Principal Scientist - Large Animal Pharmacology

Are you passionate about large animal pharmacology and have extensive knowledge of metabolism and drug discovery? Then please read further! We are seeking a talented principal scientist to be part of Novo Nordisk and participate in changing the quality of life for millions of people with cardiometabolic diseases.

The position

You will work as an expert within large animal pharmacology with a strong background in metabolism and drug discovery. The role will require leadership of - and participation in - cross-functional drug discovery projects in collaboration with project teams, as well as planning of complex pharmacology studies and other project team activities. Mentoring and supervision of technical/junior staff is an integral part of the job. You will join a global team of highly skilled professionals, and in addition you will work with CROs and academic collaborators in order to provide project teams with critical data and support.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead scientific excellence within large animal pharmacology to actively engage in innovation and project progression.  
• Designing and conducting key experiments to validate human relevance and explore pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and mode of action, both internally and externally always applying the highest scientific standards and assessing available translational tools.
• Development and implementation of new models, methods, and technologies for in vivo/ex vivo testing of biological activity of drug candidates, always with a keen focus on translatability.
• Responsibility for writing protocols, data analysis, interpretation, record keeping, reporting, and communication of results.
• Communication of complex multidisciplinary topics to all relevant stakeholders, incl. non-clinical development, regulatory, safety, Global Research Leadership and project teams as well as relevant governance bodies.
• Collaboration with internal stakeholders within a matrix environment as well as external scientific advisors and academic centres of expertise.

Qualifications

You hold a Ph.D. with 5+ years of experience working with research, biotech, or industry within the cardiometabolic field. Strong scientific knowledge is a must and a proven scientific track-record of contributing to the delivery of high-quality drug discovery candidates into clinical development is a huge advantage. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in establishing, optimizing, validating, and running large animal pharmacology studies. Experience with translational aspects of the model(s) applied and a solid scientific network as well as international experience will be highly valued.

In addition to your scientific profile, you are a dedicated, open-minded, and innovative team player with good collaboration and problem-solving skills, highly proficient in spoken and written English.

About the area

Obesity pharmacology is part of the Obesity Discovery in Global Research, Novo Nordisk A/S. In close collaboration with our in vitro colleagues, we strive to identify and mature pharmaceutical approaches that will benefit patients living with obesity or other related serious chronic disease. We establish validate, and use in vivo models in rodents (mice and rats) and large animals (e.g. pigs, dogs, and non-human primates) and perform pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and mode-of-action studies to characterize potential new drug candidates. Experimental work is carried out by technical staff and scientists as well as outsourced as contract research.

Working at Novo Nordisk

Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. We combine scientific curiosity, warmth and determination to create lasting improvements in patient health. At Novo Nordisk you will join a collaborative team that values development, integrity and cross-functional teamwork and offers opportunities to make a direct impact on patients.

Contact

For further information, please contact Sanne Skovgård Veidal (ssgv@novonordisk.com).

Deadline

12th March 2026. Please note that applications will be reviewed continuously.

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

Novo Nordisk is 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