Head of Site OpEx and Smart Factory

• Title: Head of Site OpEx and Smart Factory
• Location: Waterford

About Waterford

For more than 20 years, our Waterford team has continued to grow and diversify to serve patients around the world. Today, a team of over 900 work together at a state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical and medical device campus. Recognised through multiple local and national awards, Sanofi Waterford offers flexible working and access to a world of opportunities to grow your career at one location. As well as attractive benefits, the team enjoy access to an onsite gym and medical centre that underpin a strong commitment to health and wellbeing.

Transform Manufacturing Excellence at One of the World's Leading Pharmaceutical Companies

Join Sanofi, a global healthcare leader dedicated to chasing the miracles of science to improve people's lives. At our state-of-the-art Waterford facility, we're revolutionizing pharmaceutical manufacturing through cutting-edge smart factory solutions and operational excellence. We're seeking an exceptional Head of Site OpEx and Smart Factory to lead our transformation journey and drive manufacturing excellence to new heights.

About the Role

As Head of Site OpEx and Smart Factory, you'll be at the forefront of modernizing industrial practices to achieve manufacturing excellence. This Level 4.2 leadership position offers the unique opportunity to combine innovative digital solutions with workforce expertise to reshape Sanofi's manufacturing capabilities. Reporting directly to the Site Head, you'll embody Sanofi's culture of industrial excellence through our Manufacturing System, prioritizing customer service, continuous improvement, and optimization across our operations.

You'll lead a dynamic team focused on performance transformation, digital innovation, and smart factory deployment while fostering a culture of excellence throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Performance Excellence

• Develop and Own Site Performance Roadmap: Lead strategy cascading processes with internal and external stakeholders, define Critical Business Needs (CBNs), and drive benchmarking to identify performance gap.
• Drive Performance Ambition Delivery: Execute transformation initiatives, deploy SMS 2.0 ecosystem, and implement Smart Factory solutions including AI with comprehensive change management
• Lead Performance Governance: Manage operational KPIs (+QDCI) with cascaded reviews from shopfloor to Senior Leadership Team, ensuring financial impact maximization.
• Drive Supplier Excellence: Own material and supplier improvement initiatives, serve as business interface for procurement activities
• Master Data Management: Lead Data & Processes teams and Data Stewards, ensuring data accuracy and analytical capabilities

Smart Factory Transformation & Innovation

• Champion Smart Factory Roadmap: Collaborate with Digital teams, Global Functions, and Business Owners to define prioritized digital project portfolios
• Lead Smart Factory Project Implementation: Drive implementation of critical systems (iShift, MARS, LIMS) with comprehensive execution planning and stakeholder management
• Deploy Smart Factory & GenAI Solutions: Partner with Product Owners and Digital teams for technical implementation, adoption, and value capture

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Build High-Performance Teams: Implement Site OpEx & Smart Factory organization, modernize capabilities with rolel profiles (Data Analytics, AI, Connectivity)
• Develop Talent: Drive OpEx and Smart Factory training programs, foster relationships with global OpEx community

About You

To excel in this role, you will need to have:

Essential Qualifications

• Advanced Degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related technical field
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing operations, operational excellence, or digital transformation
• Proven track record in leading large-scale transformation initiatives and performance improvement programs
• Strong expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies
• Digital transformation experience with Smart Factory technologies, AI implementation, and data analytics
• Exceptional leadership skills with experience managing cross-functional teams and driving cultural change

Preferred Qualifications

• Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences industry experience with understanding of GMP requirements
• Advanced certifications in Lean Six Sigma (Black Belt or Master Black Belt)
• Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent)
• Experience with ERP systems and manufacturing execution systems
• Strong financial acumen with budget management and business case development experience

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and execution excellence
• Change management and transformation leadership
• Data-driven decision making and analytical skills
• Stakeholder management and communication
• Innovation mindset with digital fluency
• Results-oriented with strong business acumen

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, disability, or gender identity.

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