Brand Lead

Novo Nordisk; Crawley Down; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk UK is seeking a Brand Lead to shape strategy for designated brands in the UK, translating insights into plans that grow market share and revenue. You will lead a cross-functional team, direct the field force, ensure compliant campaigns, and collaborate with NHS professionals to support people with chronic diseases.

The role requires ABPI certification, UK market experience, and strong leadership, budgeting, and communication skills.

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent in Life Science, Marketing or Business, plus ABPI certification.
• Proven success in pharmaceutical product management or marketing of prescription-only medicines.
• Current experience of UK primary and/or secondary care markets.
• Hands-on experience of campaign planning, development and execution, roadmap planning and market research techniques.
• Financial management skills, including budgets, business cases and return on investment analysis.
• Strong influencing and matrix leadership skills, with the confidence to engage senior stakeholders, including the UK Leadership Team and regional and global leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, and strong project management and prioritisation skills.
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office and systems such as SAP, eProcure, ETMS and Veeva PromoMats.
• Fluent written and spoken English, and a valid passport and UK driving licence for regular travel within the UK, Europe and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Build the 3-year strategic plan and annual brand plan from market and customer insight, defining positioning, segmentation, targeting, messaging, budget and KPIs, and contributing to forecasting.
• Deliver the plan on budget, tracking performance and return on investment and reporting to senior leadership.
• Develop or localise campaigns across field, multichannel, advertising and PR channels, alongside non-promotional activity such as medical education, patient support materials and disease awareness.
• Brief and train the field force, including new sales colleagues, and adjust direction quickly when the market shifts.
• Stay close to customers through field visits, congresses and market research.
• Make sure every material and briefing meets the ABPI Code of Practice, GDPR, local regulations and Novo Nordisk SOPs – including not promoting products on the Northern Ireland MHRA Authorised Route (NIMAR) list in Northern Ireland.

Skills

Pharma product management

UK healthcare market experience

Campaign planning & execution

Budgeting & ROI analysis

Stakeholder leadership

Communication skills

Project management & prioritisation

Office / SAP / eProcure / ETMS / Veeva

Education

Degree in Life Science/Marketing/Business

ABPI certification

Tools

Microsoft Office

SAP

eProcure

ETMS

Veeva PromoMats

Job description

Brand Lead

Job Title: Brand Lead

Department: NHS Marketing, Novo Nordisk UK, International Operations

Location: United Kingdom.

Your impact begins here

As Brand Lead, you will shape and deliver the strategy for your designated brands in the UK, turning market and customer insight into plans that grow market share and revenue. You will lead a cross-functional brand team, give the field force clear direction and make sure every campaign is compliant and well executed. Your work will help healthcare professionals across the NHS get the information they need to support people living with serious chronic diseases.

What you’ll bring

• A degree or equivalent in Life Science, Marketing or Business, plus ABPI certification.


• Proven success in pharmaceutical product management or marketing of prescription-only medicines.


• Current experience of UK primary and/or secondary care markets.


• Hands-on experience of campaign planning, development and execution, roadmap planning and market research techniques.


• Financial management skills, including budgets, business cases and return on investment analysis.


• Strong influencing and matrix leadership skills, with the confidence to engage senior stakeholders, including the UK Leadership Team and regional and global leaders.


• Excellent written and verbal communication, and strong project management and prioritisation skills.


• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office and systems such as SAP, eProcure, ETMS and Veeva PromoMats.


• Fluent written and spoken English, and a valid passport and UK driving licence for regular travel within the UK, Europe and internationally.

Useful, but not essential:

• Knowledge of the relevant therapy area and competitors, and an appreciation of NHS structures and strategic direction.


• Experience as, or readiness to train as, a commercial signatory and AQP final form checker.

What you’ll do

As Brand Champion for your designated brands, you will be the go-to expert on clinical data, market dynamics, positioning, source of business and key messages. You will:

• Build the 3-year strategic plan and annual brand plan from market and customer insight, defining positioning, segmentation, targeting, messaging, budget and KPIs, and contributing to forecasting.


• Deliver the plan on budget, tracking performance and return on investment and reporting to senior leadership.


• Develop or localise campaigns across field, multichannel, advertising and PR channels, alongside non-promotional activity such as medical education, patient support materials and disease awareness.


• Brief and train the field force, including new sales colleagues, and adjust direction quickly when the market shifts.


• Stay close to customers through field visits, congresses and market research.


• Make sure every material and briefing meets the ABPI Code of Practice, GDPR, local regulations and Novo Nordisk SOPs – including not promoting products on the Northern Ireland MHRA Authorised Route (NIMAR) list in Northern Ireland.

Who you’ll work with

You will join the NHS Marketing team at Novo Nordisk UK, part of International Operations, and report to [insert hiring manager name and title].

Around 80% of your work is internal. You will chair the cross-functional brand core team, including insulin brand team meetings, creating clear ownership for delivering the plan. Your closest partners are the field teams, Commercial Excellence for insight and competitive intelligence, Product Supply and Regulatory to keep medicines available, and Communications. You will also manage agencies and vendors.

Beyond the UK, you will work with Regional and Global colleagues and attend above-country meetings, raising the profile of UK performance. Externally, you will engage healthcare professionals and stakeholders across the NHS.

What you can expect here

You will own the brand and be trusted to make the decisions that move it forward. Your voice shapes the strategy – and once the team decides, you lead delivery at pace.

You will build skills across strategy, finance, insight, compliance and leadership, grow through Code Club and signatory training, and present your strategy at internal conferences and workshops.

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