Lab Software Engineering Manager - Digital R&D Labs and Plants

Role Summary

Lead a global team of embedded R&D lab software engineers to develop and deliver software that transforms Sanofi’s laboratory and CMC manufacturing plant operations. The team is co-located with lab scientists and plant operators, translating scientific applications and workflows into scalable software solutions that enable scientific innovation at scale. You will lead a team of about 12 engineers across Europe and North America. Location: Cambridge, MA.

Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Delivery: Drive technical excellence through engineering best practices; make critical technology decisions regarding frameworks, tools, and patterns; partner with Tech Lead to ensure software quality, performance, security, and compliance with industry regulations (GxP, data integrity); champion DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code approaches.
• People Leadership & Team Development: Manage and develop an engineering team of 12-14 software engineers, providing coaching; conduct regular 1:1s, performance reviews, and goal-setting sessions; foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous learning, and psychological safety; build diverse, inclusive teams; contribute to product strategy and roadmap planning with feasibility assessments; manage technical dependencies and risks.
• Digital Transformation & Innovation: Drive the digital transformation of laboratory operations through modern software engineering practices; identify opportunities to use AI/ML, automation, cloud computing, and IoT to solve scientific challenges; champion user-centered design principles; stay current with industry trends; contribute to Sanofi's broader Digital R&D Strategy; ensure proper documentation and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field
• Required: 5+ years in a technical leadership or engineering management role with a proven track record delivering complex software systems in production environments
• Required: Experience leading and developing high-performing engineering teams
• Required: Strong background in modern software development practices (agile, DevOps, CI/CD)
• Required: Programming proficiency in at least two of: Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, C#, Go
• Required: Web technologies: Modern web frameworks (React, Angular, Vue.js), RESTful APIs, GraphQL
• Required: Cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, or GCP — infrastructure, services, and deployment patterns
• Required: Databases: SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL) and NoSQL (MongoDB, DynamoDB)
• Required: DevOps & Tools: Git, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions)
• Required: Architecture: Microservices, API design, event-driven architectures
• Required: Leadership Competencies: Ability to hire, develop, and retain diverse engineering talent; coaching and mentoring; excellent communication; ability to influence without authority; experience in matrix organizations; balance technical excellence with business acumen
• Required: Industry Knowledge: Understanding of software-regulated industries; familiarity with data security and compliance (GDPR, 21 CFR Part 11); knowledge of software validation and quality management systems
• Preferred: Scientific & Laboratory Experience: background in life sciences, chemistry, biology; experience with LIMS, ELN, or data platforms; understanding of laboratory workflows and instrumentation
• Preferred: Advanced Technical Skills: AI/ML applications to scientific problems; scientific computing tools (R, Julia, MATLAB); bioinformatics platforms; data engineering and analytics with scientific data standards (AnIML, SiLA, SDTM)
• Preferred: Business & Strategic Skills: digital transformation initiatives or modernization programs; building platforms/products with user-centered design; vendor management and third-party integrations; international or multi-site team leadership
• Preferred: Certifications: Agile/Scrum (CSM, PSM); platform architecture; Azure Developer; project management (PMP, PRINCE2)

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical field
• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) preferred but not required with equivalent experience