Therapy Area Head - Cardio Renal-Medical Affairs

About the Department                                                                                                                                               

The Clinical, Medical and Regulatory (CMR) department at Novo Nordisk is one of the most diverse and collaborative groups within the organization. From health-care-provider interactions and developing and implementing regulatory strategies with the FDA to providing medical education and collecting data to support efficacy and new product development, CMR is involved. The one thing that keeps us all marching to the same beat is our patient-centered focus. At Novo Nordisk, you will help patients around the world. As their needs evolve, so does our challenge to find better and more innovative ways to improve their quality of life. We’re changing lives for a living. Are you ready to make a difference?

The Position

The Therapy Area (TA) head is accountable for setting an integrated medical affairs strategy, scientific engagement plan and execution of that plan for the relevant therapy area. They are responsible for leading the therapy area units (TA units) like independent and empowered business units with "one voice/ one vision", drive key business goals within the therapy area, and act with a sense of urgency and agility in response to customer needs.

Relationships

The position reports into VP, Medical Affairs and will have all relevant in-house and field functions required to run the TA units reporting into them i.e., medical directors, field directors, program and content, and field alignment directors. They will also be the senior strategic representative of medical affairs in the relevant therapy area for all other Novo Nordisk Inc. (NNI) functions i.e., Future Business Strategy, sales organization, marketing, global commercial and global medical functions. As part of MALT (Medical Affairs Leadership Team) they will be working together with the VP MA to set the vision and strategy for the MA organization.

Essential Functions

• Deliver overall vision and strategy for the TA unit in consultation with TA leadership team
• Responsible for setting the short-term and long-term (3-5 years) medical affairs priorities for the organization and ensure that these priorities are aligned with the enterprise needs
• Ensure that the CMT (Core Medical Team) delivers a high-quality core medical strategy and scientific engagement plan that’s relevant for the therapy area

• Responsible for ensuring that the CMT process is inclusive of other relevant CMR functions and is able to provide clear direction on Medical Affiars engagement needs to the clinical data science & evidence team and other relevant functions

• As a senior level representative of medical affairs, the TA head will work closely with the enterprise leadership team, marketing, and sales leadership team to ensure that we co-create medically appropriate and patient focused enterprise strategy for the relevant therapy area
• Responsible for representing her/his organization to the relevant enterprise and global teams
• Conduct regular business planning for her/his organization, looking at structure, process, people, skills and capabilities. They should also continuously benchmark their organizations against external competition to ensure that we stay competitive as a medical affairs organization. The TA head will be expected to have a 3-5 year business plan for the TA unit.
• Ensure that they create a high performing TA unit leadership team that is focused, empowered, delivers on current business priorities but is also planning for the future.
• Work directly with the field directors to ensure that they are focused on the right channels of engagement with external customers and constantly pressure test the channel and engagement priorities in partnership with the FD’s
• Drive a culture of patient focus, inclusiveness, respect, curiosity, entrepreneurism and role model the Novo Nordisk way
• The TA head should ensure that the unit operates strategically, always focused on the key goals, is fully informed of competitive intelligence and ready to address any market challenges. The TA head is responsible to create a strong culture of strategic thinking within the enterprise
• Ensure that the unit is cutting edge in its understanding and awareness of the scientific aspects of the therapy area – well connected with the KOLs in the field, scientific and academic centers of excellence and top tier health systems
• As a core member of the MALT (Medical Affairs Leadership Team), the TA head will ensure that the MA organization has a comprehensive plan for the future, is aligned and coordinated in its approaxch on cross TA issues and is role modeling the Novo Nordisk way of working
• Responsible for nsuring that the Field Directors are running the ML teams efficiently and in accordance with compliance practices:
  • That FD’s conduct random audits of the ML team OSS in conjunction with the Novo Nordisk Compliance Officer
  • Develops and leads the compliance training/assessment of ML team. COMPLIANCE: Monitors industry practices, trends to ensure Novo Nordisk Medical Affairs policies/procedures are in line with current industry standards
  • Oversees compliance within the Medical Affairs Department (in conjunction with the Legal and Compliance Departments)

• The TA head will work closely with the FD’s to ensure  that the most up-to-date information on the therapeutic area and NNI clinical plans and study results, product support letters, and the Marketing and Sales product plan and tactics is made available to the field-based Medical Liaison Associate Directors/Directors
• Review and audit direct report expense reports. Manage direct reports in the tracking of budgets and expenditures. Ultimately responsible for managing the budget actual spend versus LE by status reports, meetings, and influence of other members
• Work with the field teams to improve and develop new relationships with thought-leaders in specialty areas that are affected by NNI products. Help define mutual areas of interest and potential areas of collaboration. Manages direct reports in the provision of responses to unsolicited requests for medical information from healthcare professionals, consumers, and colleagues
• Develop team to support trial/study investigation sites; ensuring effective coordination and facilitation of studies to ensure timely review, initiation, and completion, as well as publication of study results. Provides clinical support in cooperation with other Novo Nordisk groups to ensure investigators demonstrate appropriate use knowledge of studies, support patient recruitment and retention activities, answers responsive requests from investigators and provides feedback to sites to other groups
• Lead a strategic leadership team, poactively assesses performance of direct reports and helps guide in their continued development

Physical Requirements

50-75% overnight travel required.

Development of People

Supervisory, 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

• A M.D., PharmD., or other advanced Health degree required
• Minimum of 10 years progressive pharmaceutical industry experience required
• Minimum of 5 years previous pharmaceutical field management experience required; prefer strong background in leadership, team management and a deep understanding of organization dynamics.
• Proven track record of success, especially in the area of establishing relationships with opinion leaders

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.