Head of Business Development at Novo Nordisk

Your new role

Based in Nairobi, you will own sales and market development across East & Southern Africa, delivering commercial results by translating strategy into operational plans and by leading the sales and business development team. Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the East & Southern Africa BD team, inspiring superior performance
• Own regional sales and operating profit, deliver sales at and above targets by identifying and maximising opportunities across manned and unmanned markets.
• Translate Middle Africa’s commercial strategy into clear, measurable operational plans and ensure targets are met.
• Build and nurture trustful relationships with KOLs, health authorities, regulators, distributors, customers and relevant patient associations to strengthen Novo Nordisk’s reputation and access.
• Provide leadership as part of the affiliate management team and collaborate cross‑functionally to deliver business results.
• Regularly visit priority markets to support execution, performance improvement and stakeholder engagement.

Your new department

You will join Novo Nordisk Middle Africa’s commercial organisation focused on improving access to innovative medicines for people living with diabetes and obesity. The East & Southern Africa BD Unit has nine employees in six countries, spans a total of 24 countries and offers high‑impact commercial and development opportunities. You will work closely with the rest of the affiliate management team and cross‑functional partners to scale sustainable solutions across the region.

Your skills & qualifications
We are looking for a commercially driven leader who combines hands‑on field experience with the ability to lead at regional level.

• Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, Medicine, Finance, Business, Marketing or a related field.
• Proven track record of delivering strong sales results, owning a P&L with measurable business impact in multi‑country markets and demonstrated ability to translate insight into execution.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in sales management or equivalent commercial leadership roles.
• Background in pharmaceuticals, healthcare or multinational FMCG with strong pan‑African exposure.
• Experience managing field teams and coaching sales representatives to improve performance.
• Fluency in English.
• Ability to travel frequently across the region.
• Regional African market experience is a plus.
• Experience working with distributors and external stakeholders (KOLs, patient associations).