Facilities, Equipment & Laboratory Services Lead

Job title: Facilities, Equipment & Laboratory Services Lead

• Location: Waltham, MA

About the job

The Facilities & Equipment Operations (F&E Ops) US Lead is a senior strategic role responsible for helping set the direction, standards, and operational framework for F&E Ops across global Vaccines R&D sites, with primary accountability at the Waltham, MA location. This position goes beyond site-level execution — it helps shape how F&E Ops functions as a program across the vaccines sites, drives cross-site alignment, and establishes governance models that elevate the consistency, quality, and compliance of laboratory and facility operations organization-wide.

The incumbent serves as the senior subject matter authority for laboratory facility and equipment lifecycle strategy, providing expert guidance that influences decisions. This role leads the design and implementation of laboratory facility renovations, including oversight of electrical and mechanical contractors, and drives the strategy to optimize usage of the laboratory facilities and meet the evolving scientific needs.  This position manages major equipment lifecycle programs — including the qualification and implementation of complex, computerized laboratory systems. The position establishes and governs general laboratory support programs (e.g., temperature monitoring systems, storage and equipment relocations) and provides strategic oversight of managed service providers for consumables inventory, laboratory support services, and equipment maintenance.

At this level, the role is expected to represent F&E Ops to senior and executive leadership, lead organizational change initiatives, and set the strategic agenda for how F&E Ops supports Vaccines R&D. The incumbent will mentor and develop the talent within F&E Ops, building team capability and ensuring continuity of expertise across the function. Cross-site collaboration is not incidental — it is a core accountability: this role is expected to help identify, standardize, and institutionalize best practices across all US F&E Ops sites, not simply share them.

The mission of the US F&E Ops team is to provide harmonized, strategically aligned support for facility, equipment, and laboratory services that enhances the scientific focus of Vaccines R&D. The team centralizes management and oversight of R&D infrastructure, ensures robust service delivery models, and drives alignment with Sanofi's Take the Lead strategies. F&E Ops supports equipment lifecycle, maintenance and qualification activities, laboratory facilities, space modification and renovations, and in-lab support services through managed services. The overarching goal is to improve the quality and agility of Vaccines R&D operations while reducing compliance and operational demands on scientific and technical staff — accelerating pipeline advancement and ultimately bringing vaccines to market to address unmet medical needs.

This is a US-based, in-office position. The ideal candidate will live within reasonable commuting distance to Sanofi's Waltham, MA location.

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

Strategic Leadership & Program Ownership

• Define and drive the F&E Ops strategy for Waltham facility, setting the long-term direction for facility, equipment, and laboratory services programs — moving beyond implementation to shaping what gets built and why.

• Establish governance frameworks, operational standards, and best practice models for F&E Ops activities, ensuring consistency, compliance, and continuous improvement at an organizational level.

• Lead cross-site and cross-functional F&E Ops initiatives, driving alignment across Waltham and other US locations to harmonize programs, eliminate redundancy, and scale effective solutions.

• Represent F&E Ops to senior and executive leadership, providing strategic updates, program performance insights, and recommendations that inform organizational decision-making.

• Lead organizational change efforts within F&E Ops, including the adoption of new service models, technologies, and operational frameworks that advance the function's maturity and impact.

Team Development & Organizational Capability

• Mentor, coach, and develop the talent within F&E Ops, building technical and professional capability across the team and ensuring a strong pipeline of expertise within the function.

• Provide strategic guidance and technical leadership to F&E Ops staff, serving as the senior escalation point for complex operational, compliance, or project challenges.

Facilities, Equipment & Laboratory Operations

• Ensure facilities and equipment remain in safe and operational condition in accordance with applicable industry and corporate requirements; set the standards by which compliance is measured and maintained across sites.

• Lead laboratory facility renovation programs, including strategic planning, scope definition, contractor oversight (electrical, mechanical), and cross-functional coordination with Engineering, Maintenance, HSE, and Finance.

• Drive major equipment lifecycle programs, including the strategy, implementation, and qualification of complex and computerized laboratory systems; establish qualification standards and lifecycle governance applicable across US sites.

• Oversee and continuously improve general laboratory support programs, including consumables stockroom management, controlled temperature unit monitoring systems, equipment relocations, and safety compliance activities.

• Provide strategic oversight of managed service providers for consumables, laboratory support services, and equipment maintenance; define service model standards and hold providers accountable to performance metrics.

Cross-Functional Alignment & Stakeholder Engagement

• Drive cross-functional alignment with key partners within US Site Management, such as USSM management, Business Office and Site Operations, as well as stakeholders including scientific leadership, Maintenance, Metrology, Engineering, Finance, HSE, and external partners (automation, digital, vendors) to ensure F&E Ops programs are integrated with broader organizational priorities.

• Manage program-level timelines, budgets, and resource allocation across F&E Ops initiatives, ensuring delivery against strategic objectives and operational targets.

• Track and report on operational metrics at a program level; leverage laboratory platforms and data insights to drive continuous improvement and provide regular strategic updates to senior leadership.

• Develop and present effective PowerPoint presentations, build an effective network of experts, both internal and external, to continuously seek and drive continuous improvements and collaborations.

• Lead the identification and institutionalization of best practices across US F&E Ops sites, translating site-level learnings into scalable, organization-wide standards.

• Drive implementation of operational efficiency improvements that reduce compliance and operational burden on scientific and technical staff, enabling greater focus on research and pipeline advancement.

About you 

Work Experience: 10+ years of relevant experience in facilities, equipment, and/or laboratory operations, with demonstrated progression into strategic and cross-functional leadership roles.

Education

BS/BA (4-Year) in a Scientific or Engineering related discipline required. Advanced degree or equivalent leadership experience preferred.

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.