PhD Student - Powder Characterisation and Processability

Novo Nordisk A/S; Måløv; On-site; DKK 408,000 - 488,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk A/S in Måløv invites applications for a three-year Industrial PhD in Powder Characterisation and Processability.

You will work across Novo Nordisk laboratories and the University of Copenhagen to design experiments, develop analytical methods and translate results into actionable insights for solid dosage forms.

Qualifications

• A master's degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry or related areas.
• Fluency in English, with excellent communication skills and teamwork abilities.
• Availability to commence the PhD study on 1 December 2026.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• A well-organised and proactive mindset, and the readiness to take accountability for the PhD project.

Responsibilities

• Design, plan and carry out experiments investigating powder properties, powder behaviour and processability characteristics relevant to pharmaceutical development.
• Apply and develop analytical methods to characterise powders, tablets and other solid dosage forms.
• Analyse and interpret your results, and translate findings into clear conclusions and recommendations.
• Document your work and share your findings through reports, presentations and scientific publications.
• Collaborate across Novo Nordisk laboratories and University of Copenhagen facilities to advance the project.
• Contribute to the team's shared knowledge of powder characterisation and processability.

Skills

Strong analytical and problem-solving

English fluency with communication and

Organised and proactive mindset

Education

Master's degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry or related areas

Job description

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PhD Student - Powder Characterisation and Processability

Category: Education

Location: Måløv, Capital Region of Denmark, DK

Department

CMC Development, Global Manufacturing & Supply

Your impact begins here

Curiosity drives everything we make. As a PhD Student in Powder Characterisation and Processability, you will spend three years exploring how powder properties and behaviour shape the development of tablets and other solid dosage forms. Working across Novo Nordisk laboratories and the University of Copenhagen, you will design experiments, develop analytical methods and turn results into insight — strengthening how future medicines are made for people living with chronic diseases.

What you'll bring

To succeed in this role, you have:

• A master's degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry or related areas.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• A well-organised and proactive mindset, and the readiness to take accountability for the PhD project.
• Fluency in English, with excellent communication skills and teamwork abilities.
• An interest and passion for working on cross-disciplinary science in the pharmaceutical area.
• Availability to commence the PhD study on 1 December 2026.

Useful, but not essential:

• Knowledge of particle engineering, such as milling or spray drying.
• Knowledge of surface energy and experience with inverse gas chromatography (iGC).
• Laboratory experience using various solid-state analytical techniques, such as laser diffraction, BET, DSC, DVS, XRPD, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy.
• Hands-on experience with powder processability characterisation, such as wetting, flow and tableability.
• Experience with statistical approaches in data analysis.

What you'll do

As a PhD Student, you will drive a focused research project while contributing to the wider work of the team. You will:

• Design, plan and carry out experiments investigating powder properties, powder behaviour and processability characteristics relevant to pharmaceutical development.
• Apply and develop analytical methods to characterise powders, tablets and other solid dosage forms.
• Analyse and interpret your results, and translate findings into clear conclusions and recommendations.
• Document your work and share your findings through reports, presentations and scientific publications.
• Collaborate across Novo Nordisk laboratories and University of Copenhagen facilities to advance the project.
• Contribute to the team's shared knowledge of powder characterisation and processability.

Who you'll work with

You will join the Preformulation and Characterisation team within CMC Development, a group of around ten lab technicians, scientists and specialists focused on powder characterisation, powder processability, solid dosage forms and the analytical characterisation of solids.

This is a three-year Industrial PhD conducted in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, so you will move between Novo Nordisk laboratories, university facilities and joint industrial-academic research environments. You will be guided by academic supervisors and scientific specialists at Novo who together support the project.

In Global Manufacturing & Supply, colleagues work across the value chain to scale molecules, processes and products for the people who need them. Your research sits at the heart of that effort, connecting scientific curiosity with real manufacturing questions.

What you can expect here

You will grow as a researcher in an environment that pairs more than a century of scientific leadership with academic collaboration. You will be trusted to lead your own project, make your voice heard and build deep expertise in analytical and solid-state sciences, supported by experienced scientists and university supervisors.

You will develop new skills through hands-on laboratory work, cross-organisational collaboration and access to advanced characterisation methods, while contributing to work that matters for how medicines are made.

Salary: For this role, the Monthly Base Salary is 40.145,48 DKK.

Incentives and Benefits: The salary package may include short‑term and/or long‑term incentives as well as other employee benefits based on position level, location, functional area and relevant market benchmarks.

Learn more about our Reward Philosophy here .

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