Job Description

Are you an experienced legal professional with a passion for navigating complex legal landscapes? Do you thrive in a leadership role where you can shape strategy, ensure compliance, and drive impactful decisions? If so, we invite you to join Novo Nordisk as our new Legal Director for the APAC region. Read on and apply today for a life-changing career!
About the department
You will be part of the Legal, Compliance & Audit team at Novo Nordisk APAC. Based in a dynamic and fast-paced environment, this department ensures that our organisation operates ethically and in compliance with all relevant legal and regulatory requirements. From corporate governance to business litigation, intellectual property, and compliance, we provide strategic legal counsel across the full value chain. Our team is committed to safeguarding Novo Nordisk's interests while supporting its mission to improve the lives of patients worldwide. The role will report directly to the Vice President of Legal, Ethics, Compliance & Quality (LECQ) APAC.
The position
The Legal Director oversees legal strategy, compliance, and risk management to ensure alignment with Novo Nordisk's business objectives and regulatory requirements. This role serves as the company's primary legal representative in negotiations, litigation, and corporate governance matters across the APAC region. The Legal Director collaborates with senior leadership and external stakeholders to develop policies, exercise independent judgment on complex legal issues, and represent the Legal, Compliance & Audit department.
Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide strategic legal counsel to the organization: Advise senior leadership on legal matters affecting business operations and strategy, offer guidance on corporate law, transactions, intellectual property, and employment issues, and support decision-making with risk assessments and legal insights.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements: Monitor and interpret relevant changes, develop and implement policies to maintain adherence, and collaborate with compliance teams to address regulatory challenges.
• Oversee corporate governance and ethical practices: Ensure adherence to governance principles and ethical standards, support the board of directors with legal advice and documentation, and promote a culture of integrity and accountability throughout the organization.
• Manage legal risks and business litigation: Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks, oversee dispute resolution and coordination with external counsel, and develop strategies to minimize exposure to legal liabilities.
• Lead and develop the legal team: Provide mentorship and professional development, effectively allocate resources to align with organizational priorities, and foster a collaborative, high-performing team environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) is required; advanced legal qualifications (e.g., LLM or equivalent) strongly preferred. Admission to the bar or equivalent legal accreditation is essential.
• Minimum 10 years of legal experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven expertise in corporate law, compliance, and regulatory matters within the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry.
• Strong track record of managing complex legal issues, including litigation, intellectual property, and corporate governance.
• Proven leadership in managing and mentoring legal teams, with excellent communication and negotiation skills, and adept at analyzing complex legal issues and adapting to evolving regulations and business priorities.

Working at Novo Nordisk
We are a proud life-science company, and life is our reason to exist. We're inspired by life in all its forms and shapes, ups and downs, opportunities, and challenges. For employees at Novo Nordisk, life means many things - from the building blocks of life that form the basis of ground-breaking scientific research, to our rich personal lives that motivate and energize us to perform our best at work. Ultimately, life is why we're all here - to ensure that people can lead a life independent of chronic disease.
Contact
Upload your CV to our online career page (click on Apply and follow the instructions).
Internal candidates are requested to inform their Line Manager when applying.
Deadline
25th of July, 2025
We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.
At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we're life changing.
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