Are you passionate about the pharmaceutical industry? Would you like to contribute to a global program involving multiple sites around the world? Would you like to be part of a fast-growing company? If so, you could be the person we’re looking for!
A global leader in diabetology, Novo Nordisk is an international Danish pharmaceutical company. At Novo Nordisk, we work together to prevent and treat diabetes. More than 463 million patients worldwide are living with diabetes today, and two people are diagnosed every ten seconds. Working with us isn’t just a job—it’s a way to make a difference.
As an Associate Director of Aseptic Production, you will be responsible for a service within the AP department and will translate the department’s strategy into concrete operational priorities. You will directly lead around ten leaders and drive the performance of a scope of approximately 100 employees, with a constant focus on safety, quality, timelines, costs, productivity, and people development.
In a demanding environment with a fast pace, you will set the direction, create the conditions for your leaders to succeed, and make sound trade-offs. Beyond the performance of your own service, you will act as a site leader: you will understand the upstream and downstream dependencies of the value chain and be able to make decisions that optimize overall performance, including when they are not the most favorable for your direct scope.
Day to day, your responsibilities will include:
• Translating the AP department and site strategy into clear operational objectives, priorities, and KPIs, and then ensuring ownership and execution at all levels of the service.
• Driving service performance across all dimensions of safety, quality, timelines, costs, and people development, meeting production commitments and implementing robust management routines.
• Ensuring a high level of control over aseptic activities and compliance with GMP, quality, EHS, regulatory, and ethical requirements; challenging deviations, CAPAs, change initiatives, and inspection readiness with the expected level of rigor.
• Managing, coaching, and developing around ten leaders through direct people management: clarifying responsibilities, empowering teams, giving feedback, strengthening capabilities, developing successors, and building a strong leadership collective.
• Running the service with an end-to-end view of the value chain: understanding constraints and issues of upstream and downstream activities, anticipating cross-impact, and building solutions together with Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, Maintenance, and other site partners.
• Making clear and timely decisions based on data and risk, prioritizing overall site performance and value chain continuity rather than optimizing only your service locally.
• Challenging the resolution of complex problems and embedding continuous improvement, simplification, and standardization to sustainably enhance process robustness, capability, and productivity.
• Developing and driving the service budget, resources, headcount, and investments; balancing priorities and contributing to the capacity and development choices needed for the site strategy.
• Leading change and maintaining a high level of engagement in a high-pace context through transparent communication, on-the-ground presence, and a constant focus on organizational safety, development, and health.
Your new department You will join Aseptic Production (AP), a critical link in the value chain that directly contributes to making our treatments available to patients. The department operates in a highly regulated, demanding environment with a fast pace, where process control, business continuity, and coordination between functions are key. Performance is built collectively, beyond organizational boundaries, with the same level of rigor on quality, safety, and results.
Your skills and qualifications We are looking for an experienced leader of leaders who is both engaging and results-oriented—able to bring clarity to a complex environment, develop their teams, and influence well beyond their hierarchical scope. You identify with the following profile:
• Master’s degree (MSc/Engineering/Pharmacy or equivalent scientific/industrial training) or equivalent experience.
• At least 6 to 7 years of management experience in the pharmaceutical or cosmetics industry, including significant experience leading leaders and operational scopes of substantial size.
• Strong understanding of aseptic production and its requirements: GMP, contamination control, deviations/CAPAs, change control, inspections, and applicable regulatory frameworks.
• Strong performance and business culture, with the ability to link KPIs to capacity, service, costs, quality, and value-chain challenges, and then decide under constraint based on data and risk.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop leaders, build an empowered organization, and maintain a high level of expectations while fostering engagement and trust.
• Experience in budget, resources, and investment management, as well as leading change and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills in a cross-functional, matrix environment.
• You will operate in an international environment, on a French site; a good level of professional English & French, both written and spoken, is required.
Every day, we look for solutions to overcome serious chronic diseases. To achieve this, we approach our work with determination, constant curiosity, and a commitment to finding better ways forward. For more than 100 years, this dedication has helped us build a company focused on sustainable change for long-term health. A company where diversity of thinking, a shared goal, and mutual respect come together to create extraordinary results. When you join us, you don’t just start a job—you become part of a story that spans generations.
What we offer: At Novo Nordisk, you’ll join an international healthcare company with a unique culture and a strong track record. We provide continuous learning, career development, and benefits tailored to your life and your professional level.
Salary: For this position, the annual base salary (Annual Base Salary) ranges from 70 000 to 90 000 EUR according to the job level. Your placement within the salary band will be assessed during the recruitment process, based on your skills, experience, and relevant knowledge, as well as your abilities.
Compensation and benefits: In addition to the base salary indicated, you’ll have the opportunity to benefit from variable bonuses (5x8 shift bonus, attendance bonus, team bonus, night bonus) over the long term, as well as other social benefits depending on the job level, work location, activity, and relevant market benchmarks.
Application deadline: The position is available as soon as possible.