Associate Director, US Local Public Affairs

Novo Nordisk AS

Clayton, NC

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Alliance/Partner Management, Analysis Skills, Asepsis, Biology, Biotech and Pharmaceutical, Budget Management, Building Permits, Business Growth, Chronic Disease, Coaching, Communication Skills, Community Support, Construction, Construction Planning, Cross-Functional, Dental Insurance, Diabetes, Disability Insurance, Disease, Drug Manufacturing, Economic Development, Emergency Services, Environmental Regulations, Establish Priorities, Federal Government, Government, Health Insurance, Healthcare, Incentive Programs, Incident Response, Information Technology & Information Systems, Investment Strategy, Leadership, Life Insurance, Lobbying, Local Government, Maintain Compliance, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Operations, Mentoring, Monitor Regulations, Negotiation Skills, Obesity, Operational Support, Performance Management, Performance Metrics, Political Science, Product Marketing, Public Administration, Public Affairs, Regulations, Risk, Risk Management, Safety Training, State Government, Strategic Planning, Sustainability, Team Lead/Manager, Tuition Fees, Vision Plan, Willing to Travel, Zoning
LOCATION
Clayton, NC
POSTED
6 days ago

About the Department

At Novo Nordisk, we want to make a difference. For more than 100 years, we have led the way in diabetes care. Being part of Novo Nordisk allows our employees to embark on the opportunity to help improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world.

In NC, we operate three pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities that are responsible for fulfilling different steps in our injectable and oral treatment supply chains. Our Product Supply Aseptic Manufacturing (PS AM) facility in Clayton, NC is a 457,000 square foot aseptic "fill and finish" site that is responsible for producing innovative, injectable diabetes and obesity treatments. At PS AM, you'll join a global network of manufacturing professionals who are passionate about what they do.

What we offer you:

  • Leading pay and annual performance bonus for all positions
  • All employees enjoy generous paid time off including 14 paid holidays
  • Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance - effective day one
  • Guaranteed 8% 401K contribution plus individual company match option
  • Family Focused Benefits including 14 weeks paid parental & 6 weeks paid family medical leave
  • Free access to Novo Nordisk-marketed pharmaceutical products
  • Tuition Assistance
  • Life & Disability Insurance
  • Employee Referral Awards

At Novo Nordisk, you will find opportunities, resources, and mentorship to help grow and build your career. Are you ready to realize your potential? Join Team Novo Nordisk and help us make what matters.

The Position

The Associate Director, US Local Public Affairs leads the Local Public Affairs team in advancing Novo Nordisks US manufacturing priorities by protecting current operations and enabling future site growth. The role collaborates with the USO Public Affairs team to develop and execute proactive local and state government affairs strategies focused on protecting manufacturing facilities and operations, which includes infrastructure, utilities, permitting, zoning, construction impacts, expansion incentive negotiations, and relevant regulations. It also leads external issues management in partnership with site leadership and internal functions to anticipate risks, support incident response, and ensure consistent stakeholder engagement. In addition, the position oversees relationships with state and local elected officials, community and industry partners, and broader alliance-building efforts that strengthen workforce readiness, community reputation, and social license to operate. The role serves as a key advocate for Novo Nordisks manufacturing interests and ensures compliance with lobbying and reporting requirements.

Relationships

Reports to the Director of DPM-US Public Affairs & Communications

Essential Functions

  • Set strategy and execute local government affairs priorities across US GMS sites to reduce risk and support operations and business growth
  • Lead and develop the local public affairs team by setting expectations, managing performance, and building succession strength
  • Manage the site external affairs operating model, including planning, priorities, KPIs, and budget/vendor oversight
  • Monitor policy and regulatory developments affecting site operations and align internal stakeholders on actions and messaging
  • Guide alliance-building with business, industry, education, and community partners to support workforce, infrastructure, and reputation goals
  • Lead engagement with government stakeholders to build understanding of Novo Nordisk's manufacturing priorities and community impact
  • Own the stakeholder engagement model and maintain senior relationships with key local county and town officials and decision-makers
  • Lead external issues management by setting response plans, escalation paths, and stakeholder strategies for site-related issues
  • Mitigate issues that delay, prevent, or stop construction permitting, zoning, infrastructure planning, and other construction-related engagement with local authorities and internal teams
  • Set community engagement and investment strategy to strengthen the sites' reputation and social license to operate
  • Lead economic development and incentives efforts that support site expansion, sustainability, and cross-functional execution
  • Provide stakeholder intelligence and risk/opportunity insights to help leadership prioritize decisions and engagement
  • Coordinate with USO Public Affairs and enterprise partners to ensure aligned messaging and a consistent, responsible state public affairs approach
  • Oversee lobbying and advocacy on manufacturing priorities while ensuring compliance with ethics, registration, and reporting requirements
  • Follow all safety & environmental requirements in the performance of duties
  • Other accountabilities as assigned

Physical Requirements

Ability to work in an open office environment with the possibility of frequent distraction. Ability to travel 20-30% of the time. (% can change on a case-by-case basis based on the role.)

Development Of People

Supervisory. Ensure that reporting personnel have individual development plans (IDP), with annual goals and measurements that are consistent with the priorities of the business, and that interim reviews are held so that their work is focused on those priorities, and they understand their level of accountability for results and the measurement process. Ensure that the IDP forms include completed learning and aspiration plans and are in place for all reporting personnel to enable the achievement of goals and capability to assume increased levels of responsibility. Manage the application and communication of all Novo Nordisk policies, procedures, and Novo Nordisk Way.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in communications, Government, Public Affairs, Political Science, Public Administration, or related field of study required; advanced degree preferred
  • A minimum of twelve (12) years of progressive experience in local/state/federal government affairs, public affairs, external affairs, or related roles supporting large, complex operations required; manufacturing/industrial environment preferred
  • A minimum of five (5) years of direct people leadership experience (or demonstrated success leading through a matrix), including setting priorities, coaching talent, and driving consistent execution across multiple stakeholders required
  • Experience engaging agencies and officials on site operations issues (e.g., permitting, zoning, utilities, infrastructure, emergency services, construction impacts, and incentives) required
  • Strong analytical judgment to assess developments and provide clear actions and leadership updates required
  • Working knowledge of legislative and regulatory processes and how public affairs supports manufacturing operations and expansion required
  • Ability to set strategy, establish governance, and lead cross-functional teams to deliver outcomes required
  • Ability to lead external issues management, including scenario planning and incident response communications required
  • Coalition-building and alliance development experience across business, industry, education, and community partners required
  • Strong communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills with diverse stakeholders required
  • Commitment to integrity and compliance, including lobbying and ethics requirements required
  • Executive presence and strong advocacy and communication skills required
  • Healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated industrial environment experience preferred required
  • Action-oriented and resilient, with ability to manage ambiguity and competing priorities required
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build credibility and influence across audiences required

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, were not chasing quick fixes - were creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, weve 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 whats possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, were 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.

About the Company

N

Novo Nordisk AS

Working at Novo Nordisk

 

Life-changing careers

Starting a career at Novo Nordisk is more than getting a job. It is an opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people living with a serious chronic disease.

Whether you are a part of supplying insulin for patients around the world, discovering the next breakthrough at one of our state-of-the-art research centres, working with us is truly life-changing.

 

We are inspired by life

We are a proud life-science company on a mission to ensure that people living with a chronic disease can live a full life. Millions rely on us.

We’re inspired by life in all its forms and shapes, ups and downs, opportunities and challenges. From our colleagues in the lab, working to change lives through pioneering break-through treatments, to our colleagues putting sustainability at the core of our processes and working to prolong the life of our planet, this mission to improve lives is at the core of our every action.

 

Together we drive change

Change is a constant — change in lifestyle, change in technology, change all over. At Novo Nordisk, we don’t wait for change. We drive it.

We’re a dynamic company in an even more dynamic industry, and we know that what got us to where we are today is not necessarily what will make us successful in the future.

That’s why we continuously push to improve the way we work and the lives of the patients we serve, creating innovative solutions that fit the way people want to live. To accomplish this, we embrace a spirit of open-mindedness and experimentation, striving for excellence without fixating on perfection.

 

Together, we are life-changing

Our company is our people. We know that life is anything but linear and balancing what is important at different stages of our career is never easy. That’s why we make room for diverse life situations, always putting people first. We want to ensure that every employee can achieve a work-life balance that supports their current priorities and where they want to go next.

 

Your development starts here

We value our employees for the unique skills, backgrounds and perspectives they bring to the table. We work continuously to help bring out the best in all of our people, offering opportunities for development and creating an environment of mobility within the company. We strive to offer a workplace that’s great to be in and to be from.

It is very important to us that anyone working with us feels empowered as an employee and as a person. We all should have the opportunity to act fast, make decisions and be agile. 

With a career at our company, you will feel a difference right from the start. A sense of inspiration that comes from a shared belief in driving positive change for people, families and communities everywhere, and it’s a collective effort. We rely on the joint potential and collaboration of our more than 45,000 employees.

In the video above, meet  Marie Darting, one of our scientists, and hear more about her work as a formulation scientist, her perspective on development plans and the impact she feels her work has on people living with a chronic disease.

 

Who we are

We were founded in 1923 and today we are a global healthcare company headquartered just outside Copenhagen, Denmark.

Our purpose is to drive change to defeat diabetes and other serious chronic diseases, such as obesity and rare blood and endocrine disorders. We do so by pioneering  scientific breakthroughs, expanding  access to our medicines , and working to prevent and ultimately cure diabetes.

With almost 100 years of experience, one of the broadest diabetes product portfolios in the healthcare industry, as well as an award-winning pipeline of innovative products, our success is built on our company values – the Novo Nordisk Way.

COMPANY SIZE
2,500 to 4,999 employees
INDUSTRY
Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals
FOUNDED
1923
WEBSITE
https://www.novonordisk.com/