Head of North America Occupational Health

Job title: Head of North America Occupational Health

Location: Morristown, NJ

About the Job

The Head of North America (NA) Occupational Health serves as the sole Occupational Health (OH) Physician for the NA region, head of the NA OH Organization, and NA Key Medical Doctor (KMD) globally. This role carries full accountability for the strategic vision, clinical governance, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence of OH services across all Sanofi and affiliate sites in North America.

As department head, this role provides executive-level leadership over clinical operations, budget management, program development, and team performance — functioning as the highest clinical authority in the region while aligning NA practices with global OH standards.

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.

Main Responsibilities

Clinical Leadership & Governance

• Serve as the only Occupational Health Physician in North America, providing direct clinical oversight and medical decision-making across all sites and business units (manufacturing, R&D, commercial, and corporate)

• Provide clinical governance and medical supervision to OH nursing staff and allied health professionals, ensuring standards of care, scope of practice compliance, and clinical quality

• Serve as the clinical escalation point for complex medical cases, fitness-for-duty determinations, and high-risk situations

• Authorize and oversee specialized medical clearances, including respirator fitness, hazardous materials work, confined space entry, and international travel

• Design and deploy medical surveillance programs and post-exposure protocols (biological, chemical, and other hazards) aligned with regulatory requirements and evidence-based practices

• Provide consultative support on occupational health cases in partnership with People & Culture (P&C), Legal, and Risk Management

• Oversee emergency response programs, including AED management, first responder coordination, and site-level crisis medical protocols

Global Role — NA Key Medical Doctor (KMD)

• Represent North America in global OH governance structures, medical leadership forums, and cross-regional initiatives

• Align NA practices with global OH frameworks, adapting standards to meet US and Canadian regulatory requirements

• Contribute to global health trending and epidemiological analysis, providing NA insights to inform enterprise-wide strategy

• Collaborate with global KMD peers on policy development, program harmonization, and pandemic preparedness

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management

• Maintain full accountability for OH regulatory compliance across NA, including OSHA, NIOSH, and other applicable agencies

• Ensure appropriate interfaces with workers' compensation (WC) carriers, TPAs, and Risk Management to coordinate care and manage claims

• Serve as the primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for OH regulatory matters, advising HSE, P&C, Legal, Risk Management, Finance, and business leadership

• Lead and support compliance audits, providing expert guidance and driving corrective actions

• Identify workplace health risks and drive corrective and preventive actions in partnership with HSE and site leadership

Program Development & Deployment

• Lead the design and deployment of OH programs across NA, including workers' compensation management, health screenings, wellness initiatives, and occupational disease prevention

• Champion digital health transformation, including serving as business owner for implementation of a new Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system with AI capabilities, digital health tools, and self-service portals

• Partner with All Well to deliver integrated on-site wellness programs aligned with enterprise strategy

• Develop and implement OH policies, standards, and procedures to protect employees and ensure compliance

• Oversee local teams in managing contracts with outsourced service providers (clinical staff, vendors, EMR, fitness center operators)

Crisis & Emergency Management

• Serve as the medical authority for crisis management involving health-related incidents, outbreaks, or emergencies across NA

• Provide medical leadership during public health emergencies and pandemics, coordinating with HSE, P&C, and site leadership

• Participate in business continuity planning and emergency preparedness, ensuring medical readiness across all NA sites

• Act as primary medical liaison to public health authorities and regulatory agencies during crisis events

Department Leadership & People Management

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of approximately 9 nurses/NPs, fostering a high-performance, employee-centered culture

• Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance management, supporting professional development and succession planning

• Drive talent management strategies with P&C to attract, retain, and develop top OH talent

Financial & Operational Management

• Own the NA OH department budget, including all internal/external resources, services, and capital expenditures
• Conduct monthly financial analysis, forecasting, and variance reporting with the finance department
• Develop and monitor KPIs and performance dashboards tracking clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction
• Identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising quality or compliance
• Champion for change management, digital transformation, and continuous improvement

Stakeholder Engagement & Strategic Leadership

• Serve as trusted advisor to senior leaders across HSE, P&C, Legal, Risk Management, Finance, and business units on all OH and medical matters
• Represent Sanofi externally to peer organizations, industry groups, and regulatory authorities
• Serve on key internal governance committees, including:
• Educate and influence at all levels of the organization to drive health compliance and employee protection

About You

Education

• Medical Doctorate (M.D. or D.O.) from an accredited institution — required

• Board Certification in Occupational Medicine (ABPM) — required

• Additional board certification in a primary care specialty — preferred

Licensure

• Active, unrestricted medical license in (at least one) New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and other states as operationally required

• Eligibility and willingness to obtain additional state licensures as business needs evolve

Experience

• Minimum 15 years of Progressive Occupational Medicine experience in industrial, pharmaceutical R&D, and corporate settings — required

• Minimum 10 years of leadership and people management experience in a corporate or matrixed environment — required

• Demonstrated experience in regulatory compliance (OSHA, NIOSH, ADA, HIPAA, workers' compensation, medical surveillance) — required

• Experience developing post-exposure protocols and medical surveillance programs — required

• Experience in clinical care practice and global/multinational organizations — strongly preferred

• Strong strategic thinking with ability to align departmental goals with enterprise priorities

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with ability to translate complex clinical and regulatory topics for non-medical audiences

• Experience with digital health technologies, EMR systems, and health data analytics

Physical Requirements

• Primarily office/clinic-based with standard equipment use

• Frequent domestic and occasional international travel required to support multi-site and global responsibilities

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 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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All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.