Portfolio Strategy Director

Novo Nordisk A/S; Søborg; On-site; DKK 1,035,000 - 1,594,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk A/S in Denmark is seeking a Global Portfolio Strategy Director to lead a high‑performing team focused on maximizing the value and impact of its portfolio. You will define strategy, address dilemmas, and enable enterprise‑wide decision‑making with robust analysis and clear recommendations.

The role partners with R&D, Commercial and global functions to align decisions, drive opportunities, and translate complex challenges into actionable guidance for senior leadership.

Qualifications

• A relevant university degree in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Public Health, or a related discipline, combined with experience in strategy development, consulting, or project leadership.
• At least 5 years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry, ideally within Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, or related therapeutic areas.
• At least 5 years of experience within a commercial organisation, including close collaboration with Research and Development functions.
• Demonstrated leadership experience through direct people management and/or leading large cross-functional stakeholder groups.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills, including experience presenting recommendations to senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team responsible for portfolio strategy and portfolio management activities.
• Establish and implement portfolio management frameworks, methodologies, and governance processes.
• Drive cross-functional assessments of strategic portfolio opportunities, risks, and dilemmas.
• Partner closely with Research, Development, Commercial and other global functions to ensure alignment and informed decision-making.
• Translate complex portfolio challenges into clear recommendations for senior leadership.

Skills

Strategy development

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

English fluency

Education

Business Administration degree

Economics degree

Marketing degree

Job description

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Are you energised by solving complex portfolio challenges and shaping strategic decisions that have global impact? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where commercial, research, and development priorities intersect? If so, this could be your opportunity to lead the Portfolio Strategy team and help define the future direction of Novo Nordisk’s portfolio.

Your New Role

As Global Portfolio Strategy Director, you will lead a high-performing team focused on maximising the value and impact of Novo Nordisk’s portfolio. You will play a critical role in defining portfolio strategy, addressing strategic dilemmas, and enabling enterprise-wide decision-making through robust analysis and recommendations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and develop a team responsible for portfolio strategy and portfolio management activities.
• Establish and implement portfolio management frameworks, methodologies, and governance processes.
• Drive cross-functional assessments of strategic portfolio opportunities, risks, and dilemmas.
• Partner closely with Research, Development, Commercial and other global functions to ensure alignment and informed decision-making.
• Translate complex portfolio challenges into clear recommendations for senior leadership.

In this highly visible role, you will engage with senior stakeholders across the organisation and influence decisions that shape the future of Novo Nordisk’s innovation pipeline and commercial success. You will report directly to the Associate Vice President, Portfolio Strategy, Forecasting and Valuations.

Your New Department

You will join Portfolio Strategy, Forecasting and Valuations, a strategically important area responsible for helping Novo Nordisk optimise the value, reach, and long-term impact of its portfolio.

The team brings together enterprise-wide perspectives to evaluate opportunities, quantify strategic options, and support business-critical decisions. Through close collaboration with colleagues across research, development, forecasting, valuations, and commercial functions, the department helps ensure that decisions made today create sustainable value for patients, society, and Novo Nordisk in the future.

Our culture is built on objectivity, transparency, collaboration, and a shared ambition to create meaningful impact through strategic thinking and data-driven insights.

Your Skills and Qualifications

We are looking for an experienced strategy leader with strong business acumen and a proven ability to influence across a complex global organisation.

To succeed in this role, you should have:

• A relevant university degree in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Public Health, or a related discipline, combined with experience in strategy development, consulting, or project leadership.
• At least 5 years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry, ideally within Diabetes, Obesity, Cardiovascular Disease, or related therapeutic areas.
• At least 5 years of experience within a commercial organisation, including close collaboration with Research and Development functions.
• Demonstrated leadership experience through direct people management and/or leading large cross-functional stakeholder groups.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills, including experience presenting recommendations to senior leaders.

In addition, you are a strategic thinker who can simplify complexity, build strong relationships, challenge assumptions constructively, and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders. Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.

Working at Novo Nordisk

Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. To do this, we approach our work with determination, constant curiosity and a commitment to finding better ways forward. For over 100 years, this dedication has driven us to build a company focused on lasting change for long-term health. One where diverse thinking, shared purpose and mutual respect come together to create extraordinary results. When you join us, you're not just starting a job – you're becoming part of a story that spans generations.

What We Offer

There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary results we produce. Being part of a global healthcare company means opportunities to learn and develop are all around us, while our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind.

Salary:

For this role, the Annual Base Salary ranges from 1.034.800 to 1.593.600 DK, corresponding to the level of the position. The placement within the salary range will be assessed during the recruitment process based on the candidate’s skills, competencies, knowledge, and relevant experience.

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 .

Deadline

Please apply before 21 September 2026 (Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.)

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 preventing 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.