Head of Platform Partnerships and Outlicensing - Vaccine

Job title: Head of Platform Partnerships and Outlicensing - Vaccine

Location: Waltham, MA / Swiftwater, PA

About the job

As Head of Platform Partnerships and Outlicensing - Vaccine as part of the Vaccines R&D team, you’ll be responsible for providing responsible for overarching R&D coordination and management of external evaluations, collaborations, MTAs, partnerships and out-licensing opportunities relating to the Sanofi Vaccines Adjuvant platforms and mRNA platforms. Ready to get started?

Join the team protecting half a billion lives every year with next-gen science, mRNA innovation, and AI-driven breakthroughs. In Vaccines, you’ll help advance prevention on a global scale - and shape the future of immunization. 

The Head of Platform Partnerships and Out-licensing is responsible for overarching R&D coordination and management of external evaluations, collaborations, MTAs, partnerships and out-licensing opportunities relating to the Sanofi Vaccines Adjuvant platforms and mRNA platforms. 

The incumbent serves as a first point of contact within R&D for all external-facing activities specific to the platform technologies within scope.  The role includes reactive management of incoming requests for platforms evaluations and supply agreements as well as proactive scouting of strategic opportunities for partnerships, alliances or out-licensing. 

The incumbent works closely alongside relevant Global Platform Leads, Sanofi project teams, with External R&D and with Business Development and Legal.

The role's purpose is to ensure value creation from Sanofi Vaccine platform technologies through scientific data and knowledge generation that in turn informs and de-risks internal projects, may lead to in-licensing opportunities for new programs and financial value creation through platform supply and out-licensing agreements in key strategic areas.

About Sanofi

We’re an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving people’s lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system – and innovative pipeline – enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. 

Main Responsibilities:

A. External collaborations coordination and oversight

• Be the first point of contact within R&D for all incoming requests for evaluations, collaborations and supply agreements relating to the Adjuvant and mRNA platforms.  Evaluate and prioritize such requests based on scientific and strategic value to Sanofi.

• Partner with relevant Global Platform Lead and New Vaccines project teams to provide scientific Input and when relevant to create workplans.

• Partner with External R&D and Business Development as needed to ensure appropriate governance and Legal framework is applied to external collaborations and partnerships

• Ensure external relationships are documented, tracked and followed up in a timely and structured manner, ensuring internal compliance and coordination and external relationship and reputation management   

B. Proactive scouting, identification and management of external platform out-licensing and supply opportunities

• Identify and lead opportunities for financial value creation through key strategic external opportunities to out-license Sanofi's Adjuvants or mRNA technologies. 

• Lead cross-functional teams to evaluate such opportunities and be the R&D Lead on resulting due diligence exercises.

• Act in an Alliance Manager role within the R&D function to help oversee and manage ongoing external strategic partnerships.

• Work alongside BD, Legal and IP as R&D Lead to ensure appropriate governance and compliance with Sanofi processes throughout.

• Ensure documentation, tracking and reporting in a timely and structured manner to drive internal alignment, transparency and compliance.

About You

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate, Master’s or PhD in Life Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Engineering, or equivalent.

• Advanced degree MBA is preferred.

• 10+ years leadership experience in pharmaceutical environment including exposure to R&D, Business Development, Finance, Legal and Intellectual Property.

Knowledge /Experience /Technical competencies:

• Proven leadership experience in complex, matrixed environments

• Business acumen & Financial Management Excellence in high value creation, high‑uncertainty, high‑investment pharmaceutical context