Associate Director - Project Office

Company: Novo Nordisk
Location: Lexington
Posted on: February 6, 2026

Job Description:

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 Seattle 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 Position The Associate Project Director provides on site leadership, coordination, and execution support for a multi year digital program within the R&ED organization. Based in Lexington, this role ensures cross functional alignment, supports implementation of key R&D platforms, and drives effective delivery of data, system, and process improvement initiatives that will support the new Waltham research facility. Relationships Reports to the Head of IT Project Office in Lexington, MA, and works closely with lab and scientific research groups, R&D Tech Delivery and broader IT organization globally, primarily in Denmark. Essential Functions Program & Project LeadershipLead planning, execution, and coordination of program and project activities to ensure delivery on time, within scope, and within budget Define project scope and deliverables in collaboration with stakeholders and establish clear direction for project teams Drive integrated program planning, governance routines, risk/issue management, and cross track alignment Identify, assess, and mitigate risks; communicate mitigation strategies to senior leadership and escalate issues when needed Manage interdependencies across initiatives to minimize delivery risk and ensure alignment between tracks, vendors, and global partners Support implementation of key R&D platforms, including ELN, LIMS, Data Capture, Registration systems, Data Hubs, and workflow/automation tools Lead moderate to high complexity projects involving global and senior stakeholders Stakeholder Engagement & CommunicationPrepare consolidated program updates, RAID logs, dashboards, and executive ready presentations Facilitate cross track stand ups, readiness reviews, workshops, retrospectives, and cutover planning Provide content and insights for program committees, governance bodies, and steering committees Ensure timely communication of project status, decisions, risks, and action items across all stakeholders Operational Coordination & Resource ManagementCoordinate resource planning, onboarding, access, and tooling needs across multiple workstreams Oversee project team coordination and support productive team culture and collaboration Mentor and provide daily guidance to project coordinators and other project team members; support feedback loops with functional managers Address and resolve project team conflicts, resource gaps, and competing priorities, escalating when appropriate Budget, Financial Tracking & Vendor SupportTrack budgets, forecasts, accruals, purchase requests, and vendor invoices; support financial analyses and variance tracking Provide recommendations for corrective actions when financial risks arise while PMO maintains ultimate budget ownership Process, Quality & Change ManagementAdminister and optimize PMO tools, templates, cadences, and workflows to support efficient delivery Promote continuous improvement and process simplification across project teams Support change management activities, ensuring clear communication, stakeholder readiness, and successful adoption of new systems or processes Ensure adherence to quality standards and compliance expectations, including GxP requirements where applicable Physical Requirements Travel to HQ in DK may be required. Travel to other US sites may be required. Approximately 5 % overnight travel is to be expected. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a minimum of nine (9) years of project management experience required. Master’s degree in Biology, Chemistry, or related scientific discipline is a strong plus Pharma/Biotech experience required Must have negotiation skills and experience Experience in using common project management tools (MS Project or others) and stays updated on project management tools and working methods required Ability to provide solutions to problems arising in moderate to high complexity projects required Ability to establish cross organizational collaboration required Demonstrate proactive stakeholder management at varying levels required Familiarity with authoring or reviewing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and system operation guides required Experience in both Waterfall and SAFe / agile project methodologies preferred Technical, Practical and/or management experience with systems under GxP regulations in pharma/biotech Life Sciences required 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 defeating 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. 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.

Keywords: Novo Nordisk, Nantucket , Associate Director - Project Office, Science, Research & Development , Lexington, Massachusetts