Research & Development
Oxford, United Kingdom
Are you an experienced operations leader who can bring structure, governance and strong stakeholder partnering to a fast-moving R&D environment—without slowing the science down? We are looking for an Associate Director to help strengthen UK R&D site operations across our UK sites based of out Oxford, strengthening compliance, service delivery and supplier models while acting as a trusted partner to site leadership.
Your new role
As Associate Director, you will drive the next wave of operational professionalisation across our UK sites. You will help build robust governance, scalable support models and compliance-minded operations, while providing strong on-site leadership in a complex, evolving R&D environment.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leadership of a small team of highly skilled professionals and outsourced services, providing coherence, direction and support on day-to-day operations as well as strategic initiatives.
- Senior stakeholder partnering: Act as a trusted sparring partner to site leadership, navigating complexity and pushback with integrity, clarity and executive presence.
- Operational governance and professionalisation: Establish and strengthen structures, processes and governance so the UK organisation operates in a compliant, efficient and science-enabling way.
- Outsourcing and supplier management: Lead strategic supplier partnerships, to ensure resilient and integrated outcome-based delivery of comprehensive site operation.
- Cross-site operational accountability: Ensure consistent, high-quality operational support across sites in Oxford and London.
This role is Oxford-based and requires highly visible presence with regular on-site leadership.
Your new department
You will join UK R&D Operations, supporting a multi-site organisation across two sites in Oxford and one in London. The function brings together Health & Safety, site coordination, facility management activities and lab services, working closely with colleagues in the US and Denmark to ensure UK sites maintain operational readiness and compliance posture; governance, audit prep., corrective and preventative actions, and risk management ( e.g. LTO: License to Operate). Moreover, the function leads operational change initiatives while maintaining business continuity and protecting R&D productivity. Accountable for Operations performance, responsible for influencing cross-functional outcomes.
In Research & Development, you will be part of a unit that explores bold scientific ideas and advances them into clinical testing. We combine curiosity, AI tools, and human data to develop transformative therapies. Through collaboration and operational excellence, we shape and deliver an innovative pipeline to meet future patient needs.
Your skills and qualifications
We are looking for a mature, resilient operations leader who thrives in ambiguity and can create structure, trust and momentum in a fast-growing R&D environment.
To succeed, you will likely bring:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Facility Management, Engineering, Business Administration or a related field.
- Significant experience in site operations, facility or lab operations–adjacent roles within a professional industry setting, ideally pharma or life sciences.
- Proven leadership experience managing employees in complex, change-driven environments.
- Strong experience with outsourcing, vendor and contract management, including data-driven decision-making and KPI follow-up.
- Executive-level stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust and build “one team” collaboration.
- Comfortable operating within ambiguity, prioritising under pressure and driving progress despite organisational and capability constraints.
Working at Novo Nordisk
Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. To do this, we approach our work with determination, constant curiosity and a commitment to finding better ways forward. For over 100 years, this dedication has driven us to build a company focused on lasting change for long-term health. One where diverse thinking, shared purpose and mutual respect come together to create extraordinary results. When you join us, you're not just starting a job – you're becoming part of a story that spans generations.
What we offer
There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary results we produce. Being part of a global healthcare company means opportunities to learn and develop are all around us, while our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind.
Application Support
We are an equal opportunities employer, and we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants. If you're a person with a disability, if you're neurodivergent, and need any adjustments to be made during the application and selection process, please send an email to [email protected]. Please include your name, the role you are interested in and the type of adjustment your need.
Contact
For further information about the position, please contact Director, Bigitte Regine Viktor-Knudsen at [email protected].
Deadline
14 June 2026.
We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.
At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and preventing diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.
