Director, head of Safety Pharmacology & Early Toxicology

Are you equipped with excellent leadership skills and a background in natural or health sciences? Do you have significant experience in drug discovery and development? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. We are seeking a new leader to head the Safety Pharmacology & Early Toxicology department at Novo Nordisk. 

About the department 

Safety Pharmacology & Early Toxicology is a department within Research & Development, located in Måløv, Denmark. The team is composed of 14 scientists who provide nonclinical safety studies to progress drug discovery and development projects. The department works across all therapy areas at Novo Nordisk to assess the safety of new drug candidates prior to clinical trials. Key responsibilities include: 

• Plan toxicology & safety pharmacology programs and take active part in multi-disciplinary non-clinical project teams 

• Designing, monitoring, and interpreting in vivo & in vitro toxicity studies conducted according to GLP at contract research organisations 

• Designing, monitoring, and interpreting safety pharmacology studies conducted according to GLP at contract research organisations 

• Investigative toxicology, which involves in vitro screening of small molecules to detect possible safety concerns at early stages and guide selection of safe compounds for further testing 

• Dose formulation analysis to support nonclinical safety studies 

• Preparing data for safety committee meetings prior to first human dose and contributing to regulatory documents for submission to authorities 

Safety Pharmacology & Early Toxicology has a sister department called Toxicology Development Projects. We apply co-leadership, implying that the two toxicology departments work closely together to increase flexibility and effectiveness, leveraging the combined strength and perspectives of both departments. 

About the position

The Head of Safety Pharmacology & Early Toxicology engages with stakeholders at various levels and locations. This position is part of the Safety Sciences & Imaging leadership team, where trust, empowerment, and enterprise-oriented thinking are valued. 

Main responsibilities include: 

• Ensuring project deliverables are completed on schedule 

• Strategic development of toxicology and safety pharmacology in alignment with Novo Nordisk’s overall strategy and departmental objectives 

• Securing high focus on science, animal welfare and operational effectiveness 

• Facilitating cross-organizational alignment and engaging internal stakeholders at Novo Nordisk, as well as external partners in academia, contract research organizations, and industry 

• Maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements and GLP; although internal experiments are not conducted to GLP, oversight of GLP-compliant studies at external collaborators is provided 

• Managing employee development and motivation 

• Promote a culture of innovation, curiosity, accountability, and timely delivery of high-quality scientific data 

Qualifications  

You must have an educational background within natural sciences or health sciences at PhD level or equivalent.

In addition, we expect:  

• Strong leadership skills. You build high-performing teams through clear direction setting coupled with empathy and a coaching mindset 

• Scientific excellence and strategic overview 

• Broad understanding of the drug discovery and development value chain  

• Very good networking, collaboration, and communication skills 

• Experience with toxicology and safety pharmacology will be considered an advantage but not a requirement. We welcome applications from candidates with diverse drug discovery and development backgrounds.  

As a person, you are self-motivated and result oriented, always raising the bar for yourself. You have strong problem-solving skills and high ethical standards. You can motivate the people around you and create followership – also in the broader Novo Nordisk context where good collaboration will be key to success. You have a well-structured approach to your tasks, take responsibility, have a high-quality mindset, and you can maintain an overview also under time pressure.  

Working at Novo Nordisk  

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 currently in the process of adjusting job titles globally. Please note that the job title listed in this advertisement may be subject to change. More detailed information will be provided during the recruitment process. 

Contact  

For further information, please contact Vice President Kirstine Roepstorff at +45 3075 1646. 

Deadline 

Applications will be reviewed and candidates interviewed on an ongoing basis, so please apply as soon as possible and no later than 11. Januar 2026 

You do not need to attach a cover letter to your application but please include a few sentences about why you are applying in your resume or CV. We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.  To ensure an efficient and fair recruitment process, please refrain from adding a photo to your CV. 

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

We’re not your typical healthcare company. In a modern world of quick fixes, we focus on solutions to defeat serious chronic diseases and promote long-term health. Our unordinary mindset is at the heart of everything we do. We seek out new ideas and put people first as we push the boundaries of science, make healthcare more accessible, and treat, prevent, and even cure diseases that affect millions of lives. Because it takes an unordinary approach to drive real, lasting change in health.