Clinical Digital acceleration and innovation Lead

Role Summary

Location: Cambridge, MA or Morristown, NJ. The Clinical Digital Acceleration & Innovation Lead is a strategic partner within Sanofi's Clinical Sciences & Operations, shaping the digital transformation roadmap and championing the integration of AI and digital solutions in clinical development to improve efficiency, innovation, and patient impact. Reporting to the Head of Clinical Digital & AI Acceleration, the role connects CSO with broader Sanofi functions and uses competitive intelligence to guide strategic decisions.

Responsibilities

• Digital transformation roadmap
  • Shape the digital transformation roadmap by translating vision and priorities into actionable initiatives that accelerate innovation and improve clinical development outcomes.
  • Partner with Digital and operational teams to implement AI technologies and identify opportunities for strategic scale-up (CSO 2030 initiative).
  • Identify innovation opportunities and prototyping initiatives and orchestrate them with the appropriate groups (e.g., BICC & Digital).
• Governance and portfolio management
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of the Initiative Portfolio Management Office (iPMO) framework by developing, communicating, and maintaining guidelines to support governance and decision-making.
  • Coach and support project teams through the iPMO process, business case development, and gate reviews, ensuring standards compliance.
• Transformation Project Leadership
  • Lead high-impact transformation projects or programs involving Digital and/or AI components, focusing on business value, cost optimization, and tangible KPIs.
  • Define and communicate implementation strategies and roadmaps; ensure successful and timely delivery of initiatives.
  • Oversee project performance, manage risks, report progress to senior leadership, and implement mitigation plans.
• CSO Digital & AI Capability Building
  • Collaborate with R&D University, Vaccines teams, and the CSO Learning Network to lead upskilling efforts in Digital and AI and foster a culture of innovation.
  • Identify skill gaps and define learning strategies to build future-ready capabilities.
  • Conduct internal and external technology competitive intelligence to track trends relevant to clinical operations.
  • Co-lead engagement for key tools (e.g., Concierge) and influence product strategy across CSO and Vaccines.
  • Ensure clear and consistent communication of AI and digital initiatives across all levels.
  • Lead adoption campaigns and change management activities to support tool uptake.
  • Collect and prioritize business-driven requirements to shape product features and roadmap decisions.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
  • Co-lead Digital/AI innovation workshops to foster problem-solving and experimentation.
  • Develop and maintain strategic partnerships beyond CSO (e.g., TMU, GRA, PV, Digital) to accelerate transformation.
  • Act as a bridge between technical and business teams, ensuring alignment and mutual understanding.
  • Ensure Clinical Digital Acceleration and AI visibility through adequate communication and events.

Qualifications

• Expertise in Digital and AI technologies and their applications in clinical development, with programming experience or proven leadership of digital transformation initiatives.
• Strategic thinking and leadership: experience in strategic planning, aligning projects with organizational goals, and delivering actionable plans; ability to drive innovation.
• Balanced strategic insights with practical follow-through and accountability.
• Strong program management capabilities with experience in agile methodologies.
• GenAI advanced prompting.
• Jira and Canva experience is a plus.
• Soft skills: visionary and innovative mindset; collaborative leadership; results-oriented; adaptability; entrepreneurial “can-do” mentality and curiosity; excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Education

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Data Science/Analytics, Engineering (with focus on AI/ML). MBA a plus.
• Approximately 10 years of relevant experience, including:
  • At least 5+ years working with digital transformation initiatives
  • Demonstrated experience leading AI/digital projects in healthcare/pharma
  • Strategic thinking capability is important
  • Program management experience with measurable business impact
  • Experience building strategic partnerships across functions
• Fluent in English