sanofi aventis Recherche et Développement Posted September 18, 2026

Principal Scientist Mass Spectrometry Lab

Montpellier, France Full time
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sanofi aventis Recherche et Développement is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Job title:  MASS SPECTROMETRY MANAGER / PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST

Location: Montpellier

About the Job

As Mass Spectroscopy Manager/Principal Scientist within our Analytical Sciences team, you'll lead the mass spectrometry laboratory in support of CMC analytical development teams. Ready to get started?

Our analytical group within the synthetic platform of Global CMC Development is striving to become an industry leader in the development of transformative medicines. You'll focus on mass spectrometry characterization for structural characterization and mutagenic/nitrosamine impurities quantitation using HPLC/HRMS and GC/MS as primary techniques, while managing our state-of-the-art mass spectrometry laboratory in Montpellier.

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:

Manage Montpellier mass spectrometry laboratory. Use resources to develop and implement HPLC/HRMS methods for the structural characterization and structural elucidation by interpretation of fragmentation mass spectra, of synthetic small molecules (active principal ingredient, impurities, and degradants) in the context of CMC development projects and analytical expertise. Manage analytical park (UPLC/HRMS and GC/MS) to insure availability of state of the art equipment, maintenance and operational qualification of equipment. Ensure the reliability and traceability of results obtained. Review analytical studies performed by mass spectrometry senior experts. Creation and management of open access MS for chemistry support

Define and implement Sanofi strategy on nitrosamine and mutagenic impurities for Analytical Sciences and CMC development. Analytical expert in nitrosamine/mutagenic quantification by mass spectrometry, in this context develop and validate LC/MS and GC/MS based quantitation methods

Redaction of the documentation on mass spectrometry related to structural elucidation and mutagenic/nitrosamine impurities analysis including clinical and submission dossier. Participate in regulatory audit (GQA/PAI/ANSM...) as mass spectrometry expert

Collaborate closely with colleagues in Analytical Sciences, other CMC teams and project management teams. Participate in the scientific meetings of the different projects to bring its expertise in solving analytical problems. Make presentations within and between departments

Could have to manage projects as Analytical Team lead in Project Team

About you

Experience:  Specialist in high-resolution mass spectrometry, experience of at least 10 years,

Advanced knowledge of the principles, concepts, and practices of various aspects of Mass spectrometry for structural analysis and mutagenic/nitrosamine quantification,

Growing knowledge of principles and concepts in analytical development.

Sof and technical skills Familiarity with high performance equipment (Orbitrap, QTof, Triple Quad, etc.) and spectrometric data processing software (MassLyns, Xcalibur, Chromeleon),

Expertise in interpreting fragmentation mass spectra (Full scan, MSn),

GMP and Regulatory (ICH, Pharmacopoeia) knowledge related to mass spectrometry,

Strong team management with ability to identify and develop scientific activities,

Ability to implement new approaches to develop team members and activities (IA, Automation). You plan and prioritize resource requirements and allocations within a functional team,

Clear communication and structured explanation skills for multi-step studies,

Decisions making capabilities that frequently require developing new options to solve complex problems under High pressure environment and time constraints,

Internal and external presentation skills with publications and patents experience.

Education: PhD in Analytical Chemistry

Languages: Fluent in English, French speaking in writing, reading and presenting

What we offer you:

A fixed salary over 12 months, supplemented by a short-term incentive, as well as a collective variable compensation based on Sanofi Group results.

Because taking care of our employees is also our mission: 

Benefits & Well-being: Quality health insurance, extended maternity/parental leave (18/14 weeks), enhanced support in case of illness, teleconsultation and second medical opinion covered by Sanofi, as well as many other wellness programs  to discover here .

Work-Life Balance: 31 days of paid leave + RTT depending on your status, remote work up to 2 days/week

Transportation: Public transport coverage up to 80%

Savings & Retirement: Group Savings Plan and PERCOL with employer matching, and PERO

Professional Development: Internal and international mobility opportunities, learning & development opportunities

And more: platforms dedicated to peer-to-peer recognition & service exchanges between Sanofi employees (carpooling, home exchanges, etc.), numerous CSE benefits...

Why choose us?

Be part of a pioneering biopharma company that engages patients early in drug development and uses their insights to design studies that reflect real-world needs.

Work at the forefront of drug discovery, harnessing cutting-edge AI, data, and digital platforms to push the boundaries of science.

Help improve the lives of millions of people globally by making drug development quicker and more effective.

Enjoy opportunities to collaborate beyond your area of expertise, working with diverse teams across science, clinical, and digital fields to spark new ideas and drive breakthroughs.

Accelerate your professional development with structured career paths designed for both scientific and leadership advancement. Grow in ways you never imagined through bold moves that stretch your potential, cross moves into other business areas, and short-term gigs that build your scientific expertise.

Le contenu du poste est libellé en anglais car il nécessite de nombreuses interactions avec nos filiales à l’international, l'anglais étant la langue de travail.

This job offer is accessible to all, regardless of gender.

#LIFRA

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 !

La fourchette salariale pour ce poste est:€54 400,00 - €72 533 Final compensation will be determined based on demonstrated experience, skills, location, and other relevant factors. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs.

Job details

Seniority
Principal
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Montpellier, France
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 499 comparable Principal Manufacturing & CMC roles across 82 biopharma companies.

499Comparable roles tracked
471Currently active
82Companies hiring similar roles
32Countries represented

Salary context

186 of 499 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Senior Manufacturing Technician · Genz. Therap Product LP $24/hr – $32/hr (≈ $49,920–$66,560/yr)
Peer group range $58,240 – $288,000 (median $146,575)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 499 comparable roles

United States303
India46
Ireland23
Netherlands18
China's Mainland10
Switzerland10

+ 26 more countries

Seniority mix

499 of 499 peers have a known seniority level

Senior326
Principal92
Director81

Therapeutic area mix

0 of 499 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

No peers with a known therapeutic area yet.

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.