Head of Cohort and Disease Understanding

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 Seattle 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.

AIDR Computational Biology is a global department with colleagues in China, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States. The AIDR team sits within the wider Digital Science & Innovation (DSI) organi-sation. DSI is supporting the digital journey across all our therapy areas in No-vo Nordisk Research and Early Discovery (R&ED). In DSI, we work in multidisci-plinary teams – in strong collaboration with all areas across R&ED and R&ED IT. We participate in drug development projects across the value chain, from early discovery to pre-clinical development. We engage in external collaborations to ensure access to the latest research and technology enablers, and we auto-mate our labs and processes, and we focus on developing and retaining top talent.

The Position

This role is responsible for the management of the Cohort & Disease Understanding (CDU) department within the AIDR Computational Biology VP area. The role will have line management responsibility for a team of computational biologists within CDU department including responsibility for well-being and career development of staff. The role will set the research and operational strategy for the CDU department in collaboration with other AIDR CB department heads and other AIDR stakeholders. The role will interact with stakeholders in Global Drug Discovery (GDD) to ensure CDU department resourcing is aligned with GDD strategic priorities and project portfolio.

Relationship

Reports to the VP of Computational Biology. Serves as line manager to a team of computational biologists. Facilitates cross-functional, international collaboration between GDD Therapy Areas and DSI/AIDR when making decisions and developing strategic and scientific plans.

Essential Functions

• Line management of a team of computational biology professionals including recruitment when needed
• Guidance of all department staff in setting performance and personal development goals. Make recommendations for progressions, promotions, and performance improvements. Have regular check-ins (1:1 and department meetings) to ensure performance and personal development goals are being met and team skills are used optimally
• Define and communicate the CDU scientific strategy to the department and other CB department heads
• Understand cutting-edge computational biology techniques used to investigate human disease and patient subtypes through reading and attending external conferences where needed
• Regular check ins with key stakeholders in Global Drug Discovery to ensure alignment of CDU strategy with the global strategy and project portfolio
• Contribute to the global AIDR CB strategy, specifically on computational approaches to understanding disease through human cohorts, but also including computational biology generally, VP area operations and organization

Physical Requirements

Some international travel required.

Development Of People

Verbiage below applies only to Supervisory roles; it is removed for individual contributors - DO NOT EDIT

Ensure that reporting personnel have individual development plans (IDP), with annual goals and measurements that are consistent with the priorities of the business, and that interim reviews are held so that their work is focused on those priorities, and they understand their level of accountability for results and the measurement process.

Ensure that the IDP forms include completed learning and aspiration plans and are in place for all reporting personnel to enable the achievement of goals and capability to assume increased levels of responsibility.

Manage the application and communication of all Novo Nordisk policies, procedures, and Novo Nordisk Way.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required. PhD preferred. PhD+5y or MSc+9y post-degree
  • 9+ years of relevant work experience required. 5+ years of relevant work experience with a PhD
  • Relevant work experience includes:
    • Leadership of computational research teams in the field of human cohort studies within industry or academia
    • Experience working in a research environment
    • Experience of applying computational biology and machine learning to disease understanding through human cohort and RCT omics data, preferably in disease areas with relevance to Novo Nordisk R&ED strategy
    • Experience in stakeholder management and priority alignment in a multi-disciplinary context

• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to present complex data analysis results and conclusions to project and leadership teams

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.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.