Reference Number:

Position Title: Medical Director One Rare

Department: Medical Specialty Care Canada

Location: Toronto, Ontario (Hybrid)

About the Job

Join the team transforming care for people with immune challenges, rare diseases, cancers, and neurological conditions. In Specialty Care, you'll help deliver breakthrough treatments that bring hope to patients with some of the highest unmet needs.

The Medical Director One Rare is a senior medical leader within the Sanofi Specialty Care Canada Medical Affairs team. This individual will define and drive the medical strategy and execution for both the Rare Diseases and Rare Blood Disorders therapeutic areas in Canada. As a people leader, they will manage and inspire a medical team serving as a coach, mentor, and champion for their team's growth and impact.

This role sits at the intersection of science, strategy, and humanity. The Medical Director, One Rare will be the Canadian medical voice for some of the most complex and meaningful conditions in medicine - partnering with rare disease and rare blood disorders specialists, payers, and regulators to ensure that every eligible patient in Canada has access to the best possible care. This is a role for a leader who is as passionate about people - patients, caregivers, and team members alike - as they are about science.

Main responsibilities:

A. Medical Strategy & Leadership

• Define and lead the Canadian medical affairs strategy for Rare Diseases and Rare Blood Disorders, aligned with global and regional priorities

• Develop and execute the Medical Affairs Plan (MAP) for all assigned therapeutic areas within the One Rare portfolio

• Serve as the primary Canadian medical expert and scientific voice for the One Rare franchise, representing Sanofi's scientific leadership internally and externally

• Contribute to lifecycle management strategies, pipeline development, and launch readiness activities for current and future rare disease and rare blood disorder assets

• Provide strategic medical input into brand planning, market access strategies, and reimbursement submissions

• Support the development of diagnostic and treatment pathways to improve early identification, timely diagnosis, and optimal management of patients living with rare and ultra-rare conditions

• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with our partners

B. People Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of direct reports covering both Rare Diseases and Rare Blood Disorders across Canada

• Set clear, meaningful objectives aligned with medical and organizational priorities; provide regular, constructive feedback and support the career development and growth of each team member

• Foster a high-performance, inclusive, and deeply patient-centric team culture grounded in empathy, scientific rigor, and shared purpose

• Manage team resources, workload allocation, and performance reviews with fairness and transparency

• Champion a culture of compassion and deep understanding of the patient and caregiver journey - recognizing that in rare diseases, every patient counts and every interaction matters

C. Scientific Engagement & External Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), rare disease specialists, metabolic disease centers, hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs), academic institutions, patient advocacy groups, and healthcare professionals across Canada

• Lead and support advisory boards, scientific symposia, medical education initiatives, and patient/caregiver education programs

• Represent Sanofi at national and international medical congresses, rare disease forums, hemophilia conferences, and patient advocacy events

• Engage with Health Canada, Canadian Blood Services, CDA, INESSS, and provincial payer bodies on scientific and medical matters relevant to the One Rare portfolio

• Partner closely with rare disease and hemophilia patient advocacy organizations to ensure the patient and caregiver voice is meaningfully integrated into medical strategy and decision-making

D. Evidence Generation & Data Dissemination

• Oversee the design and execution of local evidence generation activities, including investigator-initiated trials (IITs), patient registries, real-world evidence (RWE) studies, and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) research

• Support Canadian participation in global rare disease registries and natural history studies

• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant dissemination of clinical and scientific data to relevant stakeholders

• Review and approve medical content - including publications, scientific slide decks, medical information responses, and patient/caregiver materials - for scientific accuracy, balance, and compliance

E. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Patient Safety, and Patient Advocacy teams to ensure integrated, patient-focused strategies across the One Rare portfolio

• Collaborate with global and regional Medical Affairs teams to align on priorities, contribute Canadian insights, and leverage global scientific resources

• Provide medical and scientific guidance to support reimbursement submissions, health technology assessments (HTAs), and compassionate/special access programs for rare disease patients

• Work with cross-functional teams to optimize patient support programs, access pathways, and continuity of care initiatives

F. Compliance & Governance

• Ensure all medical activities comply with Sanofi's internal policies, Health Canada regulations, Innovative Medicines Canada Code of Ethical Practices, and all applicable laws and guidelines

• Champion a culture of ethics, integrity, patient safety, and transparency within the team and across all external engagements

• Ensure adherence to pharmacovigilance requirements and timely reporting of adverse events in accordance with Sanofi's safety obligations

G. Distributor Partnership & Medical Oversight

In the rare disease and rare blood disorder space, Sanofi partners with specialized distributors who play a critical role in ensuring patients receive timely access to complex therapies. Given the highly specialized nature of these medicines robust medical oversight of distributor partnerships is essential to safeguard patient safety, ensure scientific accuracy, and maintain the highest standards of care.

• Serve as the primary medical point of contact for distributor partnerships related to rare disease and rare blood disorder medicines in Canada

• Act as the key medical liaison between Sanofi and our distributor, serving as the medical bridge between both organizations to ensure aligned medical strategies, consistent scientific communication, and optimal patient access

• Provide medical oversight and guidance to distribution partners to ensure consistent, accurate, and compliant medical information and support across all interactions with healthcare professionals and patients

• Collaborate with distributors on medical education, training, and scientific communication activities to ensure alignment with Sanofi's medical strategy and standards

• Review and approve medical content and materials developed by or for distribution partners, ensuring scientific accuracy, balance, and compliance with Health Canada regulations and Innovative Medicines Canada guidelines

• Ensure alignment of medical strategies and messaging between Sanofi and distribution partners, particularly in the context of rare disease treatment protocols and patient management guidelines

• Support distributor partners in addressing medical inquiries, adverse event reporting, and pharmacovigilance requirements, ensuring timely and compliant escalation in accordance with Sanofi's safety obligations
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of medical support provided through distributor partnerships, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement and capability building
• Facilitate knowledge transfer and capability building with distributor medical teams, ensuring they are equipped to support healthcare professionals and patients with the scientific rigor and compassion that rare disease communities deserve

About you

Required Qualifications:

• MD, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent advanced scientific/medical degree

• Minimum 5-8 years of experience in pharmaceutical/biotech industry with at least 7 years in medical affairs, medical education, or related fields

• Demonstrated experience in Rare Diseases and/or Rare Blood Disorders therapeutic areas (e.g., hemophilia, lysosomal storage disorders, metabolic diseases, or other rare conditions)

• Proven people management experience with a track record of building, developing, and inspiring high-performing teams

• Deep understanding of the Canadian rare disease landscape, including Health Canada regulations, HTA processes (CDA, INESSS), provincial reimbursement pathways, and patient access challenges specific to rare and ultra-rare conditions

• Strong scientific acumen with the ability to translate complex rare disease data into clear, actionable medical strategies

• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to connect meaningfully with diverse audiences - including specialists, patient advocates, payers, and regulators

• Proven experience working with external partners from a distribution model

• Bilingualism (English/French) is a strong asset given the Canadian market context

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs) or rare disease centers of excellence

• Knowledge of enzyme replacement therapies, substrate reduction therapies, gene therapies, or other novel rare disease modalities

• Experience with patient registries, natural history studies, or real-world evidence generation in rare disease settings

• Familiarity with compassionate access programs and special access pathways in Canada

Key Competencies and Skills:

• Matrix Leadership and Influence: Exceptional ability to lead, influence, and drive results without direct authority - navigating complex organizational structures to achieve objectives through persuasion, credibility, and strategic relationship-building.

• Scientific Leadership: The ability to guide teams and decisions using deep scientific expertise, staying current with medical evidence and translating complex data into actionable insights.

• Strategic Thinking: The capacity to anticipate trends, set long-term priorities, and align medical affairs activities with broader organizational and therapeutic area goals.

• People Leadership & Coaching: The ability to inspire, develop, and empower team members through mentorship, feedback, and creating an environment where individuals can grow and perform at their best.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Building and maintaining productive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders - including KOLs, payers, and regulators - to advance shared objectives.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Working effectively across departments (e.g., commercial, regulatory, clinical) to align strategies, share knowledge, and deliver integrated solutions.

• Patient & Caregiver Centricity: Keeping the needs, experiences, and outcomes of patients and their caregivers at the center of every decision, strategy, and interaction.

• Empathy & Compassion: Demonstrating genuine understanding and care for the emotions and perspectives of colleagues, patients, and partners to foster trust and psychological safety.

• Compliance & Ethics: Upholding the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and regulatory compliance in all professional activities and decision-making.

• Data Insights & Evidence Generation: The ability to design, interpret, and communicate real-world evidence and clinical data to support medical strategies and inform healthcare decisions.

• Advocacy & Influence: Championing important causes - for patients, science, or the organization - and persuading stakeholders through credible, evidence-based communication.

Travel:

• Approximately 30-40% travel, including domestic and international travel to attend congresses, advisory boards, educational events, and internal leadership forums