MSAT Visual Inspection Lead
- Location: Site based from Waterford, Val-De-Reuil, Le Trait, Frankfurt or other Drug Product Site in Sanofi
About the job
Our Team:
We are an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company with one unwavering purpose: to chase the miracles of science and improve people's lives.
Our deep understanding of the immune system - combined with an innovative and growing pipeline - enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people worldwide. At Sanofi, we believe that progress is powered by people: bold thinkers, collaborative leaders, and passionate scientists who dare to push boundaries every day.
Join us. And help change the world.
This is a great opportunity to shape the future of Visual Inspection (VI) on a global scale.
As the Global MSAT Visual Inspection Lead, you will be at the heart of Sanofi's injectable manufacturing excellence - driving the strategy, standardization, and innovation of visual inspection programs across a network of drug product sites in three Global Business Units (GBUs). You will lead a team of VI experts, champion cutting-edge inspection technologies and processes, and serve as the authoritative voice connecting Manufacturing Science, Analytics & Technology (MSAT) with Global Quality, Engineering, Procurement, and Business Strategy.
This is more than a technical leadership role - it is a platform to inspire teams, influence industry practices, and deliver meaningful impact for patients worldwide.
Main responsibilities:
• Lead the Global Visual Inspection program as MSAT authority, serving as a strategic partner in Sanofi's enterprise-wide VI strategy while aligning Global Quality, Global Engineering, Procurement, Business Strategy, and injectable manufacturing sites on all VI-related topics.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of VI experts distributed across 8 sites, providing specialist support across the full Drug Product injectable network.
• Drive global harmonization of VI strategy and implementation across Manual (MVI), Semi-Automated (SAVI), and Automated (AVI) inspection modalities for vials, pre-filled syringes, and cartridges.
• Deliver expert technical guidance on defect classification, VI recipe optimization, particulate control, false reject rate reduction, robotics, and layered inspection technologies, ensuring holistic VI lifecycle management.
• Lead the evaluation and acquisition of new VI lines and emerging technologies, ensuring full alignment with quality, regulatory, and operational requirements across the network.
• Champion innovation and industry benchmarking by identifying cost-effective inspection solutions and actively engaging with PDA, Biophorum, A3P, and other industry bodies to define and disseminate best practices across the organization.
• Ensure full regulatory compliance and good documentation practices while providing structured mentorship and knowledge transfer to develop VI capability across new and existing associates.
About you
- Proven background in injectable manufacturing within a cGMP environment, with dedicated expertise in visual inspection and a track record of leadership and impact
- Demonstrated experience in transformation programs, technology transfer, validation, and manufacturing support
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in a scientific discipline
- Deep knowledge of GMP, CMC requirements, and current regulatory guidance and best practices in visual inspection, as defined by global health authorities
- Experience preparing and reviewing regulatory dossiers with direct health authority interactions
Skills & Competencies
- Exceptional leadership presence - able to inspire, influence, and align cross-functional and multicultural teams without direct authority
- Outstanding communication skills, with the confidence to engage senior stakeholders and represent Sanofi in external industry forums
- Proven ability to operate autonomously in complex, matrixed, and international environments
Operational & Language
- Fluency in English required; proficiency in an additional European language is a valued asset
- Flexibility to provide occasional off-shift support, remotely or on-site, as operational needs require
Diversity und Inklusion sind in den Grundwerten von Sanofi verankert und spiegeln sich in unserer Arbeitsweise wider. Wir respektieren die Vielfalt unserer Belegschaft in Hinsicht auf ihre Herkunft, Erfahrungen und Lebensweisen. Wir erkennen die Bereicherung, die diese Vielfalt birgt, und fördern Inklusion sowie eine Arbeitsumgebung, in der diese Unterschiede sich weiter entwickeln können, zur Stärkung des Lebens unserer Mitarbeiter, Patienten und Kunden.
