Director of Data Operations

Director - Data Operations

Our Team

The Go-to-Market Capabilities (GTMC) organization aims to centralize Go-to-Market excellence and operational tasks across GBUs, standardizing best-in-class capabilities with strengthened global support while establishing clear ways of working to optimize process excellence and efficiency.

Strategic Context

Leads the design and operation of enterprise data operations capabilities that enable high-quality, governed, and AI-ready data across all commercial data domains.

Accountable for delivering scalable, reusable data services (data quality, metadata, reference data, observability) that are consumed across the CDM data mesh.

Operates as a senior individual contributor with broad cross-functional influence, driving execution through domain teams, platform teams, and shared/offshore resources rather than direct people management.

Scope & Impact

• Enterprise horizontal scope across all commercial data domains (e.g., Customer, Product, Omnichannel, Business Performance, Business Dynamics)

• Owns capabilities that underpin all CDM data products, not a single domain

• Direct impact on data reliability, regulatory compliance, and AI readiness

• Influences standards, tooling, and operating models across CDM and enterprise data programs (e.g., USDF / OneMesh)
  

Main Responsibilities

1. Data Operations Strategy & Execution

• Defines and executes a rolling 12–24 month roadmap for data operations capabilities

• Establishes cross-domain standards for data quality, metadata, reference data, and observability

• Represents Data Operations in enterprise governance and methodology forums

2. Enterprise Data Quality Management

• Owns the data quality framework (rules, scorecards, defect taxonomy, remediation workflows)

• Drives consistent adoption across all domains

• Leads root cause analysis and resolution for material data issues

• Advances automation and AI-enabled monitoring to improve coverage and efficiency

3. Reference Data & MDM Enablement

• Owns enterprise reference data services (hierarchies, code sets, classifications)

• Ensures controlled change management and downstream impact management

• Partners with MDM teams to maintain consistent master and reference data across systems

4. Metadata Management & Data Catalog

• Leads the data catalog and business glossary capability

• Ensures data discoverability, clear definitions, and lineage visibility

• Develops the semantic layer that supports analytics and AI use cases

5. Data Observability

• Establishes monitoring for pipeline health, data freshness, completeness, and anomalies

• Defines incident response models, SLAs, and operational runbooks

• Improves proactive detection and resolution of data issues

6. AI-Enabled Data Operations

• Identifies and deploys AI/ML use cases to scale data operations (e.g., anomaly detection, metadata enrichment)

• Ensures governance, auditability, and compliance of AI-enabled processes

• Drives requirements for AI-ready data products (quality, metadata, structure)

7. Governance & Standards Enablement

• Defines data contracts, certification standards, and operating processes across domains

• Establishes and tracks KPIs and maturity metrics

• Partners with Legal, Compliance, and Technology to ensure adherence to regulatory standards

8. Matrixed Execution Leadership

• Drives delivery through cross-functional teams and shared resources (including offshore pods)

• Provides operational direction and prioritization without direct authority

• Aligns stakeholders and ensures consistent adoption of standards and processes

• Acts as a thought partner to domain leads and senior leadership

Role Complexity

• Operates across multiple domains, systems, and stakeholder groups simultaneously

• Balances strategic design and hands-on operational execution

• Drives alignment in a federated data mesh model with distributed ownership

• Requires influencing senior stakeholders without formal authority
  

About You:

Data Management Expertise

• Deep experience in data quality, metadata management, or data governance at enterprise scale

• Strong understanding of reference data, MDM, and cross-system data integration

• Experience operating shared data services across multiple domains

Technical & Architectural Fluency

• Working knowledge of modern data platforms (e.g., Snowflake, data catalogs, MDM platforms)

• Understanding of data lineage, metadata models, and data architecture principles

• Familiarity with data observability and pipeline monitoring

AI & Automation

• Exposure to AI/ML applications in data operations (e.g., anomaly detection, automation, enrichment)

• Ability to identify and scale automation opportunities

Leadership Through Influence

• Proven ability to drive outcomes in a matrixed environment without direct reports

• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional alignment skills

• Ability to translate technical concepts into business impact

Domain Knowledge

• Experience with large-scale commercial or operational data environments

• Life sciences / healthcare data familiarity preferred (e.g., Rx, customer, payer, sales data)

Why choose us. 

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

• Be part of a dynamic and collaborative global talent community 

• Influence and shape sourcing strategies across regions and functions. 

• Drive innovation using cutting-edge sourcing tools and techniques. 

• Make a real impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities. 
  

Pursue Progress. Discover Extraordinary.

Join Sanofi and step into a new era of science - where your growth can be just as transformative as the work we do. We invest in you to reach further, think faster, and do what’s never-been-done-before. You’ll help push boundaries, challenge convention, and build smarter solutions that reach the communities we serve. Ready to chase the miracles of science and improve people’s lives? Let’s Pursue Progress and Discover Extraordinary – together.

At Sanofi, we provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. 

Pursue progress, discover extraordinary

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.

Watch our ALL IN video and check out our Diversity Equity and Inclusion actions at sanofi.com!

Experience Level

Executive Level