About the Job

Company Context

Sanofi's strategic direction is to standardize processes across sites, embrace digital transformation of its Manufacturing & Supply perimeter, simplify its current solution landscape, and leverage advanced technologies to bring business value.

The MARS (MES Accelerated Roadmap @ Sanofi) program aims to implement Computer-assisted batch review, enabled by the definition and roll-out of a core Manufacturing Execution System (MES). This program will transform Sanofi plants, improving compliance, cost, and cycle time performance.

Over recent years, Sanofi has deployed various Production sites across GBUs (multiple pharmaceutical processes, Weighing & Dispensing & full MES), with a second wave currently in motion. This represents a strategic opportunity for Manufacturing & Supply Transformation to:

Design standardized end-to-end processes to generate business value and deliver best-in-class solutions to industrial sites, with high focus on electronic batch record management & review by exception process

Deliver innovative "state of the art" tools enabling performance for manufacturing processes

Allow new generation of deployment – more Agile & business centric

Maintain robust and highly available solutions to operate industrial processes efficiently

Role Overview:

The MES DevOps Manager is responsible for leading the delivery, design/ build/ implementation and continuous enhancement of global end-to-end Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solutions at Sanofi. This role focuses on team mgt/leadership, technical mgt/expertise, and delivery excellence to ensure MES configurations meet the needs of Sanofi's manufacturing operations while adhering to quality, regulatory, and cybersecurity requirements. The manager will manage a team (functionally, technically and administratively) of MES DevOps Engineers and MBR developers, take the ownership/ leadership of technical delivery of the team to answer to the requirements of manufacturing sites and align with the expectations of the product owner (Werum Pas-X, Opstrakker) and capability manager.

Main MES Systems:

Systems & Processes in Scope

Werum PAS-X Product (Korber)

Opstrakker (elogbook/eforms)

Business Processes Covered:

Master data management (items, user rights, equipment, locations, work orders)

Master batch record design & approval (including workflows)

Master batch record review & approval (by Exception)

Templates for elogbook (Opstrakker)

Production execution

Weighing & Dispensing

Communication to equipment or SCADA systems

Equipment management

Material flow management

Traceability / Genealogy

Labelling

Reporting

Interface with ERP, quality, logistics & shopfloor systems (LIMS, Documentation, Deviation management, Serialization, eOEE) 

Main Responsibilities:

Team Leadership and Management:

Lead and manage a team of MES DevOps Engineers and MBR developers

Facilitate onboarding and integration of team members as they join the organization

Drive knowledge building and skill development within the team. Foster a culture of continuous learning and best practice sharing among team members

Ensure team members are prepared and able to travel to Sanofi industrial sites globally (Europe, NA, Asia) where MES is in use. And ensure team members are developing a closed partnerships with sites users & business system owners to guarantee a full understanding of business requirements, stakes, challenges, constraints & ultimately build efficient solutions

Managing the priorities of the team, Facilitating resource allocation and management for various MES projects across Digital Manufacturing & Supply

Taking the ownership/ leadership of technical delivery of the team, ensuring knowledge transfer, and contributing to operational excellence to answer to the requirements of manufacturing sites and align with the expectations of the product owner (Werum Pas-X, Opstrakker) and capability manager.

Technical Expertise and Team Development:

Assess and enhance the technical capabilities of the team

Identify skill gaps and implement targeted training and development programs

Establish mentoring relationships to accelerate team members' growth and expertise

Create a collaborative environment that encourages innovation and problem-solving

Ensure the team stays current with evolving MES technologies and industry best practices

Develop leadership & accountability at each individual level

Technical Configuration and Solution Design:

Oversee the design and build of MES configurations, ensuring alignment with standard market solutions and Sanofi best practices

Coordinate / align with expectations of Product Owner (Werum Pas-X, Opstrakker) to support configuration, implementation, and deployment projects

Guide the team in developing MBRs, Process Instructions, blocks, and templates according to functional specifications

Establish configuration strategies that leverage market solutions and align with industry best practices and Ensure configurations align with the Core model and operational excellence standards

Delivery and Quality of Services:

Drive timely and high-quality delivery of configuration projects while maintaining robust, cost-effective solutions

Establish and maintain delivery frameworks that ensure consistent, predictable outcomes

Implement delivery metrics and KPIs to track performance, quality of service, and team productivity

Lead risk mitigation strategies to address potential delivery challenges proactively

Coordinate cross-functional implementation activities to ensure smooth deployment of configurations across different industrial sites

Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements (GxP, Data Privacy, SOX, etc.)

Establish delivery governance to maintain transparency and accountability throughout the delivery lifecycle

Oversee the implementation of various MES projects, including product builds and data foundations, maintaining accountability for the results delivered by MES DevOps Engineers and MBR developers

Work closely with product owners and across MES teams to develop and implement strategies supporting product build and configuration, delivery, implementation projects

Ensuring optimal resource allocation and project outcomes

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement:

Drive the implementation of best practices in MES configuration and development

Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency improvements

Lead initiatives to streamline workflows and enhance productivity

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align MES configuration with broader organizational goals

Promote a culture of quality and continuous improvement within the team and across projects

Develop culture of empowerment, ownership, Thoughtful risk taking

Stakeholder Management:

Collaborate with MES Product Owner, Service manager, capability manager and lifecycle manager and users/ manufacturing sites

Work with Enterprise Architects, solution architects, Quality and the Cybersecurity team to review & qualify configuration designs

Communicate effectively with Digital management teams, staff, and business stakeholders

Oversee trainings & knowledge transfer and best practice sharing between the team and sites

Ensure the team provides effective functional & technical support throughout the solution lifecycle

Business Alignment and Innovation:

Analyze business requirements for various processes, providing direction to challenge, consolidate, and develop solutions expandable to multi-business unit use cases

Develop strategies to maximize customer satisfaction while minimizing build and maintenance costs and risks

Guide the strategic evaluation of configuration options and assess/manage associated risks

Remain current on technology trends and benchmark with other companies to bring innovative inputs to solutions

Lead initiatives to evolve GxP Validation approaches to simplify and adapt to next-generation technologies

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Experience & Knowledge:

12+ years of work experience in Digital Manufacturing domain, with 8+ years of experience in MES specifically Werum Pas-X Product (Korber) and Opstrakker (elogbook/ eforms)

Strong team management experience with demonstrated success in leading and developing technical teams

Proven track record of successful delivery of complex technical solutions in regulated environments

Demonstrated experience in managing delivery timelines, resources, and quality simultaneously

Experience in multicultural, multilanguage environments and matrixed organizations

Broad knowledge of manufacturing processes in pharmaceutical industrial plants

Strong MES experience: market standards knowledge (solutions, technologies, integration, architecture)

Experience & understanding of core product/model concept

Technical Skills:

Expertise in MES solutions: Werum Pas-X (Korber) and Opstrakker (elogbook/ eforms)

Strong knowledge of Manufacturing Execution Systems, including Master Batch Record and Review by Exception business processes

Solid understanding of manufacturing processes in pharmaceutical plants

Strong knowledge of pharma industry regulatory context (GxP)

Knowledge of solution architecture, integration, and infrastructure technologies

Knowledge of Automation layer (SCADA, DCS, PLCs, industrial protocols)

Knowledge of scripting (VB etc.) is a plus but not required

Soft Skills:

Strong leadership capabilities with proven ability to inspire and develop teams

High degree of accountability and proactive problem-solving mindset

Results-oriented approach with strong focus on delivery excellence

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Ability to build and maintain strong relationships across all organizational levels

Customer-centric approach with focus on delivering value

Collaborative team leader & player with experience in matrix organizations

Change management expertise and ability to adapt to dynamic environments

Strategic thinking with strong decision-making abilities

Agile methodology practitioner

Ability to manage competing priorities and resilience to deliver under pressure

Education:

Engineering degree or Master's in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience)

MBA or equivalent business management qualification is a plus

Language:

Fluency in English, other languages are a plus

Working Environment:

Occasional travel requirement to manufacturing sites in Europe / North America/ Asia

Global, matrix organization environment

Must be able to work effectively across different time zones and cultures

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, colour, 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!

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.

Watch our ALL IN video and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion actions at sanofi.com!