Associate Project Director - Data Lead - Data Orchestration

About the Department                                                                                                                                               

Our East Coast Global Development Hub brings together the best minds in life science innovation with facilities in Lexington, MA and Plainsboro, NJ. We support programs from early research through late-stage clinical development. We are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple innovative modalities and therapeutic areas. Our East Coast Global Development 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. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. We’re changing lives for a living. Are you ready to make a difference?  This role is within Data Orchestration and is part of the department in Data Science.

The Position

The Associate Data Lead Project Director will lead and drive major and high complexity clinical data science projects with cross organizational assignments and deliverables important to Novo Nordisk. This includes: Define and execute the data strategy and consider alternative data strategies; Indirect leadership of project members/managers from Data Science. Communicate and negotiate with several internal and external stakeholders.

Relationships

The Associate Data Lead Project Director reports to the Senior Director, Data Orchestration. Internal partners include among other Corporate Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents in the global Data Science function, Project Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents and Directors in the Medical and Science function. External relationships include among others medical experts, health authorities, academic researcher and institutions

Internal Stakeholders:

Data Science

Project teams (CVPs, PVPs and M&S)

R&ED or Translational Science & Medicine

Strategy, Access & Marketing (RWE, HEOR, NPP, Digital Health, Insights and Forecasting)

GEPA

Regions/Affiliates

Senior/Executive management

Global Medical Affairs

Project teams

External stakeholders:

Medical experts

Academic researchers and Institutions

Health authorities

Research and data agencies /vendors

IT

Global and local health authorities

Essential Functions

• Key responsibility
  • Responsible for timely planning and proper execution of data science activities resulting in an optimal Target Data Profile for a Therapeutic Area and/or one or more Global Projects
  • Help drive the uptake and use of the concept Target Data Profile across Novo Nordisk projects
  • Project leadership and management with respect to all data science activities for the projects ensuring all relevant Data Science experts (Biostatistics, Pharmacometrics, Data Management, Data Scientists with data modality expertise (omics, imaging, Digital Health), AI/ML expets, RWScience etc) are involved in Global Project Team (GPT) activities at the right time and to the right extent
  • Internal and external stakeholder management
  • Communication and cross-functional cooperation
  • Ensure cross-portfolio data learnings
  • Membership of one or more Global Project Teams
• Main Job Tasks
  • Project Management
  • Lead the establishment of the Target Data Profile in order to ensure all necessary insights and evidence is produced for the Target Project Profile
  • Lead the Data Science Project Team and ensures all Data Science input / views / learnings are brought to the GPT in due time. This includes, but may not be limited to:
  • Lead and challenges project data scope, goals, expected deliverables and stakeholders in order to continuously ensure all data are generated in accordance with the Target Data Profile
  • Drive continued involvement and alignment of all involved Data Science functions in the GPT
  • Ensure timely challenge of data needed for each significant decision point along the value chain
  • Drive challenges and innovation with respect to clinical trials program (in close collaboration with Clinical Drug Development, Global Medical Affairs, Commercial a.o.)
  • Ensure innovative data analytics methodologies are applied when appropriate
  • Show excellence in identifying synergies with other functions and secures proper alignment
  • Lead and challenge relevance and impact of defined goals and fit with existing and upcoming regulations
  • Lead and continuously improves the way data package deliverables are executed
  • Identify risks via collaboration with other functions
  • Lead and continuously improves the way project outcomes are shared, how they impact the organization (from global to local and across functions). This includes better communication of results, use of visualization tools a.o.
  • Internal and external stakeholder management
  • Identify and develop new data science stakeholders and/or opinion leaders
  • Shape stakeholders’ perceptions to support new strategic initiatives and solutions
  • Encourage teams with different objectives in Novo Nordisk to develop strategic “win-win” solutions, weighing up risk and profitability
  • Create a culture of direct, continuous contact with the stakeholders to achieve Novo Nordisk’s strategic objectives
  • Communication and cross-functional cooperation, including creating PowerPoint presentations and presenting to leadership
  • Exhibit stakeholder management proficiency and drive effective progress in functional deliverables within defined processes, teams, and governance models, while also demonstrating an understanding of portfolio management, strategy, and tactics
  • Lead and develop strategy, ensuring excellence to maximize the impact of global strategy across customer groups and markets
  • Apply insights adequately into strategy and tactic development
  • Drive cross-project / portfolio data insights and learning

• Scope of Authority
  • Independence: High. Independence and initiative should always be demonstrated when leading, improving and performing tasks either assigned by management or initiated by PVP/CVP
  • Decision-Making: High. In general, decisions are complex and involve coordination with other internal stakeholders in the organization incl. R&ED, CDD, SubLCM, GMA, DDS, Commercial, affiliates, and external stakeholders for this position
  • Convince others with a mutual, or sometimes divergent, interest to accept new concepts, practices and approaches
  • Collaborate with other functions to secure adequate implementation of projects
  • Handle project conflicts at executive/senior levels
  • Adjust deliverables to make effective strategic impact on management’s decision-making
• Geographic responsibility
  • Global reach
  • The Data Lead Project Director has direct/functional influence on internal and/or external stakeholders in the countries or regions.

Physical Requirements

Up to 10% overnight travel required. Travel is expected up to approximately 10% per year (International).

Qualifications

• Education Level:
  • Master’s degree required. PhD highly preferred 
• Experience Level:
  • 8+ years of relevant experience

• Relevant work experience includes:
  • Understanding of the pharmaceutical industry value chain and product development
  • Comprehensive understanding of at least one data science discipline in drug development (such as biostatistics, pharmacometrics, advanced analytics, or epidemiology), or a background in scientific or medical oversight for the design of drug development programs
  • Project management experience leading cross-functional (and perhaps global) projects
  • Experience from early to late-stage drug development preferred 
  • Knowledgeable of the Novo Nordisk value chain preferred
• Personal Skills:
  • Proven ability to Incorporate a diverse range of personalities, skills, and capabilities to enhance the performance of a Data Science team
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including presentation skills to diverse audiences
  • Fluency in written and spoken English

• Managerial experience (if applicable):
  • Strong leadership skills, either as project or people manager

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.