Job Description

Automation Lead

CMC & Product Supply

Anagni, Italy

Lead complex automation initiatives that optimize GMP manufacturing systems and ensure the reliable delivery of life‑changing medicines to millions of patients worldwide.

Your new role

As Automation Lead, you'll be at the forefront of our manufacturing transformation, leading complex automation projects that ensure the highest quality standards in pharmaceutical production. Working at our Anagni site, you'll oversee project activities while optimising resource use, minimising costs, and maintaining excellence within our manufacturing environment.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading automation project management from conception through to commissioning, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with overall project goals
• Overseeing testing and validation processes (FAT, IQ/OQ, PQ) to ensure compliance with GMP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and GAMP 5 standards
• Managing system installation and commissioning of PLC, SCADA, DCS systems and MES integration across OT layers
• Taking ownership of OT systems installation, maintenance, and infrastructure including backup and monitoring services
• Leading and developing the Project OT team, managing senior professionals to deliver exceptional results
• Collaborating across sites and with vendors, including travel for vendor visits and Factory Acceptance Tests
• Working cross-functionally to shape project approaches, add professional insights, and drive progress with project heads and peers

Your new department

In CMC & Product Supply, we cover the full value chain from drug and device development to marketed Novo Nordisk products. We are more than 30,000 colleagues across the globe with the shared responsibility of scaling molecules, processes, devices, and products, dedicated to supplying life-saving medicines to the patients who need them most.

At our Anagni site, you'll join a dynamic team focused on operational excellence and innovation in aseptic manufacturing. We're committed to advancing automation capabilities that directly impact our ability to supply high-quality medicines to patients who depend on them.

Your skills & qualifications

We're seeking an accomplished Automation Lead who thrives in complex, cross-functional environments, capable of leading senior and first-line teams while overseeing automation architecture, infrastructure, backup, and monitoring systems. You bring strong problem‑solving abilities, excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, and consistently maintain oversight on issues and project progress, with the flexibility to travel for multi‑site collaboration, vendor interactions, and FAT activities.

You'll bring with you:

• Master's degree in Automation Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum 8 years of experience in automation within major pharmaceutical, biotech, or aseptic manufacturing environments
• Proven project management knowledge and experience, with the ability to proactively work toward overall project goals and deliverables
• Strong technical expertise in PLC, SCADA, DCS systems, industrial automation protocols, and MES integration with OT layers
• Solid experience with validation processes (FAT, IQ/OQ, PQ) and deep knowledge of GMP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and GAMP 5 requirements

Working at Novo Nordisk

Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. To do this, we approach our work with determination, constant curiosity and a commitment to finding better ways forward. For over 100 years, this dedication has driven us to build a company focused on lasting change for long-term health. One where diverse thinking, shared purpose and mutual respect come together to create extraordinary results. Here, your expertise in automation doesn't just optimise systems – it helps ensure millions of patients receive the medicines they need. When you join us, you're not just starting a job – you're becoming part of a story that spans generations.

What we offer

There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary results we produce. Being part of a global healthcare company means opportunities to learn and develop are all around us, while our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind. You'll have the chance to work on cutting-edge automation projects within a world-class pharmaceutical environment, with access to international collaboration and continuous professional growth.

Deadline: 16 March 2026. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

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.