
Manufacturing and Supply
Where the
miracles of
science are made
a reality for patients
M&S GDPU Head of packaging
Lyon, France
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 :Manufacturing & Supply - Global Device and Packaging Unit - Head of Packaging
Location : Gentilly
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. Your job, as Head of Packaging within our Global Device and Packaging Unit Team, will be pivotal in driving our ambition to lead the industry in sustainable packaging.
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?
As Head of Packaging, you will be accountable to set up a packaging function, develop our area packaging vision & mission, create and implement the packaging strategy, roadmaps, governance & processes for primary, secondary and tertiary packaging to achieve the company ambition to become industry leader. Being a complete new position for Sanofi, you will have to transform the organization mindset and create a culture where end to end packaging is part of the DNA and patient centric.
Main responsibilities:
- Build and lead a global packaging function, transforming a fragmented, site-based setup into a unified, high-performing organization aligned with business strategy.
- Develop and drive the long-term packaging vision and roadmap (4-15 years), in close collaboration with cross-functional partners including Commercial, R&D, Manufacturing, QA, Regulatory, and Public Affairs.
- Lead complex change initiatives, aligning local teams under a shared vision, standardizing processes, and fostering collaboration across geographies.
- Navigate politically sensitive environments with emotional intelligence, managing resistance to change while maintaining momentum and trust.
- Engage and influence diverse stakeholders, from site leaders to senior executives, to gain alignment and drive transformation.
- Deliver end-to-end packaging platform solutions that enhance patient experience, reduce environmental impact, and improve operational efficiency across primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging.
- Bring external insights-from patients, customers, regulators, and NGOs-into strategic planning and innovation.
- Scout and integrate new packaging technologies and innovations, leveraging your technical background to future-proof the pipeline and partner with internal stakeholders to align with the network optimization, sourcing, engineering strategies.
- Foster a culture of end to end packaging, excellence, ownership, and continuous improvement through leadership development, communication, and recognition.
- Mentor and empower teams, building leadership capabilities and reinforcing a high-performance, collaborative culture.
About you
- You are a transformational leader, who can influence across functions and into external networks with a proven track record in packaging development, manufacturing site management or engineering.
- You bring more than technical expertise—you bring presence, perspective, and the ability to lead through complexity. You thrive in environments where influence matters more than authority, and where success depends on your ability move people forward. You’re politically astute, emotionally intelligent, and unafraid to challenge the status quo and make tough decisions.
- You lead with integrity, clarity, and a deep commitment to delivering meaningful, lasting change.
- Master or PhD level qualification in engineering, packaging or other relevant scientific discipline
- Minimum of 20 years’ experience in driving packaging strategy/ technical strategies, leading cross-functional projects /programs and teams within a matrix environment within large Pharma/FMCG/FMCH companies
- Proven track record in transforming complex business processes within a multinational context
- Languages: fluent in English, French is a plus.
- Exceptional communication, interpersonal negotiation, and partnering skills
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.
- Play an instrumental part in creating best practice within our manufacturing facility
PursueProgress. Discover Extraordinary.
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. You can be one of those people. Chasing change, embracing new ideas and exploring all the opportunities we have to offer. Let’s pursue Progress. And let’s 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, or gender identity.
Watch our ALL IN video and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion actions at sanofi.com!
#LI-Onsite
#TakeAction
#wearesanofi
#LI-Europe
Pursue Progress. Discover Extraordinary.
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. You can be one of those people. Chasing change, embracing new ideas and exploring all the opportunities we have to offer. Let’s pursue progress. And let’s 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, or gender identity.
Watch 'One day at Sanofi' and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives at sanofi.com
Find out more about this location

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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