Team Lead - Project Management

Reports to: Head of Project Management

% of Travel Expected: Travel required as per business need

Our Team:

Our ambition: deliver best-in-class enterprise services enabling Sanofi to chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives. Sanofi has been building the foundations of enterprise services over the past few years. With the creation of the global business unit Business Operations two years ago, we have elevated our commitment to innovation and excellence.

An expert leadership team, passionate about leading high performance. We are building for the long term. We bring people together – many of them in our four hub locations around the world - which simplify processes, break down barriers and modernize the way we work in Sanofi.

Our critical success factors:

We have identified three key drivers:

1. Community - Building a vibrant team that will attract and engage talent, with four global hubs.

2. Excellence - Simplifying, standardizing and continuously improving processes to capture synergies, scale effects and productivity improvements.

3. Digitalisation - Enabling transparency, data-driven decision-making support, agility and rapid innovation across Sanofi's entire value chain.

About the Job

As Team Lead, Project Management within Sanofi Business Operations (SBO) Medical, you will be a key pillar of the Project Management Center of Excellence, directly reporting to the Head of Project Management. You will lead, develop, and manage a team of 10–15 Project Managers based in your respective area of focus, ensuring the day-to-day delivery of high-quality project management services across Medical Affairs and Market Access activities.

In this role, you will serve as the primary people manager and operational leader for your local team, translating the strategic direction set by the Head of Project Management into consistent, excellent execution on the ground. You will be responsible for the performance, development, and wellbeing of your team members, while also ensuring that project delivery standards, methodologies, and governance frameworks are applied consistently across all portfolios managed by your team.

This is a hands-on leadership role that combines people management, operational oversight, stakeholder collaboration, and continuous improvement - making it a critical link between the strategic vision of the PM function and the day-to-day delivery of Medical Affairs and Market Access projects.

Scope & Organizational Impact

Scope

Team Size 10–15 Project Managers (direct reports) at the respective location

Geographic Scope Location-based team (Hyderabad / Barcelona / Bogota), with cross-location collaboration across the global PM function

Therapeutic Scope All disease areas within Medical Affairs and Market Access supported by the respective location team

Functional Scope Day-to-day project management delivery including budget management, congress activities, medical affairs deliverables, and market access initiatives

Reporting Line Direct report to the Head of Project Management (L3-2)

Organizational Level People manager of individual contributors (Project Managers); not managing other Team Leads

Stakeholder Complexity Manages operational stakeholder relationships at the project and local level

Complexity Manages individual contributors (not Team Leads); operates within a defined governance framework set by the leadership

KPIs % team projects achieving objectives as per SLA · % projects completed on time · Team NPS and engagement scores · Individual PM development and retention rates · Stakeholder satisfaction at the local level

Main Responsibilities:

1. Team Management & Leadership (40%)

Directly manage a team of 10–15 Project Managers at the respective location, providing clear direction, day-to-day guidance, and operational oversight

Conduct regular 1:1s, team meetings, and performance reviews, ensuring each team member has clear objectives, development plans, and structured feedback

Lead recruitment, onboarding, and integration of new project managers into the team, ensuring rapid ramp-up and alignment with SBO standards

Provide coaching and mentoring to develop individual capabilities, career growth, and professional excellence within the team

Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable team culture, promoting psychological safety and high performance across diverse backgrounds

Manage resource allocation, capacity planning, and workload balancing across the team to ensure sustainable delivery and prevent burnout

Identify and escalate talent risks, capability gaps, and succession needs to the Head of Project Management in a timely manner

Support the wellbeing and engagement of team members, acting as a first point of contact for people-related matters at the local level

Ensure team members are aligned with and actively contributing to the PM Center of Excellence standards and culture

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2. Project Delivery Excellence (25%)

Oversee the end-to-end project management delivery of all projects managed by the team, ensuring quality, timeliness, and adherence to agreed SLAs

Monitor project portfolio health across the team, proactively identifying risks, issues, and delivery blockers and driving timely resolution

Ensure consistent application of standardized PM methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) and tools across all projects managed by the team

Serve as the first point of escalation for project delivery issues within the team, resolving conflicts and removing obstacles to delivery

Review and validate project plans, timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure alignment with stakeholder expectations and SBO quality standards

Support team members in managing complex or high-priority projects, providing hands-on guidance where needed

Ensure accurate and timely reporting on project status, milestones, and KPIs to the Head of Project Management and relevant stakeholders

Maintain oversight of budget management activities within the team's portfolio, ensuring financial discipline and transparency

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3. Stakeholder Collaboration (20%)

Act as the primary operational interface between the local PM team and internal stakeholders, including Account Managers, Medical leads, HEVA, and Commercial teams

Build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders at the local and global level, ensuring alignment between PM activities and business priorities

Collaborate with the Global Meetings and Events team to anticipate and plan for congress activities and related deliverables managed by the team

Represent the local PM team in cross-functional forums, planning sessions, and governance meetings, ensuring the team's contributions are visible and valued

Proactively communicate team capacity, delivery status, and risks to stakeholders, maintaining transparency and trust

Support the Head of Project Management in stakeholder engagement and relationship management at the global level when required

Ensure team members are equipped and empowered to manage their own stakeholder relationships effectively at the project level

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4. Process Implementation & Governance (10%)

Implement and embed PM governance frameworks, tools, templates, and processes defined by the Head of Project Management within the local team

Ensure team compliance with Sanofi quality standards, regulatory requirements, and internal policies across all project management activities

Monitor adherence to KPIs and performance metrics, providing regular reporting and insights to the Head of Project Management

Identify and escalate process gaps, inconsistencies, or compliance risks observed within the team's operations

Support the rollout of new tools, systems, and training programs within the local team, acting as a change champion and first point of support

Contribute to the development and refinement of PM standards and best practices by sharing local insights and lessons learned with the broader PM CoE

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5. Continuous Improvement (5%)

Proactively identify opportunities for process improvement, efficiency gains, and quality enhancements within the team's operations

Share best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches with peer Team Leads and the Head of Project Management to drive cross-location learning

Stay current with project management industry trends, emerging methodologies, and digital tools relevant to medical affairs and market access

Support the Head of Project Management in continuous improvement initiatives at the global PM function level, contributing local perspective and implementation expertise

About You

Experience & Expertise

Minimum 5–7 years of project management experience in a multinational company; pharmaceutical, medical affairs, or medical communications background strongly preferred

2–3 years of team leadership or people management experience, with a demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate teams of 10+ people

Solid understanding of Medical Affairs and Market Access activities, including budget management, congress and events planning, and cross-functional medical deliverables (preferred)

Experience working in or with Business Operations, shared services, or center of excellence environments is an advantage

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects across different therapeutic areas and stakeholder groups

Experience working in multicultural, geographically distributed environments, with sensitivity to diverse working styles

Skills & Competencies

Strong people management and coaching skills, with a genuine commitment to team development and individual growth

Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and influence across all levels of the organization

Proficiency in project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) and associated tools and platforms

Strong organizational, planning, and prioritization skills in a complex, fast-paced environment

Analytical mindset with the ability to monitor KPIs, identify trends, and drive data-informed decisions

Collaborative leadership style with a focus on accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement

Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity for the team in a dynamic organizational context

Strong problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to manage escalations calmly and effectively

Education & Certifications

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MSc, or scientific discipline) preferred

PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred

Fluent in English (required)

Spanish proficiency strongly preferred for Bogota-based role

Local language proficiency (Spanish for Barcelona, Telugu/Hindi for Hyderabad) is an advantage for the respective locations

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