R&D
Where your curiosity drives the
miracles of
science
Senior Principal Scientist I, Translational Disease Biology
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.
Job Title: Senior Principal Scientist I, Translational Disease Biology
- Location : Vitry-sur-Seine – France
About the job
As Senior Principal Scientist I within the Biological Insights & Integration (BII) cluster in Target, Disease and Systems Biology (TDSB), you will serve as the connective tissue between TDSB, Therapeutic Areas, and the Translational Medicines Unit. You will lead cross-functional projects driving novel target identification, asset positioning, and program advancement from early research through translational stages. Your role combines deep disease expertise with translational integration capability, enabling portfolio transitions, development decisions, and precision medicine strategies that deliver measurable impact. Ready to get started?
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.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead cross-functional projects across TDSB, Immunology & Inflammation (I&I) or Oncology/IO Therapeutic Areas, driving novel target identification, credentialing, asset positioning, and program advancement
- Champion reverse-translational efforts that bring learnings from molecular and clinical data back into the early-stage research portfolio to sharpen hypotheses and accelerate decisions
- Own and drive cross-functional initiatives with the Translational Medicines Unit for the development and application of precision medicine strategies to pipeline programs
- Lead Sanofi's engagement with external stakeholders including vendors, academic consortia, and pre-competitive partnerships, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives
- Lead integrated multi-modal analyses, operating fluently in both disease biology and quantitative methods, driving the analytical/ computational agenda and translating outputs into biological narratives that inform portfolio decisions
- Define compelling therapeutic hypotheses grounded in mechanistic disease understanding and lead scientific framing of disease heterogeneity, treatment responses, and patient stratification strategies
- Direct evaluation of in vitro and in vivo model relevance to diseases and disease subsets, developing approaches to explore drug mechanisms-of-action and combination therapeutic strategies
- Represent Sanofi at scientific conferences and strategic gatherings, driving life-cycle management strategies for current assets in partnership with global project teams
About you
Experience:
- Experience in pharmaceutical or biotech industry with demonstrated expertise in Immunology & Inflammation, Oncology/IO, or related therapeutic areas.
- Proven track record leading cross-functional teams across research, translational, and development functions.
- Experience coordinating external collaborations and driving prioritization across multiple organizational functions.
- Experience operating in international biotech/pharma/research ecosystems
Technical and Soft Skills:
- Deep mechanistic expertise in disease biology (I&I or Onco/IO) with ability to develop compelling therapeutic hypotheses grounded in translational evidence.
- Demonstrated ability to bridge biological insight with quantitative analytical outputs and integrate across scientific disciplines.
- Proficiency in handling multi-modal data integration, statistical analysis, and visualization.
- Experience applying AI/ML tools to biological data and hands-on experience with bulk and single-cell/spatial transcriptomics and proteomics.
- Outstanding written and oral English communication for audiences from bench scientists to senior leadership and external KOLs.
- Ability to translate complex multi-omics analyses into clear, decision-grade biological narratives
Education: PhD, PharmD, and/or MD in a relevant scientific discipline with 5 years pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience; or Master's degree with 10 years of pharmaceutical/biotech industry experience
Languages: Proficiency in both French and English (written and spoken).
Why choose us?
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
- Work at the forefront of drug discovery, harnessing cutting-edge AI, data, and digital platforms to push the boundaries of science.
- Help improve the lives of millions of people globally by making drug development quicker and more effective.
- Enjoy opportunities to collaborate beyond your area of expertise, working with diverse teams across science, clinical, and digital fields to spark new ideas and drive breakthroughs.
- 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.
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.
What we offer you:
A fixed salary over 12 months, supplemented by a short-term incentive, as well as a collective variable compensation based on Sanofi Group results.
Because taking care of our employees is also our mission:
• Benefits & Well-being: Quality health insurance, extended maternity/parental leave (18/14 weeks), enhanced support in case of illness, teleconsultation and second medical opinion covered by Sanofi, as well as many other wellness programs to discover here.
• Work-Life Balance: 31 days of paid leave + RTT depending on your status, remote work up to 2 days/week
• Transportation: Public transport coverage up to 80%
• Savings & Retirement: Group Savings Plan and PERCOL with employer matching, and PERO
• Professional Development: Internal and international mobility opportunities, learning & development opportunities
• And more: platforms dedicated to peer-to-peer recognition & service exchanges between Sanofi employees (carpooling, home exchanges, etc.), numerous CSE benefits...
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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.
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.
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
Final compensation will be determined based on demonstrated experience, skills, location, and other relevant factors. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs.
Find out more about this location
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.
"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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