headquarters and major R&D centers globally.

• Native Fluency in English.  (Business fluency in French a plus.)

• Seasoned team player with outstanding communication skills, positive attitude, and confident demeanor.

• Successful at building a culture of performance and accountability with an orientation to measurable results.

Why Choose Us?

• Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.

• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.

• Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.

• Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave.

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

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Pursue progress, discover extraordinary

Better is out there. Better medications, better outcomes, better science. But progress doesn’t happen without people – people from different backgrounds, in different locations, doing different roles, all united by one thing: a desire to make miracles happen. So, let’s be those people.

At Sanofi, we provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, ability or gender identity.

Watch our ALL IN video and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion actions at sanofi.com!

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally inclusive and diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; natural or protective hairstyles; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.