Business Operations Lead

Job Title: Business Operations Lead

• Location: Cambridge, MA

About the Job

The Digital R&D Business Operations Lead serves as the operational backbone for the Digital In Silico Research and Lab & Plant Operations organizations. This role is responsible for ensuring seamless execution across vendor qualification, procurement, compliance, and cross-functional coordination. The ideal candidate brings a proven ability to navigate complex organizational environments, manage competing priorities, and drive operational outcomes with minimal friction — while maintaining a working understanding of the scientific context in which they operate.

This is a senior individual contributor role suited to someone with deep expertise in corporate operational functions and a demonstrated track record of delivering results in highly regulated, fast-paced environments.

Join the engine of Sanofi’s mission — where deep immunoscience meets bold, AI-powered research. In R&D, you’ll drive breakthroughs that could turn the impossible into possible for millions.

About Sanofi:
We’re an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.

Main Responsibilities:

Vendor Qualification & Onboarding:

• Manage end-to-end vendor qualification processes across Legal, Finance, Risk, IT Security, Procurement, and Compliance for scientific software, computational tools, lab technology, and research service providers.

• Navigate complex approval workflows and accelerate vendor onboarding timelines for CROs, scientific service providers, and research technology vendors.

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders across Legal, Finance, Risk, and Procurement.

• Develop solutions to address qualification roadblocks and compliance challenges, including those specific to GxP-regulated or data-sensitive scientific environments.

• Maintain vendor documentation, contracts, and compliance records in alignment with data integrity and research compliance requirements.

Procurement & Financial Operations:

• Manage PO creation, approval, and tracking across multiple vendors and contracts, including scientific software vendors, SaaS platforms, and computational infrastructure.

• Oversee invoice processing, payment tracking, and vendor financial relationships.

• Support annual and mid-year budget planning cycles.

Risk & Compliance Management:

• Conduct risk assessments for new vendors and technology partnerships, with particular attention to GxP compliance, data integrity requirements, and scientific data governance standards.

• Ensure compliance with Sanofi policies, regulatory requirements, and data governance standards applicable to R&D and lab environments.

• Coordinate security reviews, privacy assessments, and audit requirements for scientific software and computational platforms.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Serve as the primary liaison between Digital In Silico Research / Lab & Plant Operations and corporate functions.

• Resolve operational bottlenecks through structured problem-solving and stakeholder engagement.

• Develop and maintain cross-functional networks to facilitate timely decision-making.

• Anticipate operational risks and develop contingency plans proactively, including those affecting research workflows, lab automation systems, or computational platform availability.

Process Optimization & Documentation:

• Streamline vendor qualification and procurement processes to improve efficiency and consistency, including for recurring scientific software renewals and lab supply chains.

• Manage and improve the process to purchase software and to add it to Sanofi catalogs.

• Develop playbooks, templates, and documentation for repeatable operational workflows relevant to R&D and lab environments.

• Identify automation opportunities and lead continuous improvement initiatives.

• Track and report on operational metrics and process performance.

Strategic Operations Support:

• Support the Strategy & Operations Leads with portfolio-level operational planning across in silico research and lab operations.

• Coordinate cross-vertical initiatives requiring vendor or procurement involvement, including those spanning computational biology tooling and lab technology infrastructure.

• Contribute operational insights and feasibility assessments to strategic planning sessions, informed by an understanding of R&D workflows and scientific priorities.

• Track project dependencies and resource requirements across the portfolio.

About You

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in any field and master's degree is a plus.

• 5+ years of experience in business operations, procurement, vendor management, strategic operations or related.

• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in complex organizational environments.

• Experience in pharma, biotech, or highly regulated industries is a strong plus.

• Familiarity with R&D operations, lab environments, or scientific technology vendors is a strong plus.

Skills

Operational Excellence & Execution:

• Strong working knowledge of corporate functions including Legal, Finance, Procurement, and Risk.

• Structured problem-solving skills with the ability to identify practical solutions to complex operational challenges, including those arising in regulated scientific environments.

• Proven project management capabilities with experience managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.

• High degree of accountability and follow-through on commitments.

• Continuous improvement mindset with a bias toward action.

Stakeholder Management & Influence:

• Effective relationship-building skills across all organizational levels, including scientific and technical stakeholders.

• Ability to understand and translate the operational needs of scientific teams — including researchers, data scientists, and lab operations leads — into actionable procurement and vendor management activities.

• Ability to influence without direct authority and build alignment across functions.

• Clear, professional communication style with the ability to navigate sensitive or complex situations.

• Comfortable raising issues constructively and advocating for process improvements.

Technical & Domain Knowledge:

• Familiarity with Jira or similar project management tools is a plus

• Understanding of vendor risk assessment, compliance frameworks, and regulatory requirements, including GxP standards and scientific data governance principles.

• Experience with IT vendor management, SaaS procurement, or scientific software and computational platform contracts is a plus.

• Awareness of IP considerations, research data management requirements, and compliance frameworks relevant to pharmaceutical R&D.

Attributes:

• Resourceful and determined, with a consistent ability to deliver results in ambiguous or constrained environments.

• Comfortable operating in fast-paced settings with evolving priorities.

• Proactive and self-directed, with the ability to anticipate needs and act without close supervision.

• Collaborative and service-oriented in approach.

• Exercises sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive vendor and financial information.

This role reports to the Product Owners and Strategy & Operations Leads and is well-suited to a professional who combines operational rigor with strong interpersonal skills and a practical, solutions-oriented approach to complex organizational challenges.

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.

• Join the digital force behind Sanofi’s AI-powered pipeline, where Expert, Generative, and Snackable AI accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of breakthrough treatments to patients.

• Work in a safe, responsible environment, with a strategy that balances digital innovation with the appropriate level of risk management for each AI system.

• Enjoy daily opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge in an environment based on open dialogue and mutual respect.

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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All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.