R&D External Innovation Sourcing Project Director

About the Department

Our Research & Development organization brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown, Cambridge and Plainsboro reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas.

We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our R&D 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.

The R&D External Innovation Sourcing Project Director is accountable for identifying, scouting, shaping and maturing external innovation opportunities. This would include driving external opportunities all the way from stimulation of innovation ecosystems, early asset/platform partnerships, through commercial partnerships, driving opportunities to decision milestones/gates and ensuring absorption/integration into the Novo Nordisk R&D Lines of Business (LoBs). By being responsible for portfolio decisions within therapy areas of NN interest, the role has direct impact on Novo Nordisk's pre-clinical and early clinical pipeline, as well as enabling platforms.

The role will collaborate across the R&D EI organization, Therapy Area NPI teams and the partner organizations to drive transformative R&D projects through different partnership stages that include understanding what is next for the pipeline, translating R&D/NPI/LoB priorities into external sourcing and scouting focus areas, shaping selected opportunities into actionable project proposals, and preparing governance-ready recommendations. As part of the external interface, this role is central for the success of creating a growing and diversified Research & Development (R&D) pipeline and has the specific purpose of:
Stimulating regional/local innovation ecosystems through foundations, think tanks and startups, as well as through early strategic partnerships

Identifying and evaluating external opportunities, and driving them to decision governance

Execute on our sourcing inflow channels strategy and deliver new project proposals

Shaping and executing partnerships, including ensuring absorption/integration of transacted projects into the core R&D organization and governance To achieve this, the role will be:

Driving development of Research & Development (R&D) plans for novel product concepts and activating project teams within Novo Nordisk R&D to execute on R&D plans to IND-ready assets or implemented technologies. Responsible for sourcing a portfolio of 3-5 new research projects from ideation until IND-ready assets or implemented technologies. The role will source a project portfolio with ambitious productivity targets to deliver INDs or implemented technologies.

At signature the projects will be handed over to the SP&I team or LoB. At steady state the overall unit is expected to contribute 20-30% of Novo Nordisk's preclinical and early clinical pipeline and bring in matured technologies into R&D Lo Bs Accountable  for a portion of existing external portfolio that targets long-term goals and operational efficiencies, that brings impact within a specific department or project area.

Successfully managing cross-functional projects prior to signature by bridging internal expertise and ensure sufficient prioritization and allocation from outside own organizational area in constructs that will be completely new ways of working for Novo Nordisk and Partners.

Responsible for a clear and successful handover of signed projects to the SP&I team or LoBActively connecting and feeding knowledge into the Global Novo Nordisk R&D organization, with a specific focus on diverse innovation approaches and lean project plan executions (early project de-risking), new ways of working, as well as asset transitioning.

The role creates value by leading entrepreneurial initiatives through externally contracted partners, leveraging their capabilities and resources to progress scientific ideas in support of Novo Nordisk business needs. The position has the mandate to decide on externally owned project concept ideas and technology platforms accounting for strategy fit and anticipated internal and external scientific challenges and recommend improvements and…