Vice President, Business Development, International Operations

Vice President, Business Development, International Operations

Category: Business Development & Strategy

Location:Zurich, Switzerland Zurich, CH

Are you ready to take the lead in shaping the future of healthcare?

We are seeking a Vice President of Business Development with a passion for innovation and a track record in driving growth through commercial partnerships, new business models, and strategic business development opportunities.

The Position

As the Vice President of Business Development, you will:

1. Develop BD and commercial partnerships strategy for International Operations in close collaboration with key stakeholders including Medical and Marketing

2. Deploy resources to execute on the strategy, including the negotiations and implementation of strategic BD opportunities to drive revenue and growth

3. Manage a portfolio of strategic commercial alliances with a focus on telehealth and e-health channels

4. Take hands-on lead on structuring and negotiating select deals and business development opportunities

5. Serve as steward of IOBD governance and approval process for strategic commercial opportunities, working with regions and affiliates to prepare strong business cases to management

6. Ensure continued capability-building and knowledge management across IO to support independent business development strategies and execution locally

7. Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team of BD and partnership experts committed to delivering incremental value to the organization

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of relevant professional experience related to commercial business development, commercial strategy and analytics, external partnerships, new business models, digital and e-health commercial collaborations, venture capital investments or related field.

• Proven track record in identifying growth opportunities, negotiating strategic partnerships, and managing cross-functional projects.

• Sound commercial acumen and familiarity with commercial strategy, sales channels, and new product development.

• Good understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and its business model; familiarity with both branded and generics business a plus.

• Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills, ability to operate in a matrixed environment, high emotional intelligence and ability to connect with a variety of people and personalities.

• Advanced degree in business, marketing, business innovation, finance, economics or related field.

Novo Nordisk is currently in the process of adjusting job titles globally. Please note that the job title listed in this advertisement may be subject to change. This update will not impact on the salary, benefits or job level of this role. More detailed information will be provided during the recruitment process.

About the IO BD Team

International Operations Business Development is a function established two years ago as part of the BILD (Business Integrity, Legal and Compliance) department. Moving from a "start-up" to a scale-up within International Operations, the IO BD team's recently expanded mandate is to pursue commercial partnerships and revenue-generating business development for our in-market brands focusing specifically on GLP-1 injectables. We work closely with our regional BD counterparts and local affiliates to develop the annual IO BD strategy and support finding, designing, negotiating, and implementing strategic commercial partnerships in priority areas of the business.

About International Operations at Novo Nordisk

International Operations is the largest operational unit in Novo Nordisk and covers 194 countries and 95% of the world's population. Around 503 million people are living with diabetes in these countries and an estimated 987 million live with obesity. IO serves over 33 million patients each and every day. IO is split into five regions, spread across every continent of the globe with a head office (IO Strategic Operations) based in Zurich, Switzerland. IO is a diverse organization with more than 16,000 employees, a 52/48% gender split (m/f) and 113 nationalities.

Contact and Deadline

For further information please contact Senior Executive Search Partner Marlene Villumsen at or get to know us better by visiting

Apply by the 2nd of November 2025 at the latest.

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

We're not your typical healthcare company. In a modern world of quick fixes, we focus on solutions to defeat serious chronic diseases and promote long-term health. Our unordinary mindset is at the heart of everything we do. We seek out new ideas and put people first as we push the boundaries of science, make healthcare more accessible, and treat, prevent, and even cure diseases that affect millions of lives. Because it takes an unordinary approach to drive real, lasting change in health.