Job Location: Cambridge, MA
Our Client
Sanofi is a global pharmaceuticals and biologics company headquartered in Paris, France with large hubs across the World, including Boston, MA, USA. Originally, the company was formed in 1973 and the current incarnation was formed as Sanofi-Aventis in 2004 by the merger of Aventis and Sanofi-Synthélabo, which were each the product of several previous mergers. It changed its name to Sanofi in May 2011. The company is a component of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index.
Sanofi engages in the research and development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceutical drugs principally in the prescription market, but the firm also develops over-the-counter medication. The company covers seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular, central nervous system, diabetes, internal medicine, oncology, thrombosis, and vaccines. It is the world’s largest producer of vaccines through its subsidiary Sanofi Pasteur.
Sanofi has recently embarked into a vast and ambitious digital transformation program. A first step to this transformation was bringing all IT, Digital and Data functions under a Global Chief Digital Officer reporting to Sanofi’s CEO. The new Digital organization has now finalized a 3-year strategy that will drive business growth and reduce cost via efficiency.
A cornerstone of this program is the acceleration of the digitalization of the research and development (R&D) processes and the continuous improvement of its R&D tools and other solutions. The acceleration of the adoption of digitalization, automation and advanced data analytics and machine learning solutions is indeed widely anticipated to help the corporation’s R&D organizations to gain differentiating insights and make better, data-driven decisions, to de-risk and to accelerate its end-to end R&D processes and, ultimately, to bring better drugs and vaccines faster to the market and therefore improve and save more lives.
In this context, Sanofi is recruiting a global Head of Digital R&D Data Products, reporting to the Global Head of Digital R&D, Diane Wuest.
The Role
The Head of Digital R&D Data Products will be a key strategic leader on the Digital R&D Leadership Team. S/he works closely with R&D leaders to build capabilities for Sanofi that deliver on the promise of data, lean agile process, automation, and digital technology to transform R&D outcomes.
Working alongside the R&D organization and the rest of the Digital organization, the Head of R&D Digital Data Products will ensure that all R&D digital data platforms and solutions and their supporting services are delivered to the highest standards of quality and performance and evolve in lockstep with the R&D activities.
S/he will have full accountability for strategy and execution of all Digital R&D data products and programs focused on AI/ML and HPC (High Performance Computing) and services for R&D, across all Therapeutic Areas and Regions. The success of this role is measured by increasing R&D value, end user experience, agility of architecture, and speed of MVP build and scaled industrialization.
The Head of Digital R&D Data Products also attracts and develops architecture, engineering, and agile project talent and manages an annual budget of in excess of $50M. Her/his main leadership actions are focused on setting the vision, strategic plan and roadmap priorities for the team. S/he is accountable of all aspects of people management (performance management, people development and sourcing strategy) ensuring that the associates have the skills and expertise needed to deliver the roadmap objectives.
The Head of Digital R&D Data Products will be accountable among others to:
- Recruit and manage a flexible and agile technology team that matches the Sanofi culture for innovation, Sanofi first, stretch objectives and patient centric activities (>50 internal FTEs and numerous outside consultants).
- Engage with the other Digital leaders and the R&D leaders to build and deliver a Service-Orientated Architecture and a prioritized roadmap for all R&D digital and data platforms and solutions across the following domains: research, CMC, clinical development and R&D asset portfolio management.
- Contribute to the architecture, design, build, delivery, and continuous improvement, of digital R&D applications and platforms.
- Oversee the implementation and delivery of the R&D data platform solutions using an agile framework to secure the highest standards of quality and performance.
- In particular, oversee the design, planning and execution of highly strategic AI/ML programs (R&D AI Factory across Pharma, Vaccines, and mRNA, iCMC Advanced Analytics, Clinical Protocol Design, Clinical Control Tower, R&D asset portfolio Analytics, Digital Biomarkers, etc.),
- Contribute to educate and promote the strategic value of the organization’s R&D digital assets throughout Sanofi.
- Contribute to building the Digital Hybrid delivery model: centralize and standardize R&D platforms and solutions whenever possible while providing those required bespoke solutions to and developing and supporting the “R&D digital champions” located in, all major R&D centers.
- Ensure security and regulatory compliance in the digital and data solutions space.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is a seasoned technologist, someone with a solid academic and professional computer sciences background, a solid understanding of complex (regulated) environments’ IT architectures and platforms, and at least some experience leading AI/ML programs. S/he will have spent significant time in enterprise architecture, solution architecture, and application development before gaining experience building, integrating and managing digital and data platforms. The successful candidate will have a strong affinity for supporting AI/ML solutions and program delivery, and for continuous improvement and innovation.
The successful candidate will possess the following additional functional competencies:
- 15+ years technology Leadership and Management experience, within a large international and geographically distributed organization with cultural diversity.
- Passionate about life sciences and R&D, able to translate the company’s mission to accelerate the development of life saving drugs into digital and data strategies and associated requirements for technology platforms and solutions.
- A highly skilled communicator able to act as a trusted advisor to the Digital and R&D leaders;
- A versatile technologist, who has handled complex architectures, delivered complex integrated and interoperable digital and data solutions, and can therefore oversee the design, implementation, integration, and delivery of R&D platform solutions from the ground-up.
- As a contemporary technologist, familiarity with service orientated architecture, agile delivery, API, micro-services, SDLC, DevOps.
- Experience acting as a digital business partner, fostering collaboration between different disciplines to deliver solutions and services to global functions, promoting a culture of quality, performance, and end-user focus.
- Track record of building and growing teams and achieving high standards of execution across a diverse range of solutions, services, and project deliverables, participating in the continuous improvement of the service organization, its talent, its delivery processes and of the technologies they are deploying.
- Thought leadership, evangelism, and subject matter expertise in identifying, recommending, designing, case proofing and delivering digital innovation, including experience leading AI/ML programs.
- Someone who stays informed and keeps up with the latest industry trends and best practices that can subsequently be imparted on business, functional and Digital personnel for constant growth and optimal functional performance.
- Experience building roadmaps and prioritizing initiatives for transformation programs in the digital and data platforms and solutions space.
In terms of the performance and personal competencies required for the position, we would highlight the following:
Setting Strategy
- The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organization, not only for the areas s/he is directly responsible for, but the enterprise as a whole.
- The inclination to seek and analyze data from a variety of sources to support decisions and to align others with the organization’s overall strategy.
- An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.
- The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organization is capable of handling, to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful.
Executing for Results
- The ability to set clear and challenging goals while committing the organization to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results.
- Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and lead others through complex situations.
- A risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions; someone who takes smart risks.
- A leader who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in his/her approach to making decisions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organization.
Leading Teams
- The ability to attract and recruit top talent, motivate the team, delegate effectively, celebrate diversity within the team, and manage performance; widely viewed as a strong developer of others.
- The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers.
- A leader who is self-reflective and aware of his/her own limitations; leads by example and drives the organization’s performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement.
Relationships and Influence
- Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively.
- An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in his/her beliefs, and active drive.
- Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team.
- Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond his/her own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organization as a whole.
This is our Sanofi, Discover yours.
We are proud to have been awarded Global Top Employer 2021.
As a healthcare company and a vaccine manufacturer, Sanofi has an important responsibility to protect individual and public health. All US based roles require individuals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of your job responsibilities.
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.
At Sanofi diversity and inclusion is foundational to how we operate and embedded in our Core Values. We recognize to truly tap into the richness diversity brings we must lead with inclusion and have a workplace where those differences can thrive and be leveraged to empower the lives of our colleagues, patients and customers. We respect and celebrate the diversity of our people, their backgrounds and experiences and provide equal opportunity for all.
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