Grant manager/specialist

We are seeking an experienced Grant Specialist or Grant Manager to join the Grant Management Department at the Novo Nordisk Foundation in Hellerup. Do you thrive with well-run processes and close collaboration with applicants, committees and colleagues? Then you could be our new colleague in Grant Management at the Novo Nordisk Foundation. 

We are open to candidates at different stages of their career from specialist with grant related processes ready to move into more end-to-end grant management to grant managers who are experienced working with complex portfolios of committees and open calls. We will shape the position around your experience. 

Grant Management is a department with 25 international employees across two teams. As a Grant Manager, your primary responsibility is to ensure seamless and professional grant management for our grantees, committees and internal stakeholders. Grant Management is on an exciting development journey where we continue to strengthen our role as partners to our internal colleagues in the programme areas while driving operational excellence in grant management. This entails ensuring efficient processes, developing standardised ways of working and maintaining solid day-to-day operations. We work collaboratively across the department’s teams and disciplines and place a strong emphasis on knowledge sharing, continuous improvement and professional development. 

About the role

Your key responsibilities will be: 

• Take end-to-end responsibility for committees and open calls, from call design and launch through assessment and decision making to award 

• Prepare decision material, facilitate committee meetings and implement outcomes in line with governance and quality standards 

• Support applicants, committee members and grant recipients with transparent processes, timely decisions and clear communication 

• Manage a portfolio of strategic grants, including review grant agreements, milestones, deliverables, reporting and follow-up after award 

• Advise on strategic grants, including grant models, timelines, risk assessment and key decision points 

• Ensure compliance with the Foundation’s policies and procedures and contribute to due diligence 

• Drive the improvement and digitalisation of our processes, acting as project manager for defined initiatives 

• Coordinate tasks with colleagues, provide guidance and quality assurance and contribute to project management across the department and organisation. 

Beyond managing grant portfolios, you will have opportunities to contribute to process improvements, digitalisation initiatives and the continued development of our ways of working. You will contribute to a positive team environment and working culture where you interact and build relationships with colleagues across the organisation.   

What you bring 

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree or similar 

• Experience with grant administration from a university, research institute, foundation, NGO or the public sector 

• A solid understanding of grant-making processes with the ability to apply rules and guidelines with sound judgement and to ensure quality across a portfolio of cases 

• Strong skills in MS Office and digital systems and an interest in using digital tools to work smarter 

• Excellent written and spoken English  

Professional and personal qualifications 

We are looking for a candidate with a expertise in managing complex grant processes. You hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree within a relevant field and have at least min. 3-4 years of relevant experience in grant management from a university, research institute, foundation, NGO, or the public sector. 

As a person, you are a collaborative team player who shares knowledge, offers sparring and gives constructive feedback. You are proactive and solution-focused, and you thrive in a changing environment. When perspectives differ, you rely on professionalism, sound judgement and constructive dialogue. You take ownership of your work while respecting the roles and responsibilities of others. 

As a person, you: 

• Act as a collaborative team player, actively supporting colleagues through knowledge sharing and sparring. 

• Are highly structured, detail-oriented, and proactive, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and deliver high-quality results in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. 

• Take responsibility for constructive collaboration across functions and respecting role clarity and ownership.  

• Seek, reflect on, and provide feedback in a way that supports continuous improvement and a positive working environment. 

• Thrive in a cross-disciplinary setting and in team-centric ways of working. 

• Handle differing perspectives with professionalism, sound judgement, and constructive dialogue.  

We believe the best solutions are created through collaboration. We value openness, constructive feedback, mutual support and a willingness to learn from one another. We succeed as a team and actively share knowledge and expertise across the department. This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of science, strategy, operations and stakeholder engagement while contributing to some of the Foundation's most important grants and initiatives. 

You will work onsite at the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s headquarters in Hellerup. We have an office-based policy where limited remote working can be agreed. 

Application and information 

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as we will conduct in-person interviews on an ongoing basis and close the advertisement once we have found the right candidate. 

To apply, please upload your motivated CV by clicking the "Apply" button. Please note that applications not meeting these requirements will not be taken into consideration. 

Candidates invited to the second interview will be asked to complete a case study and an assessment test in advance. 

About The Novo Nordisk Foundation 
Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people's health and the sustainability of society and the planet. 
The Foundation's mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.