Novo Nordisk

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Are you a strategic leader ready to drive patient advocacy initiatives that advance care and access to innovative medicines for people living with chronic diseases? If you're passionate about empowering patients and ready for a new leadership challenge, we want to hear from you.

The position

As Director Patient Advocacy, you will be responsible for leading a team of patient advocacy specialists who foster partnerships to advance care and access to innovative medicines for people living with chronic diseases.

This position is a temporary contract - maternity cover for 8 months

Key responsibilities:

Strategic leadership:

• Develop, refine and lead the implementation of Novo Nordisk’s global patient advocacy objectives
• Analyse and anticipate trends and challenges in the patient advocacy landscape
• Partner with the Patient Experience and Advocacy Leadership Team to ensure patient centricity is embedded in business strategies, R&D priorities and commercial plans

Advocacy Partnership development:

• Build, maintain and deepen collaborative and transparent relationships with key patient organisations and patient advocates across relevant therapeutic areas
• Define and develop advocacy partnerships which deliver care pathway improvements to advance care and improve access to innovative medicines
• Represent the company in relevant international form where engagement with patient advocacy groups is critical

Team and budget management:

• Lead a newly formed patient advocacy team, fostering a culture of innovation, diversity and inclusion
• Provide guidance and support to colleagues working in strategic markets around the world
• Manages budgets, annual finance processes and ensures adherence to compliance processes and ethical standards

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in public affairs, patient advocacy or medical affairs within the pharmaceutical, biotech or healthcare industry, in-house or through consultancies
• Strong leadership and team-building skills, with a track record of motivating and developing high-performing teams
• Demonstrated experience in building and sustaining robust relationships with patient advocacy groups across diverse therapeutic areas and geographies.
• Deep understanding of the drug development process, commercialization, and healthcare access landscape
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), and presentation skills, with the ability to engage and influence diverse stakeholders at all levels
• Proven strategic thinking capabilities, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable plans
• High degree of empathy, integrity, and patient-centricity.
• Excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong understanding of compliance requirements and ethical guidelines governing pharmaceutical-patient group interactions.
• Ability to work effectively in a complex, fast-paced global matrix environment
• Fluency in English required; additional language skills are a plus

About the department

The Patient Experience and Advocacy department is a newly formed team within Global Medical Affairs, which oversees Novo Nordisk’s commitment to patient centricity, overseeing external advocacy and embedding patient strategies across the entire value chain, from early research to market. The department’s remit includes Clinical Outcome Assessments (COAs) to support regulatory claims, patient preference studies, and engagement with regulatory bodies, as well as strategic partnerships with patient communities to co-create solutions that deliver health system impact, champion patient-generated evidence, and ensure ethical, outcome-focused engagement throughout the healthcare journey.

Working at Novo Nordisk

Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. To do this, we approach our work with an unconventional spirit, a rare determination and a constant curiosity. For over 100 years this unordinary mindset has seen us build a company unlike any other. One where a collective passion for our purpose, mutual respect and a willingness to go beyond what we know delivers extraordinary results.

Contact

Please contact Maddy Farnworth, Director Diabetes Policy via mdfw@novonordisk.com

Deadline for application

10 November 2025

You do not need to attach a cover letter to your application, but please include a few sentences about why you are applying in your resume or CV.

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

At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.