IIoT, Industry 4.0 & Industrial AI - Innovation Expert

Position Summary 

The IIoT, Industry 4.0 & Industrial AI – Innovation Expert is a senior technical and strategic leadership role responsible for defining and driving Sanofi Digital M&S digital manufacturing foundation across its global industrial network. 

The role combines deep hands-on expertise with executive leadership, bridging Operational Technology (OT), Information Technology (IT), industrial data platforms, cloud technologies, and emerging digital capabilities. The objective is to transform manufacturing data into trusted, contextualized, and AI-ready business assets that support operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and long-term innovation. 

This position serves as a trusted advisor to Manufacturing, Engineering, Digital, Architecture, Cybersecurity, Data, and Executive Leadership teams, ensuring that technology investments become scalable enterprise capabilities rather than isolated initiatives. 

Mission 

Build and govern the industrial digital foundation that enables Sanofi to accelerate smart manufacturing through connected platforms, trusted industrial data, and emerging technologies. 

Key Responsibilities 

Strategic Leadership

• Define the long-term vision and roadmap for Industrial Digital Platforms and Smart Manufacturing. 
• Explore and Evaluate technology trends and translate innovation into practical business capabilities. 
• Support executive decision-making through technical and strategic guidance. 

Enterprise Architecture and Platform Governance

• Define and govern the reference architecture connecting shopfloor systems, industrial networks, cloud platforms, and enterprise applications. 
• Establish standards for industrial connectivity, data models, contextualization, and platform integration. 
• Create reusable architectures, technical standards, deployment models, and governance frameworks. 

Industrial Connectivity and Data Strategy 

• Lead the evolution of Sanofi's Plant Connectivity program. 
• Drive architecture and standards for IIoT, OPC UA, MQTT, Sparkplug B, Unified Namespace, edge computing, industrial historians, and industrial data platforms. 
• Ensure industrial data is reliable, contextualized, and reusable across the organization. 

Product Ownership and Delivery 

• Translate business needs into technical capabilities and platform roadmaps. 
• Guide implementation teams and prioritize strategic initiatives. 
• Define platform scalability, reliability, security, and operational requirements. 

Technology Evaluation and Innovation 

• Lead assessments, proof-of-concepts, and vendor evaluations. 
• Drive adoption of Industrial AI, Agentic AI, MCP ecosystems, Digital Twins, AR/VR, simulation technologies, and advanced analytics where they create measurable business value. 
• Validate technical assumptions and challenge vendor proposals using real manufacturing requirements. 

Cross-Functional Leadership 

• Bridge Manufacturing, Engineering, Digital, Architecture, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, and Data organizations. 
• Communicate complex technical concepts to executive leadership and business stakeholders. 
• Promote alignment across global teams and strategic programs. 

Leadership Expectations 

The successful candidate will: 

• Provide technical leadership for global manufacturing transformation. 
• Influence without direct authority. 
• Balance innovation with operational reliability and regulatory expectations. 
• Mentor teams and establish scalable organizational capabilities. 
• Connect business strategy with technology execution. 

Required Expertise 

The ideal candidate will demonstrate expertise across the industrial technology landscape, including: 

• Industrial IoT (IIoT) and Industry 4.0 
• Industrial Automation and IT/OT convergence 
• SCADA, Historians, MES, and ERP integration 
• OPC UA, MQTT, Sparkplug B, and Unified Namespace 
• Industrial networking and edge computing 
• Industrial data platforms and cloud-native architectures 
• Data contextualization and enterprise integration 
• Industrial AI, Agentic AI, MCP, and Digital Twins 
• AR/VR and simulation technologies 
• Enterprise Architecture and Technical Governance 
• Product Ownership and Platform Strategy 
• Vendor evaluation and technology roadmapping 

Preferred Experience 

• Extensive experience in pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing industries. 
• Proven success leading global digital manufacturing initiatives. 
• Strong background in enterprise-scale industrial platforms. 
• Experience working with executive leadership and cross-functional global teams. 
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate and implement emerging technologies. 
• Consulting, architecture, or practice leadership experience is highly desirable. 

Critical Success Factors 

Success in this role requires a rare combination of capabilities: 

• Deep technical expertise with hands-on credibility. 
• Strong enterprise architecture and governance skills. 
• Executive presence and strategic thinking. 
• Product ownership and delivery focus. 
• Ability to bridge IT and OT environments. 
• Ability to translate innovation into business outcomes. 
• Strong collaboration and influence across global organizations. 
• Continuous curiosity and passion for emerging technologies. 

Why This Role Is Critical 

Sanofi's manufacturing future depends on connected platforms, trusted industrial data, and scalable digital capabilities. 

This role provides the leadership required to unify industrial architectures, establish global standards, guide technology investments, and prepare the organization for Industrial AI and next-generation manufacturing. 

By connecting the shop floor with enterprise platforms and future digital capabilities, this position enables a secure, scalable, and modern manufacturing ecosystem that supports operational excellence, compliance, and continuous innovation. 

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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.

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Final compensation will be determined based on demonstrated experience, skills, location, and other relevant factors. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs.