Head of Legal Procurement Transformation and Operations

Job title: Head of Legal Procurement Transformation and Operations

Location: Morristown, NJ

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.  

Ready to push the limits of what's possible? Join Sanofi as part of the Legal, Ethics and Business Integrity and Global Security ("LEBI & GS") team 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.

As Head of Legal Procurement Transformation and Operations within the Global Legal Manufacturing & Supply and Procurement team, you'll drive transformation and change at enterprise scale. The team is heavily focused on transformation, so there will be lots of opportunities for you to improve processes and implement best-in-class ways of working. You will lead projects optimizing supplier relationships, manage third-party risk, and support smart spending.

A flagship initiative for this role is leading the Sanofi Contracting Transformation (SCoT) Project — a cross-functional transformation program designed to simplify, standardize, and accelerate contracting across Legal, Contract Services, and Procurement through improved intake, simplified templates, and clarified governance.

This is a senior legal leadership role with global scope, operating in a highly matrixed, cross-functional environment. Reporting directly to the Global Head of Legal Manufacturing & Supply and Procurement, you will serve as the primary legal leader and strategic partner to Sanofi's Global Procurement organization, while simultaneously spearheading the legal team's own transformation — modernizing, digitizing, and future-proofing the way legal services are delivered across Procurement.

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 Legal Partnership & Procurement Advisory

• Serve as the lead legal advisor and strategic business partner to the Global Procurement organization, including representation of Legal on the Global Procurement Leadership Team

• Provide senior legal guidance on Global Procurement initiatives — including initiatives to free up cash flow (e.g., payment terms and inventory reduction) and transformation projects (e.g., smart spending, optimized supplier relationships, third-party risk management, and integrated risk management) — in close collaboration with LEBI & GS colleagues and other stakeholders

• Advise on global contracts for indirect Procurement categories of spend in close coordination with local Legal teams and other stakeholders

• Advise on supplier governance frameworks, including supplier qualification, due diligence, and performance management from a legal perspective

• Oversee legal aspects of strategic sourcing decisions, including make-vs-buy analyses, outsourcing arrangements, and strategic partnerships

• Provide legal guidance on competition and antitrust law considerations in procurement activities, including information exchange, joint purchasing, and supplier coordination

• Support dispute resolution and litigation management related to procurement and supplier matters

• Provide as-needed legal support to strategic initiatives related to Manufacturing & Supply transformation

Contracting Transformation

• Lead "Contracting Transformation" at Sanofi: improve, optimize, standardize, modernize, and digitize contracting methodology, processes, standards, and tools — including revision of the contracting risk matrix, Global Contracting Procedure, contract templates and playbooks, contract lifecycle management (CLM), training, and communication — in coordination with LEBI & GS, Global Procurement, Procurement Services, and other stakeholders

• Serve as Project Lead for SCoT Project, coordinating five priority workstreams, managing critical dependencies and preparing decision recommendations for senior leadership

• Define, track, and report on SCoT performance metrics and success indicators; chair or co-chair governance forums including the Contract Governance Committee and Steering Committee reporting

• Partner with Legal Operations, Contract Services, and Digital teams to ensure SCoT deliverables are integrated with the CLM tool, the AI Legal Assistant, and other digital contracting platforms; ensure sequencing of technology enablement aligns with process design milestones

• Drive optimized ways of working across LEBI & GS, Global Procurement, and Procurement Services on contracting

• Drive the adoption of AI, digital tools, and legal technology at scale across the Legal M&S and Procurement team to enhance efficiency, quality, and speed of legal service delivery

Risk Management & Compliance

• Identify, assess, and manage legal and regulatory risks associated with global procurement activities, including supply chain risk, sanctions and trade compliance, anti-bribery/anti-corruption, data privacy, and ESG/sustainability obligations

• Ensure legal contracting framework is fully integrated with Sanofi's Third Party Risk Management (TPRM) program, including alignment of mandatory contractual clauses across the eight TPRM risk domains (Anti-Bribery & Corruption, CSR, Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, AI, Financial Health, REACH, HSE)

• Ensure legal compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing procurement, including trade regulations, public procurement rules where applicable, and sector-specific pharmaceutical regulations

• Monitor and assess the impact of evolving legal and regulatory developments on procurement activities and proactively advise the business

Legal Operations & Team Leadership

• Mentor and develop a network of high-performing legal professionals supporting Procurement, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning

• Lead organization-wide adoption of the new contracting operating model, including targeted training programs for Legal, Contract Services, and Procurement audiences; develop change management strategies to address resistance and embed sustainable behavioral change across all stakeholder groups

• Lead initiatives aimed at simplification, standardization, and digitization of ways of working across the Legal M&S and Procurement team

• Closely collaborate with the Head of Legal Operations on LEBI & GS transformation initiatives

• Contribute to the development and implementation of LEBI & GS strategy, including legal operations, knowledge management, and resource planning

• Manage and coordinate external legal counsel on Procurement matters, including budget oversight and outside counsel guidelines compliance

• Develop and deliver legal training programs for Procurement and business stakeholders on key legal topics

• Represent Legal on the Global Procurement Leadership Team and various committees responsible for leading transformation

About you
Experience & Qualifications:

• Minimum 12–15 years of post-qualification legal experience, with significant in-house experience at a global company (pharmaceutical, life sciences preferred)

• Bar admission or equivalent qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction; law degree from an accredited law school required

• Deep expertise in commercial contracts, procurement law, and supply chain legal matters

• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, cross-functional legal transformation programs, including design of contract frameworks, triage models, and governance structures in a complex global organization

• Hands-on experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms (e.g., Coupa CLMA or equivalent) and AI-assisted contracting tools; ability to partner with technology teams to shape tool requirements from a legal process perspective

• Experience developing and governing mandatory clause libraries and contract template portfolios for use by non-legal professionals (e.g., Contract Services, Procurement)

• Strong change management skills, including experience designing and delivering training programs and stakeholder communication strategies for legal process transformation

• Familiarity with TPRM frameworks and the legal dimensions of third-party risk across multiple risk domains (anti-bribery and corruption, data privacy, cybersecurity, AI, ESG/CSR)

• Experience defining and tracking legal operations KPIs and performance metrics; data-driven mindset with ability to translate metrics into actionable insights

• Strong knowledge of anti-bribery/anti-corruption laws (FCPA, UK Bribery Act), trade compliance/sanctions, data privacy (GDPR), and ESG regulatory frameworks as they apply to procurement

• Track record of leading and managing legal teams in a global, matrixed organization

• Proven experience overseeing and driving cross-functional projects to completion

• Experience working with and advising C-suite and senior leadership

• Solid experience in managing diverse teams across geographies

Skills & Attributes:

• Natural leader and influencer with exceptional relationship-building skills

• Entrepreneurial problem solver with strong business acumen

• Excellent judgment and commitment to ethical conduct

• Strong project management skills; experience with agile or lean methodologies a plus

• Excellent communication skills — written, verbal, and executive-level presentation

• Fluency in English required (written and spoken); additional languages (French, German) a plus

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Vision - ability to translate complex legal and business challenges into clear, actionable strategies that drive enterprise value

• Change Leadership - proven ability to lead and inspire teams through significant organizational and digital transformation. Proven ability to design and execute adoption strategies for complex, multi-workstream transformation programs, including managing resistance and embedding sustainable behavioral change across diverse stakeholder groups (Legal, Procurement, Contract Services, Business)

• Stakeholder Management - skilled at building trust and credibility with senior business leaders, procurement professionals, and cross-functional partners

• Digital Fluency - comfort with and enthusiasm for leveraging technology, data analytics, and AI to modernize legal service delivery

• Collaborative Mindset - operates effectively in a highly matrixed, global organization; builds bridges across functions and geographies

• Resilience & Adaptability - thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment with competing priorities and ambiguity

• Integrity & Ethics - unwavering commitment to the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior

• Governance & Sequencing Discipline - skilled at managing complex project dependencies, sequencing workstreams logically, and maintaining governance rigor across multiple concurrent initiatives — ensuring that foundational building blocks are in place before downstream deliverables are launched

• Cross-Functional Orchestration - ability to coordinate and align diverse teams — Legal, Contract Services, Procurement, Procurement Services, Legal Operations, Digital — toward shared transformation goals, while managing competing priorities and stakeholder interests

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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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.