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Manufacturing and Supply

Manufacturing and Supply
Where the
miracles of
science
are made
a reality
for patients

Head of SMS Supplier Excellence

Framingham, Massachusetts
Northborough, Massachusetts
Salary Range   USD 125,250.00 - 180,916.66
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At a glance

Our teams produce and deliver over 4 billion units of medicines and vaccines every year, ensuring every breakthrough gets to the people who need it most.
Our state-of-the-art facilities, AI-powered smart factories, and cutting-edge automation are redefining what’s possible: ensuring treatments reach patients faster, safer, and more sustainably than ever before. This is where your skills, ambition, and passion can shape the future of healthcare.

Job Title: Head of Sanofi Manufacturing System (SMS) Supplier Excellence

Location: Framingham, Northborough, MA

About the Job

We deliver 4.3 billion healthcare solutions to people every year, thanks to the flawless planning and meticulous eye for detail of our Manufacturing & Supply teams. With your talent and ambition, we can do even more to protect people from infectious diseases and bring hope to patients and their families.

The role of the Operational Excellence (OpEx) team is to drive industrial performance to achieve the site’s strategy and ambition. The OpEx team brings a high level of expertise and leadership in Sanofi Manufacturing System (SMS) methodology, transformation and change management. OpEx teams collaborate with all functions at the site, with Global SMS and actively contribute to the Sanofi SMS network.

This role serves as the OpEx representative (business partner) for the site to drive supplier performance. The role operates on three key missions: 1) fill the pipeline with initiatives will support the site in delivering its target of materials (direct) and services (indirect) cost reduction, 2) improve site competitiveness by leveraging supplier performance, 3) support and/or lead risk management (single source risks and driving initiatives related to dual sourcing, etc.,) to avoid shortages. As an SMS Leader, the person must achieve SMS Intermediate level certification, at a minimum. This role leads problem solving sessions using root-case-analysis methodology to determine corrective actions.

We are an innovative global healthcare company with one purpose: to chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. We’re also a company where you can flourish and grow your career, with countless opportunities to explore, make connections with people, and stretch the limits of what you thought was possible. Ready to get started?

Main Responsibilities:

Fill & implement the pipeline with initiatives which will support the site in delivering its target

  • Ideation & prioritization in alignment with the site’s performance external spend target:

    • Lead value added improvement (OEE, Yield, Productivity…) related to 3rd party material & expenses, included the assessment of the total cost of ownership (TCO) vs. the return on that investment in the market

    • Collect and leverage relevant site data to build business cases and allow projects impact & feasibility evaluation

    • Jointly with procurement:

      • Review & challenge site specifications for better alignment vs Cluster/MnS wild standards.

      • Assess and optimize, with Supply-chain, from the demand with volume forecast accuracy to goods reception at Sanofi site.

      • Assess opportunities potential (internal and/or from suppliers’ suggestions) by gathering site’s stakeholder to build opportunity business cases: specification clarification, technical feasibility assessment and implementation cost, contribution to new products launches in alignment with site material specification & support the best supplier selection regarding cost & quality.

      • Contribute to Productivity @ vendors site’s improvement.

    • Prioritization, jointly with procurement

      • Align with site leadership team the opportunities prioritization and their integration into the site’s roadmap to guarantee manpower, asset availabilities and funding’s.

  • Execution

    • Coordinate all the functions required at site (Regulatory, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, MSAT, SMS) to roll out external spend initiatives through a TIP (Tactical Implementation Plan approach)

    • Manage the execution on time of the action plans for all initiatives agreed related to supplier

    • Lead structured root cause problem solving to identify & implement actions for the problem defined, does not happen again

    • Drive the site material’s cost savings pipeline ensuring the achievement of the proposed targets and P&L impact in alignment with Finance.

    • Create and/or update SIEVO / 3P card for all non-commercial negotiation initiatives

    • Jointly with Global and GBU Supplier Excellence

      • Deploy and implement Global Projects and Initiatives aiming supplier & material optimization in alignment with the proposed Global roadmap and priorities.

Improving site competitiveness, by leveraging supplier performance:

  • In alignment with procurement define the scope of key global and local suppliers for the site

    Monitor and report key site’s suppliers’ performance for Quality and Delivery contracted

  • In collaboration with procurement and in alignment with GBU’s and site’s CBNs, define suppliers’ performance objectives and roadmap.

  • With Supply, Procurement and Quality, build the necessary action plan (with owners and timeline) to achieve the objectives and will steer the implementation (governance, roadblocks identification and escalation process).

  • In case of Quality or Delivery events, act as an ambassador with Procurement, Supply and Quality to ensure SMS methodology is used to identify root cause and address them with vendors.

  • Lead claims financial process impact on site

Support and/or lead risk management (CMM: Critical Material Management).

  • Lead claims financial process impact on site

ALL these tasks will have to be performed through strong collaboration with Procurement (PSL), Operational Excellence, Quality, Supply-Chain, MSAT, operating as a single team focused on a common supplier strategy and site performance.

About You

Technical & Behavioral Skills:

  • Knowledge of SMS operating standards (certification) & main Operational Excellence techniques (e.g., GPS3, Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, CI, etc.)

  • Experience in transformation and change management

  • Understand finance P&L monitoring, BOI, GM, COGs, cash flow, etc.

  • Good understanding of data management & IA digital products embedded into the SMS operating standards (e.g. eOEE, FaCT, iObeya, …)

  • Ability to manage cross-departmental, cross-domain projects

  • Communication skills (both verbal and written) with technical and operational fluency

  • Good listening and interpersonal skills (good relationship with Department Leaders)

  • Capacity to anticipate problems and organize proactive countermeasures

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science or similar relevant disciplines.

  • Minimum of 3 years of experience in a Pharma/Bio setting, preferably in a GMP manufacturing environment

  • Operational Excellence and/or Supplier management expertise

Preferred Qualifications

  • Successful, multi-year track-record of managing complex, cross-functional operational excellence / lean initiatives or transformations

  • Technical background (eg: manufacturing, engineering, data science, finance)

Special Working Conditions

  • Up to 10% international travel

  • Ability to gown and enter clean room spaces.

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.

Pursue Progress. Discover Extraordinary.

Join Sanofi and step into a new era of science - where your growth can be just as transformative as the work we do. We invest in you to reach further, think faster, and do what’s never-been-done-before. You’ll help push boundaries, challenge convention, and build smarter solutions that reach the communities we serve. Ready to chase the miracles of science and improve people’s lives? Let’s Pursue Progress and Discover Extraordinary – together.

At Sanofi, we provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Watch 'One day at Sanofi' and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives at sanofi.com

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Why work with us

  • We’re problem-solvers and pioneers. United by the belief that everyone deserves a healthier future. We create best-in-class vaccines that prevent disease and protect lives.

  • Innovation drives us. From AI and mRNA to next-gen science, we push the boundaries to deliver first- and best-in-class vaccines for infectious diseases worldwide.

  • Growth happens here. With bold investments in R&D and world-class facilities, Sanofians across the entire vaccine lifecycle are shaping the future of global health.

  • We do what’s right. Sustainability and DE&I drive our positive global impact—because the diverse communities Sanofians represent are the patients we serve.

All-in on diversity

At Sanofi, diverse perspectives fuel the best solutions for patients. Hear from Monique Vessey, our Supply Chain Transformation Leader, on how her background shapes her approach to delivering life-changing medicines.

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"Manufacturing and Supply is the bridge between the science that happens in research laboratories and the people and communities we serve."

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