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Senior Scientist - Pharmaceutical Engineering

Montpellier, France
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At a glance

Bring your curiosity to a team where deep immunoscience meets cutting-edge innovation. Across oncology, rare diseases, neurology, and vaccines, you’ll work at the intersection of lab science and AI-powered discovery — all while collaborating across boundaries to turn breakthrough ideas into real-world impact. Whether you want to deepen your scientific expertise or grow as a leader, you’ll find the opportunity here.

Le contenu du poste est libellé en anglais car il nécessite de nombreuses interactions avec nos filiales à l’international, l'anglais étant la langue de travail.

This job offer is accessible to all, regardless of gender.

Job title: Senior Scientist - Pharmaceutical Engineering

  • Location: Montpellier

  • Permanent contract

About the job

As Senior Scientist within our Pharmaceutical Engineering team, you'll drive mechanistic understanding, modeling implementation and technological solutions identification for the development of drug product processes for new synthetic molecular entities. Ready to get started?

You'll be at the forefront of Sanofi's transformation from traditional experiment-heavy development to a digital approach using in-silico experimentation, high throughput data generation, automation and robotics to accelerate knowledge generation and increase efficiency. Working closely with Drug Product Development and Crystallization and Particle Engineering groups, you'll contribute to designing robust and efficient processes that meet quality targets.

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:

  • Responsible for working with internal and external resources (e.g. collaborations) to development material sparing tools to predict manufacturability in early development

  • Propose and generate, within the framework of development projects, specific activities requiring physicochemical and process expertise to support the development of assigned clinical and commercial products

  • Tasked with creating digital development workflows and software tools (e.g. APPs) for unit operations (e.g. powder feeding, blending, compression) and guiding implementation with partners during Process Selection, Process Design, Process Optimization and Process Scale-up

  • Leading a transition to Process Characterization using Digital Twins vs traditional experimentally heavy protocols. Engaging Statistical Science to define confidence for Digital Twins for internal use and to include in regulatory filings

  • Contributing and streamlining Tech Transfer in close collaboration with Manufacturing to ensure that robust processes are used for PPQ and commercial launch

  • Championing the use of digital tools, new technologies and automation and robotics to enable continuous improvement of risk assessment throughout development

  • Communicate achievements and significant contributions within projects

  • Responsible for staying up to date with current regulatory approaches and authoring Drug Product sections regulatory filings

  • Complying with all internal and applicable government Quality and HSE (Health, Safety and Environmental) requirements

About you

  • Experience: Has demonstrated ability to identify and develop impactful modelling applications and technological engineering solutions for Drug Product development. This includes the ability to design experimental plans and propose representative use-tests to collect data required up to the translation of conceptual mathematical models to computer models. Has experience operating in a fast-paced environment leading engineering work packages development individually or through matrix teams

  • Soft and technical skills: A strong understanding of process engineering and solid-state physical characterizations. Demonstrated skills with computer programming using software such as gProms, Matlab and Python. A basic understanding of statistical concepts and data engineering to effectively work with respectively our biostatisticians and IT partners on data exploitation and integration. A good technical knowledge of the state of the art of the available manufacturing and characterization equipment available on the market

  • Education: Masters in Chemical Engineering or related field minimum + 3 years experience

  • Languages: English and French is a bonus

Why choose us?

  • Join an expanding team in a dynamic work environment surrounded by other biotechs and top universities

  • Highly skilled team with the motivation to become an industry leading digital process engineering organization

  • Access state of the art technology including continuous, artificial intelligence, machine learning and biosynthetic transformations to build Sanofi’s next generation medicines

  • Opportunity to lead a team across multiple sites and two different countries (France and US)

  • Accelerate your professional development with structured career paths designed for both scientific and leadership advancement. Grow in ways you never imagined through bold moves that stretch your potential, cross moves into other business areas, and short-term gigs that build your scientific expertise

  • Join a workplace where diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core, with Employee Resource Groups and leadership programs that celebrate every voice

  • Achieve genuine work-life balance in a supportive R&D environment

  • Enjoy outstanding benefits, including flexible working options, comprehensive healthcare, and well-being programs designed to help you thrive

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.

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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

Apply now
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Why work with us

  • Expand your horizons. Grow through curiosity, with support to move, learn, and lead in a culture that champions mentorship, mobility, and bold development.

  • Accelerate results with technology. Harness the power of AI and automation to push scientific boundaries and reimagine what's possible in drug discovery.

  • Impact through inclusive innovation. Help deliver better science and fairer outcomes by driving inclusive research that reaches more people, in more meaningful ways.

  • Turn patient needs into breakthrough science. Drive scientific breakthroughs that start with patient needs – and end in treatments that change lives.

Meet Nils Libert, Associate Scientist

Meet Nils Libert, an Associate Scientist in Belgium, where he plays a key role in advancing groundbreaking research. Learn how his work helps drive innovation, uncover new scientific possibilities, and contribute to life-changing treatments that impact patients around the world.

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"At Sanofi, we are building an R&D engine powered by the best science, digital innovation, and a commitment to transforming the lives of patients around the world."

Houman Ashrafian

EVP & Head of R&D

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