Position Overview
The People Business Partner (PBP) for Manufacturing & Supply (M&S) Greater China serves as a strategic P&C leader and trusted advisor to the M&S leadership team across Greater China. This role is pivotal in driving Sanofi's landmark InsuLINK investment — the company's largest-ever single investment in China — while orchestrating the people agenda across 3 mature manufacturing sites (Suzhou, Hangzhou, Beijing) and 1 greenfield IFB site (Beijing), as well as Greater China Supply Chain and Quality functions.
Reporting to the Global Head of People, Manufacturing & Supply, this role operates in a complex matrixed environment, partnering with China P&C, site heads, Global SCM, and Global Quality to deliver transformational people outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Business Partnership
- Serve as the primary P&C strategic advisor to M&S Greater China leadership (L4+), translating business strategy into actionable people plans
- Partner with Global M&S PBP Head and China P&C leadership to align people strategies with M&S modernization and "China for Global" manufacturing transformation
- Provide expert P&C counsel on complex, multi-site organizational challenges spanning distinct lifecycle stages (mature operations + greenfield)
- Contribute market intelligence and local business insights to global P&C CoE program design
2. Organizational Design & Transformation
- Lead organizational design and right-sizing initiatives across all M&S Greater China sites in alignment with TOM evolution
- Drive change management for M&S modernization programs, including manufacturing digitalization and IFB scale-up
- Shape and execute P&C plans for major business transformations (e.g., InsuLINK greenfield launch, supply chain restructuring)
- Anticipate future capability needs and provide expert consultation on optimal organizational structures
3. Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning
- Develop and execute strategic workforce planning across M&S Greater China, covering IFB scale-up and manufacturing digitalization talent requirements
- Build and maintain talent pipelines for critical M&S roles, partnering with Talent Acquisition for proactive talent mapping
- Drive talent density initiatives: identify gaps, activate internal mobility, optimize succession plans for critical positions (L4+)
- Collaborate with Talent & Learning CoE to design capability-building programs aligned with M&S transformation needs
- Advise senior leaders on build/buy/borrow talent strategies
4. Leadership Coaching & Development
- Coach and develop M&S site heads and functional leaders on leadership effectiveness, Sanofi behaviors, and culture
- Facilitate high-impact people decisions with data-driven insights and strategic recommendations
- Support leadership team development across multi-site, multi-cultural manufacturing environment
- Lead and develop a team of 4 direct reports, ensuring consistent P&C delivery across all sites
5. Performance & Rewards Management
- Guide M&S leaders through performance management cycles, calibration processes, and incentivization frameworks
- Partner with Rewards & Performance CoE to ensure competitive and equitable compensation structures across manufacturing sites
- Drive performance culture aligned with Sanofi's Play to Win strategy
6. Compliance & Employee Relations
- Ensure full compliance with China regulatory requirements (NMPA) and international standards (FDA, EMA, PMDA, TGA) from a people and labor perspective
- Navigate complex employee relations matters across multi-site manufacturing operations
- Ensure all P&C practices align with China labor law and Sanofi global standards
- Manage labor relations and social compliance across Greater China M&S sites
Required Qualifications
Experience
- 15+ years of progressive HR/P&C experience
- 8+ years as Senior PBP or HR Director in pharma, biologics, or high-end manufacturing environments
- 5+ years managing P&C teams with proven leadership capability
- Demonstrated track record of strategic partnership with country/site leadership (L4+) and global functional leaders (Quality, Operations, Supply Chain)
- Proven experience in transformation and change management in complex, matrixed organizations
- Deep understanding of China regulatory environment and manufacturing strategy
Skills & Competencies
- Strategic Thinking (Advanced): Designs scalable, systemic solutions; builds strategic talent pipelines and ecosystem partnerships
- Business Partnership (Advanced): Trusted advisor to senior leaders; translates business needs into P&C strategies
- Workforce Planning (Advanced): Orchestrates talent development across complex, multi-site operations
- Organizational Design (Advanced): Shapes operating models for transformation and growth
- Change Management (Advanced): Leads people through complex organizational transitions
- Data & Insights (Experienced): Leverages people analytics for strategic decision-making
- Cross-Cultural Management (Advanced): Navigates global matrix with local execution capability
- Stakeholder Management (Advanced): Manages complex stakeholder landscape across global and local functions
Education
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field preferred
Language
- Bilingual: Mandarin and English (both written and spoken) required
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct manufacturing site HR experience (greenfield launch, product lifecycle, or major capital investment)
- Experience with global supply chain or "China for Global" manufacturing models
- International assignment or global mobility experience
- Exposure to biologics or insulin manufacturing environments
- Experience navigating multi-regulatory environments (FDA, EMA, NMPA concurrently)
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.
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