Scientific Director, Biology Integration

About the Department 

Our Research & Development organization brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown, Cambridge and Seattle reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources, and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

 

The Position

Diabetes & Obesity Therapeutic Area (DOTA) is engaged in accelerating the path of novel diabetes and obesity therapies for clinical development within Novo Nordisk. A main focus is discovery and evaluation of novel targets that can modulate cardiometabolic disease and advance the projects to deliver to the NN pipeline. The therapeutic area (TA) teams collaborate closely with the teams in R&D (Research & Development) in Novo Nordisk sites around the globe.  The TA will drive a high level of scientific innovation in the scientific and therapy area of diabetes % obesity to assure the key and most important scientific topics and areas are being pursued to support Novo Nordisk's pipeline aspirations. 

 

The Scientific Director Biology Integration actualizes Novo Nordisk's externalization agenda by driving pipeline impact from alliances, research collaborations and business development activities in Diabetes & Obesity. The position contributes to our drug pipeline by using comprehensive knowledge of early drug discovery and development, R&D's strategic priorities, and external collaborations. In addition, the Scientific or will use their expertise to determine the most impactful areas in which external collaborations can be used to develop novel insights to enhance the early project portfolio or accelerate our path to project maturation.

 

This position is an independent contributor and will initiate collaborations and establish high-impact partnerships fully independently. 

 

Relationships

Reports to the Head of Metabolic Research; will be a part of and key contributor to Metabolic Research’s leadership team.

 

Internal relationships include working with research employees, project managers, therapy area heads, as well as colleagues across DOTA. External relationships include collaborations, partnerships, and academic collaborators.

 

Essential Functions

• Take project leadership and oversight for drug programs run in external alliances or originating from external discovery efforts; integrate with internal efforts
• Integrate external resources to accelerate drug discovery; work with project leads to identify capability or bandwidth gaps and present them to internal governance
• Conduct due diligence and ensure scientific drive and value generation for ongoing and new external collaborations
• Collaborate with data science and genomics teams to realize the impact of big data and machine learning
• Drive new collaborations across Diabetes & Obesity to support the therapeutic area strategy
• Own, initiate, and drive key external collaborations and partnerships with global, cross-organizational impact
• Lead activities that set direction for innovation scouting
• Secure global, cross-organizational collaboration
• Drive change management within own area and make recommendations to influence broader change
• Collaborate across R&ED and across therapy areas at all levels in R&D
• Act as a role model with joint responsibility for target progression and pipeline support across R&D
• Drive state-of-the-art drug discovery with external partners
• Integrate and apply the newest technologies
• Integrate data science with biology
• Continuously advance scientific concepts and models toward the latest thinking
• Challenge scientific rationale, hypotheses, and interpretation of pipeline project results
• Proactively engage key external collaborators and internal stakeholders across the organization
• Work across R&D to drive collective benefit for Novo Nordisk
• Communicate clearly and structurally the rationale behind scientific strategy to research committees, peers, and key collaborators

 

Physical Requirements

0-10% overnight travel required.

 

Qualifications

• Education:
  • A PhD or MD in relevant field is required
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 12 years’ experience in early drug discovery and demonstrated experience in providing technical & strategic understanding within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry required
  • Prior direct and/or indirect people leadership experiences is preferred
  • Experience in target discovery and validation
  • Subject matter expert with a high level of creativity, innovation and inquisitiveness
  • Demonstratable experience of working in close collaboration with in vivo and in vitro teams
  • Strong project management experience, in-depth disease understanding and drug discovery skills to drive projects
  • Commercial awareness in the context of biotech/pharma drug discovery and development
  • Experience in driving innovation through the application of state-of-the-art tools
  • Ability to manage high business complexity with conflicting interests

• Personal Skills:
  • High level of personal integrity and confidentiality
  • Both a team leader and a team player with strong people skills. Deep interest and talent for interpersonal relations and communication
  • Strong process facilitation and change management skills
  • Strong negotiation skills
  • Excellent in establishing trustful relationships, and cross-cultural understanding to manage diverse stakeholders
  • Good collaboration skills. A strong team player that brings people along through a supportive, engaged, and creative way of working
  • Ability to advise across all levels of the organization and manage priorities independently
  • Role models the Novo Nordisk way, encouraging a culture of engagement and dedication
  • Flexibility, resiliency, and the ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment are required
  • Fluency in spoken and written English is a prerequisite for the role

 

The base compensation range for this position is $187,000 to $300,000. Base compensation is determined based on a number of factors. This position is also eligible for a company bonus based on individual and company performance.   Novo Nordisk offers long-term incentive compensation and or company vehicles depending on the position's level or other company factors.   Employees are also eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs including medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; disability insurance; 401(k) savings plan; flexible spending accounts; employee assistance program; tuition reimbursement program; and voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance. The Company also offers time off pursuant to its sick time policy, flex-able vacation policy, and parental leave policy.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

 

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

 

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

 

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.