Head of Clinical Operations, Vaccines

Job Title: Head of Clinical Operations, Vaccines

• Location: Swiftwater, PA (Preferred); Waltham, MA

About the Job

As Head of Clinical Operations within our Global Clinical Development team, you'll lead a world-class global platform to deliver the full vaccines clinical trial portfolio — shaping both the strategy and the people who make it happen. Ready to get started?

This is a defining leadership opportunity at the heart of Sanofi's Vaccines R&D engine. As the head of a global team of 80–120 people, you will be accountable for the end-to-end operational delivery of our entire vaccine clinical trial portfolio — from strategy through execution — with a budget of approximately $250M annually. You will also lead the transformation of the function, embedding AI and digital capabilities into everyday clinical operations and building the next generation of talent and ways of working.

Join the team protecting half a billion lives every year with next-gen science, mRNA innovation, and AI-driven breakthroughs. In Vaccines, you'll help advance prevention on a global scale - and shape the future of immunization. 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

• Lead the operational strategy and execution of the full vaccines clinical trial portfolio across all regions, ensuring studies are delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards — monitoring KPIs and milestones across all programs.

• Oversee a clinical operations budget of approximately $200M annually, ensuring rigorous financial planning, resource allocation, and budget management in close collaboration with finance and planning functions.

• Build and lead a global Clinical Operations platform of 80–120 professionals and contractors across the US, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture and ensuring appropriate capacity and resource planning across the team.

• Manage strategic partnerships with Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), including vendor selection, governance frameworks, relationship management, and budget oversight to ensure delivery excellence across outsourced studies.

• Drive the digital and AI transformation of Clinical Operations, developing new tools, building data literacy and digital skills across the team, and establishing a culture of data-driven decision-making in clinical trial delivery.

• Contribute to the Global Clinical Development Leadership Team, contributing to the GCD 2030 Roadmap, championing continuous improvement in processes and ways of working, and ensuring the function evolves to meet future scientific and operational demands.

• Develop and mentor the Clinical Operations leadership team and broader organization, ensuring robust succession planning, individual growth plans, and a strong pipeline of future leaders — while maintaining full regulatory compliance and quality standards across all clinical activities.

About You

Experience

• A minimum of 15 years of overall professional business experience is required

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in formal leadership position, in addition to leading and managing a team is required

• Selected candidate will possess a proven track record of leading large, multifunctional clinical operations teams in the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry, including experience managing global clinical trials across multiple regions

• Demonstrated experience leading organizational transformation — building new capabilities, driving change, and embedding innovation into operational teams

• Experience managing strategic relationships with external partners, including Clinical Research Organizations, clinical trial sites, and regulatory body

• Demonstrated experience within Artificial Intelligence (AI), respective to leading out front best in class strategies and implementation is strongly preferred

• Our position may require up to 40% overall travel

Soft and technical skills

• Strong leadership and people development skills, with the ability to inspire and align large, geographically dispersed teams

• Excellent project and study management skills, with the ability to oversee complex, multi-program portfolios simultaneously

• Effective communicator and collaborator across senior stakeholders, enabling functions, and external partners

• Curiosity and commitment to digital innovation, including familiarity with AI-enabled tools and data-centric approaches in clinical research

Education

• Master's degree or advanced degree in a relevant scientific or medical field 

Languages

• Fluency in English

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.

• Work at the forefront of AI-driven research, smart manufacturing, and groundbreaking mRNA platforms that are redefining the future of immunology. 

• Help protect half a billion people every year, contributing to one of the largest global vaccination efforts in healthcare.

• Develop your career with access to mentoring, international mobility programs, and opportunities to grow across four continents.

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.