Head of R and D Platform Engineering at Sanofi Canada

Sanofi; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmaceutical company in Toronto is seeking a Head of R&D Platform Engineering to lead the development of scalable platforms for data and AI products. The ideal candidate will have a Master's degree and extensive experience in platform engineering and team management. This position offers competitive compensation, a hybrid work model, and opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Health and wellbeing benefits

Supportive team environment

Opportunities for career growth

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in platform engineering, DevOps, or software development.
• Strong communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated team leadership, mentorship, and management skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the vision and strategy for R&D platform engineering.
• Manage project timelines and priorities.
• Lead teams of engineers through the design and implementation of platforms.

Skills

Platform engineering

DevOps

Software development

Data analytics

Communication

Team leadership

Education

Master's in computer science, engineering, or a related field

Tools

SQL

Python

Java

AWS

Snowflake

Informatica

Job description

Overview

Reference No. R2794577

Position Title: Head of R and D Platform Engineering

Department: R&D Data Products and Platforms

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Sanofi is embarking on a vast digital transformation program with a focus on data transformation, AI/ML adoption, and accelerating R&D, manufacturing and commercial performance. The R&D Data & AI Products and Platforms Team develops and delivers data products for R&D use cases, enabling broader data democratization and scalable AI/ML capabilities.

As the Head of R&D Platform Engineering, you will lead a dynamic team responsible for designing, developing, deploying and maintaining scalable, efficient platforms that enable R&D teams to accelerate Data/AI product development, including platforms for Scientific Information processing Services (SIPS) and the Scientific Workflow Engineering Lab (SWEL).

This position is a new vacant role open for applications.

Main Responsibilities

• Platform Development and Delivery: Define and execute the vision and strategy for R&D platform engineering, aligning with broader R&D business objectives and data strategy needs.

• Act as liaison between technical teams and R&D business stakeholders to ensure alignment and prioritization of platform initiatives.

• Define, develop, and maintain product development roadmaps for the development of data platforms, including SIPS and SWEL.

• Lead teams of engineers and architects through the design, implementation, and optimization of SIPS and SWEL platforms to support scalable and secure R&D operations and accelerate the delivery of R&D data and AI products.

• Oversee the architecture, deployment, and maintenance of system integration and software lifecycle platforms.

• Lead and participate in technical, design, and product discussions related to the data platform; communicate complex technical ideas to non-technical stakeholders.

• Technical Data Management: Oversee and directly manage the team responsible for technical data management activities.

• Work with this team to manage data management needs from the business and provide platform-level technical solutions where required.

• Innovation & Team Management: Collaborate with technical and non-technical teams to maximize the value of the data stack and ensure platforms meet analytical and modeling requirements.

• Ensure execution across the platform team is predictable, reliable, and sustainable, implementing best practices in engineering processes.

• Manage project timelines and priorities to ensure timely delivery of platform engineering outputs.

About You

Key Functional Requirements & Qualifications:

• Master’s in computer science, engineering, or a related field; 8-10 years of experience in platform engineering, DevOps, or software development and 6+ years in management and leadership roles.

• Proven track record leading successful platform projects across design, development, scaling, and maintenance.

• Understanding of R&D business and data environment strongly preferred.

• Strong communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders and collaborators.

• Demonstrated team leadership, mentorship, and management skills.

Key Technical Requirements & Qualifications:

• Expertise building large-scale data platforms with supporting data lakes.

• Experience with data security, compliance, and regulatory requirements.

• Proficiency with data analytics and statistical software (incl. SQL, Python, Java, Excel, AWS, Snowflake, Informatica).

• Expert experience with engineering tools and programming languages such as Python, R, Java.

• Proven expertise in system integration, data streaming, data platform services, and software engineering lifecycle management.

• Deep understanding and proven track record managing large-scale platform deployments in a complex R&D environment.

Why Choose Us?

• Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.

• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.

• Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.

• 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.

This position is for a new vacant role that is now open for applications.

Sanofi is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. Our goal is to attract, develop and retain highly talented employees from diverse backgrounds, allowing us to benefit from a wide variety of experiences and perspectives. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified applicants. Accommodations for persons with disabilities required during the recruitment process are available upon request.

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All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.

Les employés peuvent être admissibles à participer aux programmes d\'avantages sociaux de l\'entreprise. Des informations supplémentaires sur les avantages sociaux peuvent être trouvées ici.