Clinical Operations Lead, Cardiovascular & Kidney Diseases

Join Novo Nordisk and play a key role in advancing innovative treatments for patients worldwide. In this role, your will have a unique opportunity to utilize your clinical and operational expertise to accelerate clinical study start-up as well as clinical and operational excellence and quality in a fast‑growing therapeutic area. Make your impact — apply today.

Your new role

As a Clinical Operations Lead you will take on a senior role with extensive responsibility of leading, accelerating and optimizing clinical study design and clinical study start-up.

• You will provide strategic operational leadership for global clinical study start‑up and initiation activities, shaping execution from early protocol development through first patient in across Phase I–IV clinical studies.
• You will act as a key operational thought partner, translating clinical strategy into scalable, patient‑centric operating models and ways of working.
• You will hold end‑to‑end responsibility for start‑up readiness, setting direction, priorities, and success criteria while proactively managing risks and trade‑offs.
• You will serve as an informal leader within the trial management team and key stakeholders, influencing without authority, coaching peers, and creating clarity across complex stakeholder landscapes.
• You will drive strong cross‑functional alignment across project teams, line functions, and external partners to ensure shared ownership and timely decision‑making.
• You will champion continuous improvement and best practices in clinical study operations and execution, strengthening quality, efficiency, and learning across programs.

This role is based in Søborg – Denmark but could also be a virtual/remote role for the right candidate. The role has a global scope and outreach, and occasional international travel is part of the job.

Your new department

Working in the Cardiovascular & Kidney Disease Clinical Operations Project Management area – a part of Novo Nordisk R&D area - you will join a collaborative and dedicated team of approximately 35 members, including 4 people leaders and 5 ClinOps project directors. Based in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, you will help us deliver innovative products and drive improved patient outcomes. By contributing to our shared mindset of collaboration and curiosity, you will bring innovation to our clinical studies and pave the way for the success of our mission.

Your skills and qualifications

• You hold a MSc in a natural or health science plus ~5 years’ relevant experience, or a BSc (or equivalent) with ~7 years’ experience in roles such as Global Trial Manager or similar Clinical Lead roles
• You bring strong clinical project management experience and a track record of positively impacting core operational processes.
• Strong scientific, clinical and operational knowledge and expertise to enable you to bridge scientific and clinical strategies into operational excellence in global clinical studies.
• You are an excellent planner, communicator and collaborator with professional proficiency in English.
• Previous experience with Full-Service Outsourcing (FSO) models of clinical studies would be an advantage.
• You lead by influence and structure — motivating and empowering teams to deliver with excellence, supported by clear structure and responsibilities
• You are resilient and adaptable, embrace change, and enjoy implementing continuous improvement.
• You bring a global enterprise mindset, value diverse perspectives, and build trust across functions.

What we offer

• Meaningful work: play a pivotal role in developing therapies that improve lives worldwide.
• Significant responsibility and visibility in a world-class pharmaceutical company.
• Strong personal and professional development opportunities within a leading global organization.
• An inclusive, diverse culture that encourages innovation and new ways of working.

Contact

For further information, please contact Director Mads Kongsgaard Engelund (MDKG@novonordisk.com).

Please note that we are not able to offer informal coffee talks as part of the recruitment process; all applications must be submitted via the official application channel.

Deadline

16th of April 2026

Please include a few sentences about why you are applying for this position in your CV. You do not need to attach a cover letter to your application.  

At Novo Nordisk, we are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all job applicants. To ensure a fair recruitment process, please refrain from adding a photo to your CV.

Working at Novo Nordisk

At Novo Nordisk, we don't wait for change. We drive it. We're a world-leading agile company in a dynamic industry, and we know that what got us to where we are today is not necessary what make us successful in the future. We embrace the spirit of experimentation, striving for excellence without fixating on perfection. We never shy away from opportunities to develop, we seize them. From research and development, through to manufacturing, marketing, and sales - we're all working to move the needle on patient care.