Scientific Director, Cardiovascular Disease

Novo Nordisk; Måløv; On-site; DKK 941,000 - 1,449,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk is seeking a Scientific Director, Cardiovascular Disease, to shape the scientific strategy and early pipeline in cardiovascular and cardiometabolic biology. You will lead cross‑functional initiatives, influence portfolio decisions and translate emerging science into strategic recommendations for future therapies, working across Early Discovery, Translational Science and Medical teams.

You will collaborate with senior leadership to align disease biology with portfolio priorities,

Qualifications

• Deep scientific credibility and strategic judgement with business acumen.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders across a complex global organisation.
• Track record of shaping scientific strategy and portfolio decisions under uncertainty.
• Experience leading cross‑functional projects with research, development and business stakeholders.
• Ability to evaluate external innovation opportunities and translate into strategic recommendations.
• Excellent communication and leadership to align diverse groups at senior levels.

Responsibilities

• Shape and refine CVD scientific strategy and align with unmet medical need and competitive landscape.
• Contribute to early‑pipeline portfolio strategy and advancement of targets and projects.
• Lead strategic projects and cross‑functional initiatives with clear, executable plans.
• Support business development by evaluating academic, biotech and asset opportunities.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication excellence

External innovation evaluation

Project leadership

Portfolio influence

Education

PhD or MD in cardiovascular/cardiometabolic biology

Job description

Your impact begins here

As Scientific Director, Cardiovascular Disease, you will help shape the scientific strategy and early pipeline across cardiovascular disease. Working in a highly matrixed organisation, you will operate at the interface of Early Discovery, Translational Science and Medical, bringing together expertise across functions to inform portfolio priorities and project decisions. You will lead selected cross‑functional initiatives and contribute to the evaluation of external innovation and business development opportunities. By translating emerging science into clear recommendations and longer‑term therapeutic area priorities, you will help advance potential new treatments for people living with cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases.

Your impact begins here

As Scientific Director, Cardiovascular Disease, you will help shape the scientific strategy and early pipeline across cardiovascular disease. Working in a highly matrixed organisation, you will operate at the interface of Early Discovery, Translational Science and Medical, bringing together expertise across functions to inform portfolio priorities and project decisions. You will lead selected cross‑functional initiatives and contribute to the evaluation of external innovation and business development opportunities. By translating emerging science into clear recommendations and longer‑term therapeutic area priorities, you will help advance potential new treatments for people living with cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases.

What You’ll Bring

You bring deep scientific credibility, strategic judgement, strong business acumen and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across a complex global organisation. We expect you to have:

• A PhD, MD or equivalent scientific background within cardiovascular or cardiometabolic biology, combined with substantial experience from drug discovery, early development, portfolio strategy or related R&D roles.
• A strong understanding of cardiovascular disease biology and the pharmaceutical value chain, with the ability to connect scientific rationale to project, portfolio and business decisions.
• A demonstrated track record of shaping scientific strategy, influencing portfolio decisions and making clear recommendations under conditions of scientific uncertainty.
• Experience leading cross‑functional projects, strategic initiatives or early pipeline activities in collaboration with research, development, commercial, portfolio and business development stakeholders.
• The ability to evaluate external innovation opportunities, including academic science, biotech assets and emerging modalities, and translate assessments into strategic recommendations.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management and leadership skills, with the ability to align diverse groups and represent CVD strategy at senior levels.

Useful, But Not Essential

• Experience in translational science would be an advantage.

What You’ll Do

You will provide senior scientific and strategic leadership across cardiovascular disease, with a particular focus on early pipeline strategy, portfolio prioritisation and external innovation. You will:

• Shape and continuously refine CVD scientific strategy, aligning disease biology and unmet medical need with the competitive landscape and longer‑term therapeutic area priorities. Translate the broader corporate strategy into clear and actionable research priorities.
• Contribute to early‑pipeline portfolio strategy, including the assessment, prioritisation and advancement of new targets, concepts and project opportunities across cardiovascular and cardiometabolic disease.
• Lead selected strategic projects and cross‑functional initiatives, translating complex scientific and portfolio questions into clear recommendations and executable plans.
• Support business development and external innovation activities by evaluating academic, biotech and asset opportunities, and assessing scientific rationale, strategic fit and potential portfolio impact.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on CVD strategy, portfolio choices, project direction, external opportunities and emerging scientific trends.

Who You’ll Work With

You will join the Obesity Comorbidities team within the Obesity and Cardiometabolic Research Therapeutic Area in Research & Development. The team is advancing the next wave of treatments and addressing important unmet needs for patients. You will work at the interface between early discovery, translational science and drug development, as part of a team driven by scientific excellence, collaboration and innovation.

Your closest partners will be senior stakeholders across Research & Development, portfolio functions and business development. In a multicultural environment, you will also collaborate with scientists, specialists, laboratory technicians and project leaders across the global R&D organisation – bringing different expertise together to turn emerging science into clear decisions.

In Research & Development, colleagues explore bold scientific ideas and advance them into clinical testing. Curiosity, AI tools and human data come together with collaboration and operational excellence to shape and deliver an innovative pipeline that meets future patient needs.

What You Can Expect Here

As part of a global healthcare company, you will find opportunities to learn and develop all around you. You will work with leading scientists and senior decision-makers, and your expertise will help shape strategy, portfolio choices and project direction in cardiovascular disease. Our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind.

Salary: For this role, the Annual Base Salary ranges from 940,800.00 to 1,448,700.00 DKK, corresponding to the level of the position.

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.

For further information about the position, please contact Anna Uryga at [e-mail].

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