Senior Validation Engineer

Novo Nordisk; Gladsaxe Kommune; On-site; DKK 651,000 - 957,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk seeks a Senior Validation Engineer to ensure AI and data science workflows in clinical studies perform as intended and are proven with evidence.

You will design and run manual and automated tests, investigate defects, and build a test automation framework behind them, protecting data integrity and patient safety for clinical teams.

Qualifications

• Degree in computer science, data science, engineering or related discipline or equivalent experience.
• Experience in manual and automated testing, test design, debugging and defect investigation.
• Familiarity with Git, code review, CI/CD, reusable test components and data analysis workflows.
• Strong IT understanding including APIs, architectures, and data-processing workflows; Azure and Databricks experience.
• Understanding of risk-based validation and data integrity; ability to justify test evidence.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute and document manual tests and automated tests in Python or similar.
• Evaluate system architecture, integrations, cybersecurity and data integrity; create validation docs.
• Build and integrate a test automation framework into CI/CD workflows; maintain version control.
• Assess open-source packages for use; document actions and recommended alternatives.
• Test workflows with omics, imaging, and digital-device data; ensure reproducibility and audit trails.
• Collaborate with AI specialists to evaluate models against context of use and acceptance criteria.

Skills

Manual testing

Automated testing

Test design

Defect investigation

Documentation

Risk-based validation

Analytical thinking

Proactive approach

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science, data science, engineering or related discipline

Tools

Python

Git

CI/CD

Databricks

Azure

Job description

Your impact begins here

As Senior Validation Engineer, you will make sure the AI and data science workflows used in clinical studies do what they are meant to do, and can prove it. You will design and run manual and automated tests, investigate defects and build the test automation framework behind them. Your evidence protects data integrity and patient safety, and gives clinical teams results they can rely on.

Department: AI Governance

Location: Søborg or Aalborg

Your impact begins here

As Senior Validation Engineer, you will make sure the AI and data science workflows used in clinical studies do what they are meant to do, and can prove it. You will design and run manual and automated tests, investigate defects and build the test automation framework behind them. Your evidence protects data integrity and patient safety, and gives clinical teams results they can rely on.

What You’ll Bring

• A degree in computer science, data science, engineering, mathematics or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Practical experience in manual and automated testing (Python or similar), test design, debugging and defect investigation.
• Experience with Git, code review, CI/CD, reusable test automation components and reproducible data analysis.
• Strong IT understanding, including software architecture, APIs, integrations, execution environments and data-processing workflows, with experience in Microsoft Azure and Databricks.
• An understanding of risk-based validation and data integrity, and the ability to judge whether test evidence supports a system’s intended use.
• A proactive, investigative approach and clear written documentation of technical findings.
• Motivation to build expertise in GCP-regulated clinical data science, AI evaluation and emerging data modalities.
  

Useful, But Not Essential

• Experience with R, and numerical or statistical testing.
• Experience with open-source security and licensing assessments.
• Experience with AI evaluation.
  

What You’ll Do

You will combine hands‑on validation engineering with risk‑based assessment of open‑source components, working under the Novo Quality Management System (QMS) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). Your main areas of work:

• Design, execute and document manual tests (for example via the user interface) and automated tests in Python or similar, producing reproducible evidence that workflows and supporting IT/AI systems perform as intended.
• Evaluate system architecture, integrations, cyber security and data integrity, and develop technical and validation documentation, from design specifications and IT risk assessments to user requirements and validation plans, so deliverables stay audit ready.
• Build the team’s test automation framework with reusable tests, fixtures, test-data generators, output checks and reporting components, and integrate them into CI/CD workflows to catch failures early. Keep test code under version control and peer review.
• Assess open-source packages for intended use, considering purpose, complexity, origin, maintenance and community exposure. Screen components and dependencies for security, licensing and known defects, document required actions and recommend alternatives where needed.
• Test workflows involving omics, imaging and digital-device data, covering input and output integrity, transformations, annotations, audit trails and reproducibility.
• Work with AI specialists to evaluate models against the agreed context of use, reference datasets, metrics and acceptance criteria, including bias, robustness and human‑interaction scenarios. Separate software defects from model limitations or variability, and document the evidence under applicable AI governance.
  

Who You’ll Work With

You will join a validation team within AI & Digital Innovation, part of Research & Development.

Day to day, you will partner with data scientists, AI specialists, software developers, IT solution owners and platform teams. You will also work with data and AI governance colleagues and external partners. Close collaboration helps you agree acceptance criteria early, raise issues quickly and move from finding a defect to getting it fixed.

The role involves occasional business travel, typically 4–5 times per year, with trips lasting approximately 3–5 days. These visits will primarily support participation in conferences, knowledge‑sharing events, and in‑person collaboration with local and cross‑functional team members. The travel is intended to strengthen team alignment, foster collaboration across sites, and support professional development through engagement with the broader scientific, AI, and validation communities.

What You Can Expect Here

You will work on validation for clinical data science and AI, an area where expectations for evidence are rising and where you can build deep expertise in GCP‑regulated work, AI evaluation and emerging data modalities. You will grow through hands‑on practice and by learning alongside colleagues from science, development, validation and quality.

You will be trusted to take ownership, make your voice heard and shape how the team tests and automates. You will be supported to perform at your best, with clear expectations for the quality of your work.

What We Offer

At Novo Nordisk, you’ll join a global healthcare company with a unique culture and strong results. We offer continuous learning, career development, and benefits tailored to your life and career stage.

Salary

For this role, the Annual Base Salary ranges from 651,000.00 DKK to 956,900.00 DKK, 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: https://www.novonordisk.com/careers/working-at-novo-nordisk/total-rewards-benefits.html

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