External Innovation & Science Partnering Lead* – Cross-brands & Platforms

Neuilly or Frankfurt

About the job

At Sanofi CHC, we have one shared purpose - we work passionately, every day, to ‘serve healthier, fuller lives. Our marketing philosophy is driven by this purpose and everything we do is centered around people, our customers, healthcare professionals, and our employees, across the world.

We are building brands that serve 1bn consumers worldwide, so that they can live healthier, fuller lives. In order to do this better than anybody else, we aspire to become the most consumer-centric Fast Moving Consumer Healthcare Business. We want to be market shapers and achieve category leadership in the categories that we play in - delivered through strong global-local partnership. We are a people first business, placing consumers at the heart of everything we do through uncovering and activating deep consumer and shopper insights, for example.

In a world transformed by digital technology and the emergence of new scientific domains, we are establishing an external innovation and consumer healthtech department within the science organization to harness these opportunities and drive breakthrough innovations, closely aligned with evolving consumer expectations worldwide. Leveraging Science & Technology, we aim to deliver innovative, reliable, and sustainable healthcare products and experiences that will revolutionize consumers’ self-care journeys.

This role entails intelligence gathering, supervising scouting engagements, coordinating technical evaluations and due diligence for licensing and scientific partnerships, and converting opportunities into products/solutions to fuel our brands pipeline.

Your mission is to enhance consumer self-care experiences through innovative solutions that blend differentiated APIs, cutting-edge formulations, packaging, digital advancements, and device technologies via strategic collaborations. All initiatives are rooted in science, fueled by consumer insights, developed with agility, and executed at scale.

Main responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of Sanofi's R&D external innovation and partnership strategy, catering to the key cross-brands science and technology platforms (e.g. Microbiome Science, New Bioactives, Metabolic Health, New Delivery Systems and Galenics, Innovative Packaging, …)and to your portfolio of Sanofi CHC brands. Additionally, you will serve within your scope as the primary liaison and "external face" of Sanofi CHC for potential partners throughout the screening, opportunity evaluation, and potentially, transactional phases.

• Lead the translation and implementation of an impactful external innovation and partnering strategy for Sanofi’s CHC science and technology platforms and your brands’ portfolio, driving substantial business growth and competitiveness for Sanofi CHC.

• Lead the Sanofi CHC Open Innovation Portal, ensuring efficient ways of working, science challenges sourcing and opportunities assessments.

• Develop and execute business development and licensing (BD&L) initiatives to support your brands portfolio.

• Your responsibilities encompass watching, scouting, and identifying disruptive and emerging scientific and technological prospects relevant to Sanofi CHC brands and portfolio. This includes delivering precise assessments, benchmarking, and technical positioning of these prospects.

• Establish, lead, and sustain comprehensive screening processes, and coordinate multifunctional evaluations for external opportunities.

• Collaborate internally with stakeholders to prepare and present decision-enabling scientifically grounded assessments, preliminary business cases, due diligence reports, and recommendations to your management. Moreover, you will be responsible for negotiating deal terms.

• Monitor the performance of partnership initiatives.

• You will be present at external conferences, events or organizations to position Sanofi as a preferred and reliable partner for external innovation institutions and companies.

About you

• We seek a candidate with a deep understanding of the consumer healthcare and/or pharmaceutical industry, with a scientific background, and who preferably possesses an MBA degree or entrepreneurial/intrapreneurial experience.

• A 10+ years proven track record of business development, licensing, external innovation, partnering, and /or successfully launching innovative projects or products to consumers.

• Proficiency in managing partnerships and interfacing with partners, along with a solid grasp of the pharmaceutical industry's licensing process. Experience in licensing transactions, including structuring, negotiating, and finalizing deals, is a must.

• Possession of, or the ability to develop, a strong network within the external innovation community (e.g., academia, biotechs, startups, investors, etc.).

• Entrepreneurial mindset coupled with scientific and business acumen.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, good presentation skills, and a high level of fluency in written and spoken English.

• Proficiency in negotiation and influencing.

• Basic understanding of intellectual property, legal, and compliance matters.

• Ability to translate business and brand visions into product definitions and make data-driven decisions.

• Collaborative mindset, a strong team player, and a history of thriving in complex, multicultural team environments, showcasing robust interpersonal skills and the ability to foster productive relationships across all organizational levels.

Why choose us?

• 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.

Pursue progress, discover extraordinary

Better is out there. Better medications, better outcomes, better science. But 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. So, let’s be those people. 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!