Senior Cell Bank Scientist, CMC Drug Development

Novo Nordisk; Gladsaxe Kommune, Hillerød; Remote; DKK 651,000 - 957,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk A/S in Bagsværd, Denmark, seeks a Senior Cell Bank Scientist to join the CMC Drug Development team. You will combine microbial science with GMP manufacturing and project leadership to support development of future medicines.

Collaboration across QA, QC, project teams and external partners will be a daily part of the job. Your main duties include planning and supporting GMP manufacture of Master and Working Cell Banks, owning cell bank projects from initial clone through release, and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry or related field.
• Solid pharma background with strong GMP understanding.
• Hands-on microbial cultivation skills and knowledge of molecular, cellular biology and analytical science.
• Ability to navigate a complex organisation and work across functions.
• Quality mindset with analytical, pragmatic problem-solving approach.
• Interest in digitalisation; experience with AI is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Plan and support GMP manufacture of Master Cell Banks (MCBs) and Working Cell Banks (WCBs).
• Own cell bank projects from initial clone through production, characterisation, release and lifecycle.
• Prepare and maintain specifications and GMP documentation.
• Coordinate across QA, QC, project teams and other stakeholders; drive issue resolution and deviations.
• Support regulatory activities, audits, and responses to Health Authority questions.
• Drive continuous improvements to cell bank processes and digitisation.

Skills

GMP knowledge

Microbial cultivation

Molecular biology

Cellular biology

Analytical science

Cross-functional collaboration

AI interest

Education

Master's degree in biotechnology/microbiology/biochemistry

Job description

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Senior Cell Bank Scientist, CMC Drug Development

Category: Research

Location: Bagsværd, Capital Region of Denmark, DK

Your impact begins here

Ready to bring together microbial science, GMP manufacturing and project responsibility in a senior role where your work directly supports the development of future medicines? Join our Microbial Cell Bank team, where every drug substance begins - we manufacture and maintain the cell banks that are the starting point for drug substance production all over the world. Working cross-functionally across projects, you will combine your scientific expertise with GMP responsibility and help drive continuous improvement of our Cell Bank operation. Ready to take the lead where every medicine begins?

What you’ll do

As a Senior Scientist in the Microbial Cell Bank, you will take a leading professional role in activities related to the production and lifecycle management of our cell banks. You will take ownership of complex tasks and projects, working closely with scientists, laboratory technicians, QA, QC and project teams. With your experience, you will help navigate cross-functional processes, identify solutions and contribute to developing both our processes and ways of working. Depending on your experience and interests, the role provides an opportunity to build deeper expertise and potentially develop towards a specialist position.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Planning and supporting GMP manufacture of microbial Master Cell Banks (MCBs) and Working Cell Banks (WCBs).
• Taking project responsibility for cell bank projects from incoming Initial Cell Clone (ICC) through production, characterisation, release and lifecycle activities.
• Preparing and maintaining specifications, production documentation and other GMP documentation.
• Coordinating activities and solving issues across QA, QC, project teams and other key stakeholders.
• Handling deviations and change requests and driving systematic problem solving.
• Supporting regulatory activities, audits, inspections and responses to Health Authority questions.
• Driving continuous improvements to cell bank processes and ways of working.
• Contributing to the continued digitalisation of our Cell Bank operation and exploring how new technologies, including AI, can support smarter and more efficient ways of working.

What you’ll bring

To succeed in this role, we imagine that you hold a relevant master’s degree within biotechnology, microbiology, biochemistry or a related scientific field. You also have:

• a solid background from the pharmaceutical industry and a strong understanding of GMP.
• hands‑on skills in microbial cultivation and knowledge of microbiology, molecular biology, cellular biology and analytical science.
• a proven ability to navigate a complex organisation and work across functions.
• a strong quality mindset combined with an analytical and pragmatic approach to problem solving.
• an interest in digitalisation and new technology. Experience with AI is an advantage, but curiosity and motivation to explore how AI can improve our work are equally important.

On a personal level, you are collaborative, curious and motivated by taking professional and independent ownership of activities and projects involving multiple stakeholders. You enjoy sharing your knowledge and contributing to the development of others while continuously strengthening your own expertise. You communicate effectively across functions and organisational levels and are comfortable challenging existing ways of working when you see opportunities to improve.

Who you’ll work with

CMC Development turns promising molecules into approved products in close collaboration with colleagues across Research & Development and Global Manufacturing & Supply.

Cell Banks are at the starting point of drug substance production and play an important role in bringing new medicines through CMC Drug Development. We are a team of approximately 16 scientists and laboratory technicians working with microbial cell banks in Bagsværd and mammalian cell banks in Hillerød, with an ambition to collaborate closely and share knowledge across the two locations.

We have a strong focus on quality, collaboration and delivering for our projects. At the same time, we are ambitious about developing the Cell Bank area and continuously improving our processes, facilities and digital ways of working. We value an open and collaborative environment where we help each other, share knowledge and believe that having fun at work is an important part of being a strong team.

What you can expect here

You will work in an international environment where your expertise is valued, and your contribution can shape decisions across markets. You will be supported to perform at your best and trusted to take ownership. You will be encouraged to make your voice heard, learn from colleagues and contribute to work that helps create progress for people living with serious chronic diseases . We foster a collaborative culture where we care for one another, value initiative, and empower you to drive projects forward while growing professionally.

What we offer

Salary: The annual base salary for this role ranges from DKK 651,000 to DKK 956 , 900 , depending on the level of the position. Placement within the 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 and other employee benefits based on position level, location, functional area, and relevant market benchmarks. Learn more about our Reward Philosophy here .

If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Associate Director Jesper Roland Jørgensen at [phone].

While not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to submit a cover letter explaining why you are the ideal candidate to join us in the Cell Bank team. Please do not include a photo in your CV, as this supports a fair and efficient recruitment process.

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