
Manufacturing and Supply
Where the
miracles of
science are made
a reality for patients
Head of External Manufacturing Product Team
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.
Head of External Manufacturing Product Team
- Location: Geel, Belgium
- Alternative Locations: Frankfurt, Germany; Waterford, Ireland or Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Job type: Permanent, Full time
About the job
Ready to push the limits of what's possible? Join us here at Sanofi 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 External Manufacturing Product Team (EMPT) within our External Manufacturing & Supply (EM&S) organization, you'll be responsible for ensuring on-time and in-full delivery of products from Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs) and External Suppliers.
The EM&S Large Molecule Specialty Care organization is a key part of Sanofi's Manufacturing & Supply division. We are accountable for all Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), Contract Laboratory Operations (CLOs), Distribution Centers, and business partners involved in the manufacture, testing, storage, and transport of Sanofi products. Our mission is to serve the Global Business Units within Manufacturing & Supply (M&S) with drug substance, drug products, and finished goods. We aim to develop ourselves into a best-in-class organization that continuously strives towards three priorities:
1. Ensure Supply On-Time In Full, meeting all Quality and compliance standards
2. Deliver Financially
3. Grow Talent
In addition to Running the Business, we are committed to Transforming the Business by defining our strategic global footprint for preferred partners and deploying the right technology in centralized performance management of partners.
Main responsibilities:
- Ensure on-time & in-full delivery of products from CMOs/External Suppliers within your management unit
- Lead the EMPT team members through influence, developing them into a highly productive team in a positive culture and psychologically safe environment
- Build collaborative business relationships with external partners/suppliers and internal business partners
- Serve as the first level negotiator on financial liability for failed or rejected lots in collaboration with procurement
- Plan & implement life cycle management projects, including resource and financial planning, in collaboration with business partners
- Drive continuous improvement in performance of internal and supplier Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery & Involvement
- Manage products/CMOs from an operational & financial perspective, including routine technical support and contract management
- Implement AI and Digital tools to standardize and streamline processes for managing CMOs
- In collaboration with Supply Chain ensures routine monitoring of CMO inventories, assessing potential risks and providing proactive remediation plans
- Accountable for having a proficient knowledge of product processes for CMOs/External Suppliers within EMPT unit, and being able to identify and involve the appropriate SMEs to ensure process changes are vetted within Sanofi to determine acceptability and impact to Sanofi manufacturing and quality processes
About you
- Bachelor's degree with scientific background and 15+ years of experience OR Master's degree with scientific background and 8+ years of experience
- Has expertise in contract manufacturing and negotiations
- Experience in operational roles, ideally as product or functional team manager
- Strong knowledge of biotech/pharmaceutical operations and/or processes
- Excellent stakeholder management skills
- Excellent communication skills with a 'bottom line up front' executive communication style
- Ability to lead through influence and manage ambiguity
- Strategic thinking and results-oriented mindset
- Fluency in English; additional languages are a plus
- Willing to travel (up to 50% of the time – mainly within the EU)
Why choose us?
- At Sanofi, we believe in continuous learning and development. In this role, you'll have opportunities to stay at the cutting edge of SAP technologies and Treasury best practices regarding the Treasury Management System, with potential for further certifications and professional growth
- We encourage innovative thinking and welcome fresh ideas for process improvements and system optimizations
- We offer a dynamic work environment where your contributions will have a direct impact on our financial operations
- As you grow in this role, there are opportunities for career progression within Sanofi's Treasury and IT functions
- An individual and well-structured introduction and training when you onboard
- 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
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.

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

Brendan O’Callaghan
Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply
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