Principal Scientist, Retinal Degeneration

Job Title: Principal Scientist, Retinal Degeneration

Location: Cambridge, MA

About the Job

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.

Sanofi is seeking a highly motivated Principal Scientist to drive preclinical drug discovery programs for blinding retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. As a Principal Scientist in the Retinal Degeneration group within Ophthalmology Research, you will use innovative experimental approaches and advanced disease models to validate neuroprotective therapeutic strategies and discover promising drug candidates. The successful candidate will work collaboratively in matrixed, cross-functional teams to generate high-quality and comprehensive data packages to nominate and advance therapeutic candidates toward clinical development. This role presents an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of ophthalmology therapeutics and bring transformative vision-preserving treatments to patients around the world.

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:

• Apply scientific expertise and judgement to initiate, design, direct, and execute research studies to translate new targets from discovery to therapeutic disease programs and preclinical development

• Work independently, proactively and be an impactful contributor and leader of research projects and pipeline programs in a matrixed team environment to achieve go/no-go decisions

• Design, conduct, and direct in vitro mechanism-of-action, proof-of-concept, and biomarker studies to validate targets and evaluate neuroprotective therapeutic strategies

• Collaborate cross-functionally to screen preclinical candidates of diverse modalities using target- and disease-relevant functional readouts that inform on pharmacology and efficacy

• Actively contribute to interdisciplinary research programs in a highly collaborative manner across internal groups and with external partners

• Prepare high-quality analyses, interpretation, documentation, and presentations to support project milestones, publications, patent filings, and regulatory (IND/CTA) filings

• Present project data packages at governance meetings

• Grow a reputation in the internal and external scientific community through high impact publications, productive scientific collaborations and active participation in conferences

About You

Basic Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. or equivalent degree in cell biology, neuroscience, or other relevant scientific discipline, and 5+ years of research experience in biopharmaceutical or academic setting

• Demonstrated experience (1 year or more ideally) in drug development at a biopharmaceutical company

• Experience evaluating and validating new therapeutic targets required, preferably for retinal or neurodegenerative diseases

• Extensive cell culture experience, including work with primary cells, iPSC-derived cells, or 3D in vitro models

• Comprehensive experience with a broad range of molecular, cellular, and biochemical methods, assay development, and in vitro disease modeling

• Experience preparing high-quality documents including experimental protocols, SOPs, technical reports, and presentations

• Track record of significant contributions to research projects and scientific publications

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in retinal disease and degeneration or neurodegeneration research strongly preferred

• Experience using computational approaches (e.g., R, Python) to analyze data strongly preferred

• Program leadership experience in an industry setting

• Experience authoring regulatory documents to support IND or CTA applications with agencies like the FDA and EMA

• Experience managing studies at CROs

• Familiarity with wide range of therapeutic modalities including biologics, small molecules, and/or genomic medicines

• Experience in high-throughput assay development and using automated screening platforms and robotics

• Experience with animal models of retinal disease and degeneration

Skills and Competencies:

• Ability to weigh and integrate information from a broad range of stakeholders with diverse backgrounds

• Ability to capture and translate complex data, concepts, and information into clear, well-articulated messages to guide and drive decision-making

• Ability to multi-task and adapt to rapidly changing priorities and deadlines

• Excellent critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively in a multidisciplinary team as well as to senior leadership

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build excellent working relationships and mentor cross-functional team members

• Resourceful and proactive in managing cross-functional research project plans to achieve objectives and forecast resource requirements

• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, lab notebook practices, and attention to detail

Why Choose Us? 

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

• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether it’s through a promotion or a lateral move, at home or internationally. 

• Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact. 

• Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs, and at least 14 weeks’ gender-neutral parental leave. 

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

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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!

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally inclusive and diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; natural or protective hairstyles; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

North America Applicants Only

The salary range for this position is:

All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs. Additional benefits information can be found through the LINK.