Vice President of Communication and Corporate Affairs / Vice Presidentess of Communication and Corporate Affairs

About the Department

Novo Nordisk Rare Disease is a unit within the leading global healthcare company Novo Nordisk. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do this by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure these diseases.

Novo Nordisk Rare Disease has over 4,000 employees across 14 sites worldwide, working to bring our marketed products to over 100 countries and ensuring a robust development pipeline. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, the Rare Disease Global commercial unit boasts over 150 dedicated and passionate employees collaborating closely with the broader organization. While we benefit from our unique position within the Novo Nordisk stronghold, we enjoy the flexibility of a biotech company that enables us to innovate without limits. As a unit, we pride ourselves on being agile and adept at balancing vision with action.

The Position

As the new VP of Communications & Corporate Affairs for Novo Nordisk Rare Disease, you will report to the Senior Vice President (SVP) of Rare Disease at Novo Nordisk and will play a crucial role on the leadership team of the area.

You will lead a diverse, high-performing communications team of 15 employees dedicated to Novo Nordisk Rare Disease. This team is responsible for shaping and driving communication strategies, deploying multi-stakeholder advocacy initiatives, and engaging with internal and external partners to support Novo Nordisk Rare Disease’s strategic objectives. Key areas of focus will include customer engagement, public affairs, sustainability, patient advocacy, and both internal and external communications.

Key Responsibilities

• Public Affairs and External Communications:
  • In coordination with the Rare Disease leadership team, develop and execute strategic external affairs plans on a wide variety of advocacy, public policy, and business issues relevant to Novo Nordisk Rare Disease.
  • Shape, embed, and implement sustainability strategy for the Rare Disease portfolio.
  • Plan, develop, and execute external communication plans aligned with the Rare Disease and Novo Nordisk corporate strategies.
  • Oversee media relations, patient advocacy, and public affairs strategies for Rare Disease and priority therapy areas; collaborate closely with corporate functions and manage social media channels and websites for Rare Disease, ensuring responsible content and maintenance.
• Internal Communications and Engagement:
  • Ensure timely and professional internal communication concerning Rare Disease ambitions and business priorities.
  • Lead the provision of tools to support Rare Disease leadership in employee communication, internal channels, events, etc.
  • Drive internal communication for key Rare Disease initiatives.
  • Collaborate with internal partners to identify synergies between corporate messages/programs that can enhance the narrative of Rare Disease.
  • Ensure a professional flow of internal news and communication channels within the Rare Disease office and across the Rare Disease Nation / virtual business unit.
• Customer Engagement:
  • Set strategic direction for Rare Disease congresses and events, leading implementation efforts with measurable impact across the business unit.
  • Ensure a seamless attendee experience, whether offline or online.

The role is based in Zurich, Switzerland. We are open to relocating international talent.

Qualifications

You are an accomplished corporate affairs leader, ideally from within a multinational pharmaceutical or biotechnology company. In addition, you possess:

• Over 15 years of experience in global communication and advocacy.
• Over 5 years in a leadership role, with a proven track record of building high-performing teams.
• Experience in developing and implementing global public affairs and patient advocacy strategies.
• Experience providing strategic communication counsel to senior management.
• Prior experience in rare diseases, including launch and pre-launch communication.
• Strong knowledge of public/government affairs with established networks among policymakers globally (EU, US, emerging markets).
• A track record of championing innovative communication approaches while staying abreast of emerging trends and technologies.
• Proven ability to collaborate and influence in complex, matrix organizations while maintaining a global perspective.

You possess a strong analytical mindset that enables you to shift seamlessly between broad overviews and detailed insights. Your dedication, agility, and passion for cultural diversity define your leadership style. You thrive under multiple deadlines and diverse responsibilities, naturally creating structure. Curious and scientifically minded, you have solid business acumen. As a natural networker, you draw energy from connecting with a wide range of stakeholders. Engaged and passionate, you focus on driving impact, finding solutions, and delivering high-quality results.

Apply Online

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

Contact

For further information, please reach out to Executive Search Partner, Heidi Ashby at Show e-mailm">Show e-mail.

At Novo Nordisk, we are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants. We recognize that it is no longer sufficient to aspire to be the best company in the world but aim to be the best company for the world. This vision can only be achieved with talented employees who bring diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve, and the communities we operate in. Together, we’re life-changing.