Head of Medical Affairs

Novo Nordisk; Johannesburg; On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading global healthcare company as the Head of Medical Affairs in Johannesburg. You will lead a team focused on transforming healthcare by developing innovative medical strategies and improving clinical care pathways. This role requires a Medical Doctor or PhD with significant experience in Medical Affairs and strong leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Medical Doctor with a postgraduate degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Medical Affairs.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Medical Affairs team and develop medical strategies.
• Attract and retain top talent within the team.
• Build relationships with key opinion leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Communication

Education

Medical Doctor or PhD in medical/life sciences

Job description

Are you a visionary leader with a passion for medical excellence? Do you have the strategic acumen to drive impactful medical strategies? Join us as the Head of Medical Affairs at Novo Nordisk in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lead a team dedicated to transforming healthcare. If you’re ready to make a difference, read on and apply today for a life-changing career. The position As our Head of Medical Affairs, you will represent the Medical Affairs function on the extended leadership team, aligning medical plans with organizational goals. You will also develop and communicate the vision, mission, and goals of the Medical Affairs function. You will act as a business partner, providing scientific guidance across therapy areas and assess and improve clinical care pathways across therapy areas. Your main accountabilities will include:

• Attract, develop, and retain top talent within the Medical Affairs team.
• Build a culture of innovation, scientific excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Lead change management initiatives for new medical strategies and processes.
• Develop and implement a medical affairs evidence generation plan, including post-marketing studies and oversee the development and execution of the medical education plan.
• Build and maintain relationships with key opinion leaders and medical societies.

Qualifications To be successful in this role, we expect you to have:

• Medical Doctor with a postgraduate degree (medical specialty or PhD) preferred, or a postgraduate degree in medical or life sciences field (PhD).
• Minimum 5 years of clinical practice or pharmaceutical experience in Medical Affairs.
• Strong leadership skills and strategic thinking.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• It will be an asset to have previous experience in metabolic disease areas such as Diabetes and Obesity.

About the department You will be part of the CMR department, leading a team of 10 direct reportees. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, our department thrives in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. We are committed to fostering a culture of professionalism, excellence, and ethical behaviour. Join us and contribute to our mission of driving scientific innovation and improving patient outcomes. Working at Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company with a 100-year legacy of driving change to defeat serious chronic diseases. Building on our strong legacy within diabetes, we are growing massively and expanding our commitment, reaching millions around the world and impacting more than 40 million patient lives daily. All of this has made us one of the 20 most valuable companies in the world by market cap. Our success relies on the joint potential and collaboration of our more than 72,000 employees around the world. We recognize the importance of the unique skills and perspectives our people bring to the table, and we work continuously to bring out the best in them. Working at Novo Nordisk, we’re working toward something bigger than ourselves, and it’s a collective effort. Join us! Together, we go further. Together, we’re life changing. Contact For further information please apply your CV via the online recruitment system. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants. Deadline Please, apply before 05 June 2025

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.