Director, Commercial Strategy

Novo Nordisk · Beijing

About the position

Lead the annual commercial strategy process across all disease areas and commercial channels by integrating internal and external insights, business priorities, competitive dynamics and long-term growth opportunities. Define enterprise-level strategic choices, portfolio priorities and resource allocation principles to ensure the organization focuses on the highest-value growth opportunities and achieves sustainable business results.
Own the prioritization of the overall portfolio across disease areas, brands and channels by evaluating growth potential, strategic fit, investment requirements and business impact. Establish clear portfolio choices and trade-off decisions across Diabetes, Obesity, Rare Disease and future growth platforms, ensuring resources are allocated to maximize enterprise value rather than optimizing individual brands. Drive alignment of omni-channel priorities across Marketing, ECD, CBD and other stakeholders to ensure consistent strategic focus. This role determines what should be prioritized, whereas execution teams are responsible for delivering approved plans.
Lead the design, governance and acceleration of enterprise-level commercial strategic initiatives that are critical to business transformation and growth. Partner with senior stakeholders to define objectives, success measures, governance mechanisms and decision milestones, ensuring initiatives remain aligned with overall portfolio and commercial strategy. Monitor progress, resolve cross-functional barriers and drive timely decision-making to maximize strategic outcomes and business impact.
Act as the bridge between strategic planning and business execution by translating strategic choices into clear priorities, governance principles and cross-functional operating requirements. Facilitate alignment among Marketing, Commercial Excellence & Execution, regional teams and business divisions to ensure execution activities support strategic objectives. The role is responsible for maintaining strategic coherence and organizational alignment, rather than managing day-to-day execution activities.
Establish enterprise-level performance reviews and strategic monitoring mechanisms to assess business impact, portfolio effectiveness and progress against strategic objectives. Generate recommendations for strategic adjustments, resource reallocation and growth acceleration opportunities based on market performance and organisational priorities. The focus is on evaluating whether strategic choices deliver the intended outcomes;
Build and lead a high-performing Commercial Strategy team with strong capabilities in strategic thinking, portfolio management, business planning and cross-functional collaboration. Create a culture of enterprise thinking and fact-based decision-making, ensuring the organization develops a disciplined and consistent approach to commercial strategy development. Strengthen strategic capabilities across Marketing and key stakeholders to support long-term organizational effectiveness and transformation.

The requirements

Typically 10+ years of relevant experience in commercial strategy, marketing, business planning, management consulting or related fields, including experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and people or project teams. Healthcare or pharmaceutical experience is strongly preferred.

Enterprise & Portfolio Leadership: Ability to think beyond individual brands and disease areas, balancing short-term business priorities with long-term strategic objectives to maximize overall portfolio value and enterprise growth.
Strong Brand / TA Management Expertise: Deep understanding of brand, disease area and commercial management with proven experience in developing and executing brand strategies, managing product lifecycles, driving launches, and delivering sustainable business growth. Able to translate frontline market realities into portfolio-level strategic decisions.
Strategic Thinking & Portfolio Prioritization: Strong capability to translate market dynamics, customer insights and business opportunities into clear strategic choices, portfolio priorities and resource allocation decisions across disease areas, brands and commercial channels.
Influencing & Cross-functional Leadership: Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and build alignment across Marketing, Commercial Excellence & Execution, Medical, Market Access, Finance and business divisions without direct authority.
Structured Problem Solving & Executive Communication: Strong analytical capability and business judgement to synthesize complex information, develop practical recommendations and communicate strategic insights effectively to senior leadership.
Change Leadership & Team Development: Ability to lead organizational change, foster innovation, and build high-performing teams through coaching, capability development and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Fluent English in both reading, speaking and writing.

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 preventing 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.

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