Associate Director - External Innovation

About the Department

Our Research & Development organization brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown, Cambridge, and Plainsboro reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources, and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

About the Role

The Associate Director, R&D External Innovation is accountable for providing scientific expertise to support R&D External Innovation Partnerships and driving an externally anchored project portfolio from sourcing innovative opportunities, early-stage R&D partnerships, and advancing opportunities to decision groups, ensuring alignment with Novo Nordisk R&D Lines of Business (LoBs).

Key responsibilities include identifying, scouting, shaping, and maturing external innovation opportunities within therapeutic areas of Novo Nordisk interest, with alignment to NPI (New Product Introduction) priorities. The role involves interfacing with NPI/LoB teams (potentially Diabetes, Obesity, and related comorbidities) to understand pipeline needs, translate R&D priorities into external sourcing focus areas, shape opportunities into actionable project proposals, and prepare governance-ready recommendations. This role is not responsible for due diligence ownership; detailed diligence and transaction processes are managed by relevant assessment, SME, GBD/Search & Evaluation, and governance stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Support ecosystem stimulation, scouting, evaluation, due diligence, and execution for external innovation opportunities in research and therapeutic discovery.
• Drive efforts to identify, assess, and integrate cutting-edge science and technology into Novo Nordisk’s innovation pipeline.
• Monitor industry trends to ensure the organization maintains a competitive edge in scientific advancements.
• Recommend strategies to leverage external innovation for transformative research and drug discovery solutions.
• Prepare concise decision materials for EI&A leadership, NPI/LoB stakeholders, and relevant governance forums.
• Maintain transparency on assigned sourcing/scouting pipeline, open questions, decisions, and follow-up actions.
• Evaluate emerging technologies/platforms to support external innovation in drug discovery.
• Assess the feasibility, scalability, and impact of new technologies/platforms on R&D objectives.
• Recommend opportunities based on alignment with organizational goals and potential value creation.
• Foster and sustain strategic partnerships with external stakeholders to advance new science and technology in drug discovery.
• Nurture relationships with VCs, incubators, start-ups, and technology providers.
• Work with the partnerships team to manage collaborations, ensuring alignment with Novo Nordisk’s strategic goals.
• Act as a liaison to foster trust and mutual understanding between external partners and internal teams.
• Translate advancements into actionable business solutions for drug discovery.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to adapt innovation for practical applications in R&D.
• Contribute to developing frameworks to measure the impact and success of potential partnerships/acquisitions.
• Support the effective communication of scientific advancements and their translation into value-driven outcomes.
• Collaborate with internal teams and the R&D External Innovation team to align on recommendations for evaluation and external partnership opportunities.
• Partner with NPIs and internal stakeholders to ensure external innovation efforts complement existing projects and priorities.
• Share knowledge of external insights into internal processes.
• Align recommendations with internal teams and the R&D EI team to ensure cohesive decision-making on partnerships.
• Identify R&D LoB needs and gaps to help prioritize EI focus areas.
• Analyze R&D Line of Business (LoB) requirements to identify unmet needs and gaps.
• Collaborate with internal teams and NPIs to define priorities for innovation adoption.
• Provide insights to guide strategic planning and resource allocation for addressing identified gaps.
• Scout for external opportunities to support pipeline needs.
• Conduct systematic scouting for external innovations that align with pipeline requirements.
• Evaluate potential opportunities for their ability to address specific organizational challenges.
• Maintain a database of promising external opportunities for future consideration.
• Build and maintain an external network in scientific expertise areas.
• Develop and maintain a robust network of experts, innovators, and organizations in relevant scientific fields.
• Participate in industry events and forums to strengthen Novo Nordisk’s presence in the innovation ecosystem.
• Leverage the external network to identify collaboration opportunities and gain early access to emerging technologies.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders across departments to align external innovation initiatives with organizational goals.
• Act as a liaison with external partners, VCs, and scientific institutions.
• Represent Novo Nordisk in early scientific or strategic partner discussions, in coordination with EI&A leadership, NPI/LoB stakeholders, and GBD/Search & Evaluation.
• Represent Novo Nordisk in external forums, conferences, and partnership discussions, showcasing the company’s commitment to scientific and business advancements.

Qualifications

• PhD from an accredited university and 5+ years of experience OR an MD from an accredited university and 1 year of experience in drug discovery/innovation in the pharmaceutical industry (biotech, pharma) required.
• Experience in pharmaceutical R&D, external innovation, sourcing/scouting, strategic partnerships, scientific project shaping, portfolio strategy, business development support, or early collaboration development.
• Strong understanding of early R&D, NPI/LoB priorities, portfolio gaps, and how external opportunities can contribute to future pipeline needs.
• Experience translating scientific or portfolio needs into sourcing themes, opportunity briefs, project plans, collaboration proposals, or governance-ready recommendations.
• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders across R&D, GBD/Search & Evaluation, Legal, Finance, IP, and scientific/technical SMEs.
• Experience preparing senior-level materials, including opportunity summaries, project plans, risk/mitigation views, budget/resource implications, and decision asks.
• High degree of personal motivation and proactivity; ability to influence without authority and operate comfortably in ambiguity.
• Ability to spot emerging trends and external innovation opportunities.
• Analytical skills for conducting cost-benefit analyses.
• Experience interacting with external partners, biotech companies, academic groups, incubators, accelerators, or external scientific experts during sourcing/scouting or opportunity shaping.
• Experience developing or improving sourcing/scouting playbooks, NPI interface models, templates, operating models, or governance processes is an advantage.
• Strategic and structured, with a strong ability to translate ambiguity into clear next steps.
• Strong external orientation and ability to spot relevant opportunities aligned to R&D needs.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to align across NPI/LoB, EI&A, and enabling functions.
• Clear written and verbal communication, including concise executive-level materials.

Physical Requirements

Less than 10% overnight domestic and international travel required.