Distinguished Scientist, Systems Toxicology

Job title: Distinguished Scientist, Systems Toxicology

• Location: Cambridge, MA; Morristown, NJ

About the Job

As Distinguished Scientist, Systems Toxicology, you will provide scientific leadership in the application of multi-omics datasets and systems biology to predict safety liabilities, investigate mechanisms of toxicity, and assess human relevance. You will connect complex molecular and phenotypic datasets to generate testable hypotheses, guide experimental investigations, and inform decisions across drug discovery and development. Strong knowledge of regulatory safety requirements in the field of pharmaceutical drug development is also necessary. Natural strengths in networking and communication are also essential.

Within Toxicology Innovation, you will shape the scientific direction of omics-based safety assessment and lead the development of robust analytical workflows. Working across Toxicology Innovation, and in partnership with project toxicology and scientific advisors, you will translate biological questions into integrated analyses and actionable scientific insights. This is a senior, hands-on individual contributor position with global scientific influence. You will lead complex investigations, establish analytical approaches and standards, mentor scientists across disciplines, and build capabilities that strengthen safety assessment across the portfolio.

Sanofi's Preclinical Safety department is a global, science-driven organization committed to delivering innovative, data-informed safety assessments that support the development of life-changing medicines. The Global Toxicology Innovation group sits at the intersection of computational science, biology, and drug development — pioneering new approaches to toxicity prediction, mechanistic understanding, and clinical translatability.

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.

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:

• Provide scientific direction for systems toxicology, defining approaches for applying omics and integrative biology to priority safety questions.
• Lead integrated analyses of complex biological datasets, connecting transcriptomics with complementary data such as proteomics, metabolomics, imaging, pathology, and functional assays.
• Generate and prioritize mechanistic hypotheses using pathway analysis, network biology, molecular signatures, and existing biological knowledge.
• Establish reproducible and scalable analytical workflows, spanning data processing, quality assessment, statistical analysis, visualization, and reporting.
• Drive cross-functional investigations across Preclinical Safety, connecting early screening, complex models, and investigative studies with molecular mechanisms.
• Provide scientific leadership across project teams and global functions, working with project toxicologists and scientific advisors to define decision-relevant questions and communicate integrated findings.
• Demonstrate scientific and portfolio impact, serving as a scientific authority and mentor across the global organization.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will bring a rare combination of deep expertise in systems biology and omics, strong toxicological judgement, and a sustained record of translating complex data into mechanistic understanding and meaningful project impact. You combine scientific independence with hands-on analytical capability and the ability to build productive partnerships across disciplines.

• Minimum Requirements: MS plus 8 years experience or PhD plus 5 years experience
• Scientific expertise: Systems Biology, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or a related discipline, with extensive research experience and demonstrated independent leadership of complex investigations.
• Technical skills: Deep hands-on expertise in transcriptomics and demonstrated experience integrating multiple molecular or phenotypic data types.
• Computational and statistical capabilities: Strong proficiency in R and/or Python and relevant bioinformatics tools.
• Mechanistic and translational interpretation: Expertise in pathway and network analysis, molecular signatures, and hypothesis generation.
• Drug discovery and safety experience: Substantial experience applying systems approaches to toxicology, safety assessment, or closely related mechanistic research in pharmaceutical or biotechnology settings.

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