Associate Director, People & Organisation

About the role

As Associate Director, People & Organisation (P&O), you will lead the people and organisation agenda for Novo in Algeria and act as a trusted adviser to the General Manager and the Leadership Team. You will turn business priorities into clear plans for organisation, talent, leadership and culture, so the affiliate has the people and capabilities it needs to deliver its ambition.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Algeria people and organisation agenda in line with affiliate priorities and Global, Regional and Business Area P&O strategy, advising the General Manager and Leadership Team.
• Lead organisational reviews, organisation design and workforce planning.
• Oversee recruitment and onboarding, and lead talent and succession planning for critical roles.
• Identify capability gaps and turn them into targeted development programmes for the Leadership Team, the Extended Leadership Team and the frontline organisation.
• Embed a high-performance, high-engagement culture through performance management, recognition, leadership accountability and engagement actions.
• Lead the people side of change, working with colleagues across functions on communication, readiness and adoption.
• Oversee employee relations and ensure people decisions comply with Algerian employment legislation, working with legal and compliance partners.
• Make sure payroll, reward, benefits and insurance administration run well, and support office operations, workplace health, safety and security.
• Lead and develop the Algeria P&O team, setting priorities, accountabilities and succession readiness.

Required profile

• University degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organisational Psychology or a related field.
• Substantial, progressive P&O experience, including senior HR business partnering, leading a P&O team and advising senior leaders in a multinational environment.
• Strong working knowledge of Algerian employment legislation, employee relations and local HR requirements, turned into compliant policies.
• Experience translating business strategy into an integrated people agenda, including organisation design, workforce planning, talent and succession, leadership development and change management.
• Broad expertise across the employee life cycle: recruitment, performance management, reward, engagement, and oversight of payroll, benefits and P&O operations.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams, influence senior stakeholders and collaborate across local, Business Area, Regional and Global teams in a matrix organisation.
• Professional proficiency in French and English.

Required skills

• People data analysis to set priorities, inform decisions and measure the impact of P&O initiatives.
• Useful but not essential: postgraduate qualification or professional HR certification, experience in the pharmaceutical industry or another regulated industry, and Arabic language capability.

The role sits within the Algeria affiliate in International Operations, reporting to the General Manager of the Affiliate. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis and should be submitted by 23 November 2026.