Preparing for an interview at Novo Nordisk requires more than just brushing up on your technical knowledge. We evaluate candidates holistically, looking for a blend of scientific excellence, communication prowess, and alignment with our core values.

To succeed, you should understand our primary evaluation criteria:

Scientific and Technical Rigor As a research-driven organization, we expect a deep understanding of your specific domain, whether that is molecular biology, biochemistry, or process engineering. Interviewers will evaluate your ability to design robust experiments, troubleshoot unexpected results, and apply scientific principles to practical manufacturing or scale-up challenges. You can demonstrate strength here by speaking precisely about the methodologies you have used and the data-driven decisions you have made.

Communication and Knowledge Sharing Research is a collaborative endeavor at Novo Nordisk. We assess how effectively you can translate complex scientific data into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences. You will be expected to present your past work, and your ability to field questions, defend your methodology, and engage in scientific debate is critical.

Cultural Fit and "The Novo Nordisk Way" We place a heavy emphasis on teamwork, integrity, and patient-centricity. Through behavioral interviews and psychometric assessments, we evaluate how you collaborate, how you handle setbacks, and your level of self-awareness. Strong candidates show that they can thrive in an environment that values consensus-building and open, sometimes challenging, feedback.

The interview process for a Research Scientist at Novo Nordisk is thorough, multi-staged, and designed to assess both your technical capabilities and your psychological fit for our teams. Typically, the process begins with an initial screening call involving the hiring manager and a key team member. This conversation focuses on your high-level background, your alignment with the role's requirements, and your motivation for joining the company.

If successful, you will advance to a testing phase, which is a distinctive and highly emphasized part of our process. You will be asked to complete psychometric (personality) and numerical reasoning assessments. Unlike many companies where these tests are merely a background check, at Novo Nordisk, the results of these assessments are often openly discussed during your subsequent interviews.

The final stages usually consist of a comprehensive technical onsite or virtual day. This heavily features a formal presentation where you will walk the team through a past research project. Following the presentation, you will face rigorous Q&A, a dedicated HR competency interview, and deep-dive technical discussions. The process is thorough and can sometimes take several weeks from end to end, requiring patience and consistent engagement.

This visual timeline outlines the typical progression from your initial screening through the final presentation and HR rounds. Use this to structure your preparation, ensuring you allocate sufficient time to practice your presentation skills and reflect on your behavioral competencies before the onsite stages. Note that the exact sequence of technical rounds and the depth of the psychometric review may vary slightly depending on the specific team and location.

To perform well, you must understand exactly how the hiring team evaluates your skills during the core interview stages.

The Scientific Presentation

For almost all Research Scientist roles, you will be required to deliver a presentation detailing a significant past project. This is arguably the most critical component of the technical evaluation. We use this to judge not only your scientific competence but also your ability to structure a narrative, highlight key findings, and engage an audience. Strong performance means delivering a clear, well-paced presentation that balances high-level impact with deep technical methodology.

Be ready to go over:

• Experimental Design – The rationale behind your chosen methods and how you ensured robust, reproducible results.
• Data Interpretation – How you analyzed complex datasets and the statistical tools you employed.
• Troubleshooting – Specific instances where an experiment failed or yielded unexpected results, and how you pivoted.
• Advanced concepts (less common) –
  • Scale-up considerations for your benchtop experiments.
  • Cross-functional dependencies required to complete your project.
  • Regulatory or quality compliance considerations relevant to your research.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Why did you choose this specific assay over alternative methods, and what were the limitations?"
• "Walk us through the data on slide 4—how would your conclusions change if this variable was altered?"
• "If you had six more months and unlimited budget, how would you have expanded this project?"

Psychometric and Behavioral Evaluation

Novo Nordisk takes cultural fit and team dynamics very seriously. The psychometric and numerical tests you complete will generate a profile that HR and the technical team will review. During the HR competency interview, interviewers will ask targeted questions based on this profile. Strong candidates approach this with openness and self-awareness, rather than defensiveness.

Be ready to go over:

• Conflict Resolution – How you navigate disagreements regarding scientific direction or resource allocation.
• Adaptability – Your response to shifting project priorities or unexpected clinical data.
• Collaboration Style – How you integrate into established teams and communicate with non-scientific stakeholders.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Your psychometric profile suggests you prefer highly structured environments. How do you handle projects where the initial data is highly ambiguous?"
• "Tell me about a time you had to deliver critical feedback to a senior colleague regarding their experimental design."
• "Describe a situation where your team failed to meet a critical research milestone. What was your role in the aftermath?"

Process Engineering and Scale-Up (Role Specific)

For roles specifically focused on process science or research engineering (such as our Petersburg, VA facility), you will be evaluated on your ability to transition research from the lab bench to pilot or commercial scale. We look for scientists who understand the physical and chemical constraints of large-scale manufacturing.

Be ready to go over:

• Process Optimization – Identifying bottlenecks in a biochemical pathway or purification step.
• Technology Transfer – The documentation and communication required to hand off a process to manufacturing teams.
• Quality by Design (QbD) – Integrating quality and safety metrics into the early stages of process development.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How would you optimize this purification step to increase yield without compromising product purity?"
• "What parameters would you monitor most closely when scaling this reaction from a 1L flask to a 50L bioreactor?"

As a Research Scientist, your day-to-day work is a dynamic mix of hands-on laboratory experimentation, data analysis, and strategic collaboration. You will be responsible for designing and executing complex experimental protocols aimed at discovering new therapeutic targets or optimizing existing drug production processes. This involves spending significant time in the lab or pilot plant, ensuring that all procedures adhere to strict safety and quality standards.

Beyond the bench, you will spend a large portion of your time analyzing data, writing comprehensive technical reports, and preparing presentations for internal stakeholders. You will synthesize your findings to make actionable recommendations on whether to advance a specific compound or process modification. This requires a high degree of analytical rigor and the ability to spot trends or anomalies in large datasets.

Collaboration is a cornerstone of this role. You will rarely work in isolation. Instead, you will partner closely with cross-functional teams, including computational biologists, manufacturing engineers, quality assurance specialists, and project managers. Whether you are handing off a newly developed process to the engineering team in Petersburg or aligning on research targets with scientists in Copenhagen, your ability to communicate effectively across disciplines is essential to driving projects forward.

To be competitive for the Research Scientist role at Novo Nordisk, you must possess a strong foundation in both theoretical science and practical laboratory techniques, paired with excellent interpersonal skills.

• Must-have skills

  • A Ph.D. or a Master’s degree with significant industry experience in a relevant field (e.g., Biochemistry, Biochemical Engineering, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline).
  • Proven expertise in experimental design, execution, and advanced data analysis.
  • Strong presentation and scientific writing skills, with the ability to communicate complex data clearly.
  • Experience working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment.

• Nice-to-have skills

  • Prior experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, particularly with peptide or protein therapeutics.
  • Familiarity with process scale-up, technology transfer, or bioreactor operations (highly valued for Process Scientist roles).
  • Knowledge of regulatory requirements (e.g., GMP) and Quality by Design (QbD) principles.
  • Experience with advanced statistical software or programming languages (e.g., Python, R) for data analysis.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? The process at Novo Nordisk is thorough and can sometimes be lengthy. Depending on the location and team, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to over a month from the final interview to receive a decision. We prioritize finding the absolute right fit, which requires careful deliberation by the hiring committee.

Q: Should I be worried about the psychometric and numerical testing? No, but you should be prepared to discuss the results openly. The psychometric analysis is not a pass/fail test; it is a tool we use to understand your working style, your strengths, and areas where you might need support. Be honest in your answers, and be ready to reflect on your working style during the HR interview.

Q: How should I structure my technical presentation? Focus on a narrative arc. Start with the broader context and the problem statement, dive deep into your methodology and your specific contributions, and conclude with the impact of your findings. Ensure you leave ample time for Q&A, as interviewers will interrupt to ask probing questions.

Q: What is the working culture like for Research Scientists at Novo Nordisk? The culture is highly collaborative, consensus-driven, and deeply rooted in our commitment to patients. We value scientific integrity and open dialogue. You will find a supportive environment that encourages continuous learning, but it also demands a high level of personal accountability and scientific rigor.

Q: Are these roles fully onsite? Because of the heavy laboratory and process engineering requirements, Research Scientist roles are generally onsite. However, there is often flexibility for remote work when your tasks are focused on data analysis, literature review, or report writing, depending on your specific team's guidelines.