Legal & Compliance Manager

Shape the legal landscape for a growing pharmaceutical affiliate – and help ensure that every decision we make keeps patients at the centre.

Please note this is an Office Based role.

Your new role

As Legal & Compliance Manager for Novo Nordisk South Africa, you will hold overall accountability for legal and business ethics compliance matters across the affiliate. You will act as a trusted advisor to the leadership team, providing strategic, pragmatic and proactive legal guidance that enables the business to operate with integrity and confidence.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Providing proactive legal and compliance support, advice, training and risk assessments in line with Novo Nordisk policies and South African laws and regulations
• Managing contract lifecycle activities including drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial, procurement and partnership agreements
• Advising on data privacy matters in accordance with POPIA and corporate data protection rules, acting as deputy Data Protection Responsible and deputy Information Officer
• Supporting litigation matters relating to counterfeit goods, competition law, patents and loss of exclusivity, coordinating with external counsel as needed
• Implementing the Global and International Operations Business Ethics Compliance Plan, policies and procedures within the affiliate
• Identifying legal trends and regulatory developments in South Africa and proactively sharing insights with the leadership team and regional legal functions
• Anticipating, managing and mitigating legal and compliance risks across all affiliate activities, including third-party representative due diligence

Your new department

As part of International Operations, you will join our largest operational unit. Covering 194 countries and 95% of the world's population, more than 18,000 of us work passionately to serve 35 million patients each day. With a promise to outperform the competition, we continue to be the growth driver for Novo Nordisk, and to improve health at scale across the globe.

Within International Operations, you will be part of the Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality (LECQ) function supporting Novo Nordisk South Africa. You will work closely with the local leadership team, regional and business area legal colleagues, and corporate legal functions to ensure the affiliate operates with full compliance and strategic clarity. This is a role with significant autonomy and direct business impact.

Your skills & qualifications

We are looking for an experienced legal professional who combines sharp legal acumen with a collaborative, business-oriented mindset. You will bring:

• A Law Degree from a recognised university, with membership of the applicable legal bar or law society (desired)
• Minimum 5+ years of legal experience, with at least 2 years in the pharmaceutical or medical devices industry
• Extensive knowledge of pharmaceutical regulation, clinical trials legislation and business ethics compliance in a healthcare setting
• Demonstrated experience in contract management, data privacy (particularly POPIA), litigation support and third-party risk assessment
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to provide trusted, pragmatic legal advice to senior leadership in a fast-paced environment
• A postgraduate qualification related to health or pharmaceutical law is an advantage

Working at Novo Nordisk

Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. To do this, we approach our work with determination, constant curiosity and a commitment to finding better ways forward. For over 100 years, this dedication has driven us to build a company focused on lasting change for long-term health. One where diverse thinking, shared purpose and mutual respect come together to create extraordinary results. When you join us, you're not just starting a job – you're becoming part of a story that spans generations.

What we offer

There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary results we produce. Being part of a global healthcare company means opportunities to learn and develop are all around us, while our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind.

Deadline

Please apply by August 25, 2026

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

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and preventing diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.