Vice President, Communication and Corporate Affairs, Novo Nordisk Rare Disease

About the department

Novo Nordisk Rare Disease is a unit within the leading global healthcare company Novo Nordisk. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease.

Novo Nordisk Rare Disease has over 4000 employees across 14 sites around the world working to bring our marketed products to over 100 countries and ensuring a strong development pipeline. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the commercial unit or Rare Disease Global has over 150 dedicated and passionate employees working closely with the broader organisation. Whilst we benefit from our unique positioning as part of the Novo Nordisk stronghold, we possess the flexibility of a biotech enabling us to innovate without limits. As a unit we pride ourselves on being agile and able to strike a balance between vision and action.

The position

As the new VP of Communications & Corporate Affairs for Novo Nordisk Rare Disease, you will report to the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Rare Disease at Novo Nordisk and will play a key role in the leadership team of the area.

You will be responsible for leading a diverse, high-performing communications team of 15 employees dedicated to Novo Nordisk Rare Disease. The team is responsible for shaping and driving communication, deploying multi-stakeholders’ advocacy strategies and initiatives, engaging with internal and external partners to support Novo Nordisk Rare Disease strategic objectives. The role includes customer engagement, public affairs and sustainability, patient advocacy and internal/external communications.

Key responsibilities include:

Public Affairs and External Communications

• In coordination with Rare Disease leadership team, develop and execute strategic external affairs plans on a wide variety of advocacy, public policy and business issues of importance to Novo Nordisk Rare Disease
• Shape, embed and implement sustainability strategy for Rare Disease portfolio
• Plan, develop and execute external communication plans aligned to the Rare Disease and Novo Nordisk corporate strategies
• Oversee media, patient advocacy and public affairs strategy for Rare Disease and priority therapy areas, work in close collaboration with corporate functions and own social channels and websites for Rare Disease, with responsibility for content, maintenance and campaigns

Internal Communications and Engagement

• Ensure timely and professional internal communication concerning the Rare Disease ambition and business priorities
• Lead the provision of tools and supporting Rare Disease leadership on employee communication, internal channels, events etc. for Rare Disease
• Drive internal communication for key Rare Disease initiatives
• Collaborate with internal partners to identify synergies between corporate messages/programs that can be integrated to enhance Rare Disease story
• Ensure professional internal news flow and communication channels in Rare Disease office and across Rare Disease Nation / virtual BU

Customer engagement

• Set the strategic direction (short and long term) for Rare disease congresses and events and lead implementation with direct impact across business unit
• Ensure seamless attendee experience either offline or online

The role is based in Zurich, Switzerland. We are open to relocating international talent.

Qualifications

You are an accomplished corporate affairs leader, ideally from within a multi-national pharmaceutical or biotechnology company.

In addition, you possess:

• Over 15 years of experience in global communication and advocacy.
• Over 5 years in leadership, with a track record of building high-performing communications teams.
• Successful development and implementation of global public affairs and patient advocacy strategies.
• Experience providing strategic communication counsel to senior management.
• Prior experience within rare diseases, with launch/pre-launch communication experience.
• Strong knowledge of public/government affairs and established networks with policymakers globally (EU, US, emerging markets).
• A track record of championing and implementing innovative communication approaches and keeping abreast of emerging trends and technologies.
• Proven ability to collaborate and influence within complex, matrix organizations, maintaining a global perspective.

You have a strong analytical mindset that allows you to shift effortlessly between broad overviews and detailed insights. Your dedication, agility, and passion for cultural diversity shape your leadership style. You thrive under multiple deadlines and diverse responsibilities, naturally creating structure. Curious and scientifically minded, you possess solid business acumen. As a natural networker, you energize from connecting with a diverse range of stakeholders. Engaged and passionate, you focus on driving impact, finding solutions, continuous improvement, and delivering high-quality results.

Deadline

Please submit your application via our online application tool latest by Sunday 15th June.

You do not need to attach a cover letter to your application, but please include a few sentences about why you are applying in your CV. To ensure an efficient and fair recruitment process, please refrain from adding a photo in your CV.

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

Contact

For further information please contact Executive Search Partner, Heidi Ashby atHZEA@novonordisk.com .

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

At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.