Associate Director, Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality at Novo Nordisk

Your new role

• As Associate Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership within the South Africa affiliate but also play a critical role in our business development initiatives and transformative partnerships. As a trusted advisor to the General Manager and leadership team, your role will be critical in mitigating risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and fostering a strong culture of ethics, quality, and accountability.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Provide strategic legal, ethics, compliance, and quality guidance to support business decisions and mitigate operational and regulatory risks. Act as the affiliate’s designated Local Legal Responsible and Information Officer in line with applicable South African legislation
• Advise on and manage legal matters including contract drafting and review, litigation oversight, intellectual property considerations, and engagement with external legal counsel. Lead business ethics and compliance activities, including risk assessments, investigations, corrective action planning, and reporting
• Collaborate closely with Global Internal Audit (GIA), Business Ethics Compliance Office (BECO), regional and global legal teams to implement corporate initiatives and ensure alignment with global standards.Ensure the affiliate is audit-ready at all times, follow up on audit findings, and implement corrective and preventive actions
• Oversee quality assurance activities, including the local Quality Management System, GMP/GDP compliance, inspections, and quality reviews. Ensure appropriate systems are in place for managing adverse events, technical complaints, and safety reporting in accordance with local and Novo Nordisk requirements
• Lead, coach, and develop the local Legal, Ethics, Compliance and Quality team, ensuring competence, accountability, and strong patient safety focus. Participate as a member of the affiliate leadership team, crisis response team, and Social & Ethics Committee, contributing to governance and strategic decision-making

Your new department

• You will join the Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality (LECQ) function within the Novo Nordisk South Africa affiliate. The department works closely with Commercial, Medical Affairs, Finance, P&O, and regional/global stakeholders to enable sustainable growth while ensuring the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and quality in everything we do.

Your skills & qualifications

• Master’s degree in law and admission to the Bar
• Minimum 8 years of experience in legal, ethics, and compliance roles, preferably within a multinational healthcare or highly regulated industry
• Proven leadership experience, including managing teams and cross-functional stakeholders
• Strong expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and quality systems
• Excellent strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• High ethical standards with strong judgment and decision-making capability
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate effectively in a complex, matrix environment
• Strong communication skills and an “Own-the-Business” mindset