Associate Vice President, Global Security, Novo

Associate Vice President, Global Security, Novo

A unique opportunity to shape and lead enterprise security and resilience across a global pharmaceutical organisation, protecting our people, products, operations and ability to supply patients.

Novo is seeking an accomplished and forward-looking security executive to lead Global Security. This is an opportunity to define and execute the company’s enterprise security risk management and strategy, advise Executive Management and the Board of Directors, and strengthen organisational resilience in an increasingly complex global threat environment.

The Position

As Associate Vice President of Global Security, you will hold global responsibility for Novo’s enterprise security strategy, governance and risk management posture. You will translate corporate priorities and the external threat environment into clear security priorities, investment choices and risk-based decisions.

You will oversee an integrated approach to security risks, enterprise resilience, product security and security intelligence, supporting Novo’s ability to protect people, products and operations and maintain the supply of medicines to patients during disruption.

As a trusted enterprise advisor, you will provide Executive Management and the Board with clear, decision-ready analysis of material security, resilience and geopolitical risks. You will lead Global Security and set direction, standards and accountability across a broad international matrix.

The position reports to the Senior Vice President responsible for Global Legal, Intellectual Property and Security (GLIPS), and is a member of the GLIPS Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute Novo’s long-term Global Security strategy and roadmap.
• Own the enterprise security risk framework, including governance, controls, assurance, reporting and escalation.
• Reinforce the company’s resilience maturity level, oversee crisis management and business continuity frameworks and lead responses to significant incidents and disruptions.
• Advise Executive Management and the Board on material security, resilience, intelligence and geopolitical risks.
• Own Product Security risk across the value chain, including tampering, diversion, counterfeiting, theft and supply disruption.
• Lead Security Intelligence, translating external developments into business implications and recommendations.
• Embed consistent security standards and accountabilities across Novo’s global organisation.
• Build trusted partnerships with senior business leaders and relevant law enforcement, intelligence, regulatory, diplomatic and industry stakeholders.
• Lead and develop a globally distributed specialist function, strengthening capability, collaboration and succession.
• Ensure effective stewardship of budgets, suppliers and specialist resources, using data and technology to develop scalable security solutions.
• Contribute to the GLIPS LT strategy and global objectives delivery.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a senior leader in enterprise security, resilience, intelligence, risk or a comparable field who brings:

• Significant leadership experience from a complex, multinational and preferably regulated organisation.
• A track record of defining functional strategy and advising Executive Management and Board-level forums.
• Strong expertise in enterprise security risk, and resilience, crisis management, business continuity and security intelligence.
• Experience leading through ambiguity, significant change and high-consequence situations.
• The ability to translate complex threats into clear business decisions, investment priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Strong business judgement and the ability to balance protection, operational continuity, commercial priorities and organisational risk appetite.
• Experience leading specialist teams and influencing across a global and complex matrix.
• Credibility with senior internal stakeholders and relevant external authorities and partners.
• An advanced degree, or equivalent professional expertise, in a relevant discipline.

About You

You are an enterprise-minded and credible leader who combines strategic perspective with sound judgement and decisive execution. You communicate complex and uncertain issues clearly, enabling senior leaders to understand options, trade-offs and implications.

You build alignment across functions, cultures and geographies while being prepared to challenge assumptions and provide independent advice. You lead calmly through disruption, act with discretion and integrity, and create accountability through others.

Above all, you see effective security as an integral part of the business and an enabler of informed business risk-taking and are motivated by protecting Novo’s people, products, operations and ability to serve patients around the world.

About Global Security

Global Security protects Novo’s people, products, operations and patient supply by establishing enterprise-wide security strategy, governance, standards and capabilities. The function brings together security risk management, crisis management, business continuity, product security, security incidents response, investigations and strategic intelligence.

Working across countries, markets and functions, Global Security partners with leaders throughout the organisation to create global consistency while enabling appropriate local adaptation. The function also maintains trusted relationships with law enforcement, intelligence, regulatory, diplomatic, industry and specialist partners internationally.

Application deadline: 7 October 2026

For further information, please contact Executive Search Advisor Kristoffer Baadsgaard at +45 30 77 56 05.

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