Job Title: Senior Director R&D Portfolio Data Strategy & Insights
Location: Morristown, NJ, Cambridge, MA
About the Job
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.
The Global R&D Portfolio Strategy and Management team's overarching objective is to equip Sanofi's leaders with robust, objective and externally focused insights and recommendations they need to make better informed R&D strategy, and portfolio and project investment decisions to ensure pipeline sustainability.
We achieve this by (1) delivering a comprehensive R&D strategy positioning the organization to embrace future opportunities and challenges, driving sustained success (2) by ensuring a sustainable portfolio strategy, robust valuation and prioritization of the R&D portfolio and optimization of resources, high quality pipeline reporting, benchmarking, and scientific competitive intelligence (3) by ensuring high quality investment governance incorporating decision quality and thoughtful risk taking principles (4) bringing end-to-end project management capabilities to successfully progress the pipeline while highlighting all the risk.
Robust data governance, metadata management, and data quality practices enable the team to deliver comprehensive portfolio analytics, accurate pipeline reporting, reliable benchmarking, and competitive intelligence insights.
The Senior Director of R&D Portfolio Data Strategy & Insights plays a critical role in establishing and maintaining the data foundation that powers portfolio decision-making and strategic planning across the organization:
1. Provide strategic leadership for Data, AI and GenAI tied to R&D Project and Portfolio Management business objectives,
2. Lead the delivery of a portfolio of new and mature AI data products to generate transformational impact,
3. Continue to build and improve foundational data assets and related governance as standards for adoption across all R&D project and Portfolio Management applications.
POSITION OVERVIEW/PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Portfolio Strategy & Management Team is seeking a team-oriented leader for the role of Senior Director R&D Portfolio Data Strategy & Insights. This role is critical in establishing and maintaining a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data foundation that enables the team's portfolio analytics, reporting, and strategic decision-making capabilities while ensuring regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in pharmaceutical R&D data management, a strong track record in implementing governance frameworks, and the ability to drive operational excellence through data quality and stewardship.
You will gain exposure to all of Sanofi's therapy areas and data domains, working with senior leaders across R&D, Digital, Business Operations, and business functions to establish robust data governance practices that enable efficient and secure data utilization. Your ability to translate complex data governance requirements into actionable frameworks, partner effectively across functions, and drive adoption of data best practices will be key to supporting the Portfolio Strategy and Management team's mission to deliver objective insights for R&D strategy and portfolio investment decisions.
This role directly enables the Portfolio Strategy & Management team's success by ensuring that portfolio analytics, valuation models, pipeline reporting, and competitive intelligence are built on a foundation of high-quality, well-defined, and well-governed data, taking a technology/AI-driven approach to delivering on these objectives.
4. Provide strategic leadership and vision for data, AI, GenAI and Agentic AI initiatives across R&D Project and Portfolio Management, aligning digital transformation roadmaps with business objectives and operational excellence goals.
5. Able to transform the Data and AI strategy into execution at speed and at scale, together with R&D Operations and R&D Digital teams.
6. Support the build and evolution of R&D Portfolio and Project Management data foundations, and democratization of data.
7. Drive operational innovation through advanced analytics, machine learning models, computer vision, GenAI and Agentic AI applications to optimize project and portfolio decision-making
8. Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with internal stakeholders: Project Management, Project Resource Management, R&D Finance, Reporting, Portfolio Analytics, R&D Data Office, R&D Digital and GTMC.
9. Prioritization and roadmap planning for AI transformation initiatives across Project and Portfolio Management, partnering with Digital Product Lines Owners in balancing quick wins with long-term strategic programs and ensuring alignment with R&D objectives.
Strategic Leadership & Change Management:
10. Develop and execute a comprehensive enterprise data strategy aligned with Sanofi's business objectives and scientific mission
11. Define data vision, roadmap, and strategic priorities across all Project and Portoflio management functions
12. Lead digital transformation initiatives that leverage data as a strategic asset
13. Drive organizational change management to foster a data-driven culture throughout the enterprise
14. Foster consistent use of data governance practices across the enterprise to ensure reliable portfolio insights.
Data Quality & Operational Excellence:
15. Ensure quality, accuracy, and completeness of data within the project and portfolio business domain to support operational efficiency, portfolio analytics, and strategic initiatives.
16. Act as the subject matter expert for data within their domain and provide domain and context-specific expertise on the data as needed for various projects and portfolio analytics initiatives.
Data Ownership, Stewardship & Governance:
17. Take data ownership and/or identify data owners within their function, communicate expectations from data owners to ensure accountability for portfolio-critical data.
18. Act as the key partner supporting Digital R&D in developing a GenAI-ready semantic layer for delivering the next generation of conversational self-service reporting and data exploration capabilities.
19. Design and implement comprehensive data governance frameworks across R&D that support portfolio analytics and strategic decision-making.
20. Lead initiatives to standardize and streamline data definitions across R&D systems and platforms to ensure consistency in portfolio reporting.
21. Partner with Master Data Management, Ontology, and Controlled Vocabulary initiatives to ensure interoperability and harmonization of data/metadata supporting portfolio analytics and reporting.
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The position will require deep engagement with both direct and cross-functional partners, including close collaboration with the Portfolio Analytics team. Demonstrated ability to develop, guide, and influence across senior leaders is a critical component for this position, particularly in ensuring data governance supports strategic portfolio and operational decision-making.
ABOUT YOU - QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:
22. Advanced degree (Ph.D., MBA, or equivalent) in life sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, Data Science, or a related field required.
23. Minimum of 10 years of experience in portfolio data strategy, portfolio management and analytics, or a related field within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry
24. Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
25. Natural curiosity to stay abreast of the latest and greatest trends in AI
26. Expert knowledge of data governance frameworks and methodologies
27. Strong track record in metadata management and data cataloging initiatives
28. Proven ability to lead and develop new capabilities and collaborate effectively across functions.
29. Maturity and leadership skills to be able to interact at senior levels including influencing strategic decisions and working in a matrix environment
30. Strong understanding of AI and machine learning principles, particularly regarding data requirements for AI applications. Able to get hands-on as needed to dive deep while pressure testing the technology with team.
31. Natural strategic thinking mindset with ability to pragmatically solve complex problems, make tough arbitration in business context and drive tangible business outcomes.
32. Results-driven and proven track record in building and deploying data and AI systems / solutions into production in manufacturing environments and enabling end-user adoption
33. Knowledge of industry standard data governance tools and platforms
34. Fluent English, both written and verbal
Why Choose Us
35. Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.
36. Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.
37. Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.
38. 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.
Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law
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Pursue, discover
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, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, ability or gender identity.
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Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally inclusive and diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; natural or protective hairstyles; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.
The salary range for this position is:
$206,250.00 - $297,916.66
All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs. Additional benefits information can be found through the .