Trade & Channel Pharmacy Trade Marketing Manager
Johannesburg, Gauteng, ZA
Are you passionate about driving brand visibility and commercial growth through impactful trade marketing strategies across pharmacy and wellness clinic channels? Do you thrive on translating market insights into compelling campaigns that activate patients and support channel partners? Join Novo Nordisk and help curate frictionless healthcare journeys that contribute to a healthier, happier South Africa.
Apply today for a life-changing career.
Important note: This position is Office Based- 5 days/ week in the Office.
Your new role
As our Trade & Channel Pharmacy Trade Marketing Manager, you will shape and execute channel strategies across pharmacies and wellness clinics in South Africa – translating shopper insights into targeted campaigns that delight patients at both physical and digital points of sale. You will be the commercial bridge between Novo Nordisk and our external partners, ensuring meaningful patient impact and sustained category growth.
Your key responsibilities will include:
- Strategic channel partnership development – Build and nurture long-term relationships with independent pharmacies, chain groups, wholesaler partners, aesthetic and dermatology clinics, weight loss specialists and wellness practitioners; co-develop joint business cases that incorporate ROI, patient volumes and category growth
- Channel-focused marketing & campaign execution – Design insight-driven campaigns, point-of-sale materials, in-clinic activations, patient education tools and omnichannel touchpoints tailored to the distinct patient journeys across pharmacy, aesthetics, dermatology and weight management
- Market trend analysis & performance management – Monitor category performance, evolving patient behaviours and emerging channel dynamics; translate data into actionable recommendations and manage forecast accuracy to protect patient access
- Cross-functional collaboration – Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, Medical/HEOR, Supply Chain and Product teams to bring the voice of the channel into internal decision-making
- Compliance & regulatory standards – Ensure all channel marketing materials and partner activations meet South African regulatory requirements, industry codes and Novo Nordisk's internal governance standards
- Emerging channel opportunities – Champion new growth areas within the wellness clinic space, identifying where Novo Nordisk's portfolio can deliver the greatest patient and commercial impact
Your new department
This position is based in Marketing within our Strategic Partnerships function - the hub for designing collaborations that expand access, activate patients and demonstrate product value at scale.
The Marketing team partners closely with Sales, Medical, Regulatory, Communications, Market Access, Digital Excellence and regional Legal & Compliance counterparts to ensure omnichannel strategies are seamlessly integrated, customer‑centric and commercially impactful in driving awareness, engagement and measurable business results.
We operate in a fast‑evolving environment where innovation, cross‑functional alignment and data‑driven decisions translate clinical evidence and product value into outstanding customer and patient experiences.
Your skills & qualifications
We are looking for a commercially minded marketer who combines strategic thinking with hands-on channel execution and thrives in a dynamic, patient-centric environment. To succeed in this role, you will bring:
- A Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Pharmacy or a related field (a postgraduate qualification is preferred)
- 3–5 years' experience in Trade Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Customer Development or Channel Development – ideally within the Pharmaceutical, Dermatology/Aesthetics, OTC or FMCG sectors
- A proven track record building and managing pharmacy or trade channel partnerships, with demonstrated capability in shopper marketing and shopper experience mapping
- Strong commercial acumen and data-driven decision making, with the ability to translate market insights into campaigns that deliver measurable outcomes
- Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills, coupled with a collaborative leadership style that engages diverse internal and external stakeholders
- Adaptability, resilience and a compliance-first mindset – with a working knowledge of South African regulatory frameworks governing pharmacy trade and healthcare advertising
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 July 27th, 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.