Scientific Fellow, AI-Enabled Molecular Design

Sanofi•Cambridge, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Join the engine of Sanofi’s mission — where deep immunoscience meets bold, AI-powered research. In R&D, you’ll drive breakthroughs that could turn the impossible into possible for millions. The Scientific Fellow, AI-Enabled Molecular Design, is a senior individual contributor and scientific thought leader at the intersection of AI, computational science, and drug design. This role will shape scientific strategy, evaluate internal and external capabilities, and apply deep scientific judgement to advance the design and optimization of both small and large molecule therapeutics across R&D. The individual will provide expert leadership on how advanced digital, computational, and AI approaches can accelerate molecular design, improve design quality and decision-making, and increase probability of success. Working across research programs and R&D-wide initiatives, this person will advise senior leaders and corporate management on emerging scientific and technological advances, strategic opportunities, and differentiated approaches in AI-enabled molecular design spanning both biologics and small molecules. A core expectation of the role is to help define scientific strategies and practical tactics that support company ambitions in AI-enabled molecular design. This includes assessing emerging methods, platforms, partnerships, and external innovations for scientific quality, strategic relevance, and potential impact across areas such as generative design, structure-based design, protein and antibody engineering, multi-parameter optimization, predictive property modeling, and design-make-test-learn workflows. The Scientific Fellow will also serve as a highly sought-after internal expert consultant, contributing deep scientific judgement, thought partnership, and mentoring across R&D where relevant to their area of expertise. This role requires a recognized leader with strong external visibility and influence. The Scientific Fellow must establish and maintain a national and international reputation as a thought leader through high-impact publications, patents, productive scientific collaborations, invited speaking engagements, conference participation, and other visible contributions to the scientific community. They must be recognized externally as an expert in the field and bring strong connections to leading academic, biotech, technology, and pharmaceutical groups working at the forefront of AI, computational chemistry, computational biology, and molecular design. The successful candidate will have a proven record of envisioning and delivering innovative scientific or technological solutions with a high degree of creativity, and of meaningfully influencing the direction and productivity of their field within R&D. They must be capable of operating as a highly independent senior scientific leader without direct line management responsibility, while exerting broad influence across a matrixed organization.

Requirements

Ph.D. in computational chemistry, medicinal chemistry, computational biology, structural biology, biophysics, machine learning, biomedical data science, or a related scientific discipline, with a minimum of 7 years of experience in academia, biotech, technology, or pharma.
Strong track record in AI, computational tools, and molecular design for small and/or large molecule therapeutics.
Demonstrated success advising senior leaders, evaluating emerging scientific capabilities, and translating technical advances into strategic R&D impact.

Responsibilities

Shape scientific strategy, evaluate internal and external capabilities, and apply deep scientific judgement to advance the design and optimization of both small and large molecule therapeutics across R&D.
Provide expert leadership on how advanced digital, computational, and AI approaches can accelerate molecular design, improve design quality and decision-making, and increase probability of success.
Advise senior leaders and corporate management on emerging scientific and technological advances, strategic opportunities, and differentiated approaches in AI-enabled molecular design spanning both biologics and small molecules.
Help define scientific strategies and practical tactics that support company ambitions in AI-enabled molecular design.
Assess emerging methods, platforms, partnerships, and external innovations for scientific quality, strategic relevance, and potential impact across areas such as generative design, structure-based design, protein and antibody engineering, multi-parameter optimization, predictive property modeling, and design-make-test-learn workflows.
Serve as a highly sought-after internal expert consultant, contributing deep scientific judgement, thought partnership, and mentoring across R&D where relevant to their area of expertise.
Establish and maintain a national and international reputation as a thought leader through high-impact publications, patents, productive scientific collaborations, invited speaking engagements, conference participation, and other visible contributions to the scientific community.
Bring strong connections to leading academic, biotech, technology, and pharmaceutical groups working at the forefront of AI, computational chemistry, computational biology, and molecular design.
Operate as a highly independent senior scientific leader without direct line management responsibility, while exerting broad influence across a matrixed organization.