Associate Director, Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality

Novo Nordisk; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1 200 000 - 1 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A global healthcare company is seeking an experienced Associate Director: Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality in Sandton, South Africa. Your role involves providing leadership in legal and compliance areas, advising on regulatory risks, and overseeing quality assurance activities. To succeed, you need a Master’s degree in law, at least 8 years of relevant experience, and strong leadership capabilities. This position offers a chance to work in an inclusive environment focused on making a difference in healthcare.

Benefits

Continuous learning and development opportunities

Meaningful leadership responsibility

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in legal, ethics, and compliance roles, preferably within a multinational healthcare or highly regulated industry.
• Proven leadership experience, including managing teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and quality systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic legal, ethics, compliance, and quality guidance to support business decisions.
• Advise on and manage legal matters including contract drafting, litigation oversight, and engagement with legal counsel.
• Collaborate with internal audit and compliance teams to implement corporate initiatives.

Skills

Legal expertise

Compliance and ethics

Leadership

Risk management

Strategic analysis

Strong judgment

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in law

Job description

Are you passionate about safeguarding ethical standards, ensuring compliance, and enabling high-quality operations that ultimately protect patients? Do you want to play a strategic leadership role in a global healthcare company where integrity, quality, and compliance are at the core of everything we do? If so, we are looking for an experienced and purpose-driven Associate Director: Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality to join our South Africa affiliate.

Your new role

As Associate Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership within the South Africa affiliate but also play a critical role in our business development initiatives and transformative partnerships. As a trusted advisor to the General Manager and leadership team, your role will be critical in mitigating risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a strong culture of ethics, quality, and accountability.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Provide strategic legal, ethics, compliance, and quality guidance to support business decisions and mitigate operational and regulatory risks. Act as the affiliate’s designated Local Legal Responsible and Information Officer in line with applicable South African legislation
• Advise on and manage legal matters including contract drafting and review, litigation oversight, intellectual property considerations, and engagement with external legal counsel. Lead business ethics and compliance activities, including risk assessments, investigations, corrective action planning, and reporting
• Collaborate closely with Global Internal Audit (GIA), Business Ethics Compliance Office (BECO), regional and global legal teams to implement corporate initiatives and ensure alignment with global standards. Ensure the affiliate is audit-ready at all times, follow up on audit findings, and implement corrective and preventive actions
• Oversee quality assurance activities, including the local Quality Management System, GMP/GDP compliance, inspections, and quality reviews. Ensure appropriate systems are in place for managing adverse events, technical complaints, and safety reporting in accordance with local and Novo Nordisk requirements
• Lead, coach, and develop the local Legal, Ethics, Compliance and Quality team, ensuring competence, accountability, and strong patient safety focus. Participate as a member of the affiliate leadership team, crisis response team, and Social & Ethics Committee, contributing to governance and strategic decision-making

Your new department

You will join the Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality (LECQ) function within the Novo Nordisk South Africa affiliate. The department works closely with Commercial, Medical Affairs, Finance, P&O, and regional/global stakeholders to enable sustainable growth while ensuring the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and quality in everything we do.

Your skills & qualifications

• Master’s degree in law and admission to the Bar
• Minimum 8 years of experience in legal, ethics, and compliance roles, preferably within a multinational healthcare or highly regulated industry
• Proven leadership experience, including managing teams and cross‑functional stakeholders
• Strong expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and quality systems
• Excellent strategic, analytical, and problem‑solving skills
• High ethical standards with strong judgment and decision‑making capability
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate effectively in a complex, matrix environment
• Strong communication skills and an “Own‑the‑Business” mindset

What we offer

There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary impact we create. As part of a global healthcare company, you will have continuous opportunities for learning and development, meaningful leadership responsibility, and a benefits package designed to support your career and life stage—while making a real difference for patients.

More information

For further information about the role, please apply. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Deadline

1st February (applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis).

Novo Nordisk is currently in the process of adjusting job titles globally. Please note that the job title listed in this advertisement may be subject to change. More detailed information will be provided during the recruitment process.

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

We’re not your typical healthcare company. In a modern world of quick fixes, we focus on solutions to defeat serious chronic diseases and promote long‑term health. Our unordinary mindset is at the heart of everything we do. We seek out new ideas and put people first as we push the boundaries of science, make healthcare more accessible, and treat, prevent, and even cure diseases that affect millions of lives. Because it takes an unordinary approach to drive real, lasting change in health.