The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Design (CPD) seeks to appoint a Center Coordinator from as soon as possible to 31 July 2032.

We are looking for an energetic and ambitious Center Coordinator to lead and provide the driving force for the administrative team of a large new research center in protein design. The successful applicant should be motivated by working closely with researchers and administrative staff in an inclusive and highly collaborative environment with ambitions to establish the Center for Protein Design as an internationally recognized nucleus for cutting-edge research in protein design.

About us

The Center for Protein Design (CPD) will be embedded across the Faculty of Science (the Department of Biology) and the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology). It will be physically located in newly refurbished offices and laboratories in the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology on Nørre Campus at the University of Copenhagen. The Center will collaborate with local, national, and international partners from academia and industry to deliver world-leading research and training in fundamental and applied protein design.

The overall mission of the CPD is to tackle key challenges and grasp new opportunities in protein design by interfacing with the basic sciences – biology, chemistry, computer science, and physics – to advance fundamental understanding of protein structure and function, and to enable frontier protein design. In addition, through an open and collaborative network of experts across these disciplines and other fields – such as biotechnology, medicine, and pharmacology – the CPD will use designed proteins to address challenges in healthcare and sustainability.

The CPD is funded by a large grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and started on 1 August 2025. The intention is that the Center Coordinator will play a proactive role in establishing and developing the Center from its very beginning. This will begin with helping to coordinate taking over and establishing the new CPD offices and laboratories with the official launch of the Center, which are anticipated to be in spring 2026.

Additional information about the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Design is available upon request from Louise Thers Nielsen ltni@science.ku.dk and Center Director, Professor Dek Woolfson d.n.woolfson@bio.ku.dk.

The position

The Center Coordinator will work in partnership with the Center Director, Professor Dek Woolfson, and will be responsible for the administrative operation of the Center and assisting in forming the foundations to fulfil the ambitions of the CPD. The Center Coordinator will be the administrative point of contact for the management, researchers, and administrative teams within the Center, in the two host departments, and the centralised administrative units across the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). This will include for example: UCPH Finance, Campus Services, HR, Communication, and IT; equivalent groups at the external CPD Spokes and Strategic Partners in Denmark and abroad; and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In addition, the Center Coordinator will be expected to help develop new internal (UCPH) and external partnerships; thus, together with the Center Director, they will be internally and outwardly facing points of contacts for the CPD. As such the Center Coordinator will be a key part of the CPD Management and Leadership team.

Your tasks will include – but are not limited to:

• Development of the best administrative framework and processes for CPD together with the Center Director and the two host departments
• Administrative management of the Center grant (and other grants) and reporting to the Novo Nordisk Foundation (and other foundations and agencies). This will be done alongside the Center Director, and in collaboration with UCPH's financial officer for the grant and administrative teams within the center and in the two host departments as appropriate.
• As a sparring partner for the Center Director and the CPD Management Teams in relation to, e.g. center finances, recruitment, management and planning more generally.
• Coordination of the tasks in the CPD administrative team.
• Support to the Center Director/Management in strategy development and processes.
• Develop fund-raising/income-generation strategies and business plans for the growth and development of the Center with the Center Director, Senior Management Team, and UCPH Innovation/Lighthouse and central administration as appropriate.
• Coordination of employment and onboarding of researchers, many of whom may come from abroad.
• Support the planning of teaching and research for academic staff in conjunction with the Center Director to ensure equitable workloads across the Center.
• Ensure the Center implements and monitors relevant policies and strategies to meet statutory and regulatory compliance such as risk management, business continuity, Safety and Health, and data protection.
• Coordination of activities with the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
• Planning and overseeing the Center activities such as internal and external meetings, e.g. within the Management Teams, with academic and industrial collaborators and visitors, with the Novo Nordisk Foundation, with the Strategic Advisory Board, and the Annual CPD Research Conference.
• Assistance in connection with purchase, installation, maintenance and management of research equipment, which will likely be a significant investment for the CPD. This will be done with the CPD Experimental Officer(s) and Technical Team.
• Coordination with UCPH’s communication department in relation to communication to ensure that CPD becomes a local, national, and international, one-stop shop for information on research activities in protein design.
• Ongoing dialogue with stakeholders, incl. researchers, funders, publics, journalists, companies, and other relevant organisations.
• Facilitation of communication and dissemination of research results through, e.g. the CPD's annual reports, website, newsletters, and articles about CPD's research to a wider audience – in collaboration with UCPH’s communication department as appropriate.
• Participate in Department, Faculty or University committees, working groups and new initiatives, leading these where appropriate.
• Work with the Department/Faculty technical teams on operational requirements in the CPD’s highly technical environment to support training and research.
• Advising and helping the CPD Director and Senior Leadership Group to foster and develop new internal (UCPH) and external partnerships.

In other words, the Center Coordinator will play a pivotal role in the CPD, working in partnership with the Director and the Management Teams on all aspects of the Center management, establishment, vision, and growth.

Our expectations

We expect that you will:

• have an academic degree at Master's level or higher, ideally in a scientific discipline.
• have substantial transferable/relevant experience in a management support position gained within a large, complex organisation.
• have a proven ability to interact effectively with staff at all levels and with a wide range of internal and external contacts, commanding respect and dealing with highly complex issues.
• speak and write English fluently.
• have excellent intercultural communication skills and an understanding of the world of research.
• have numerical skills and in-depth knowledge of Excel and can manage budgets.
• take responsibility for providing consistent and high-quality professional administrative and management support and follow through on tasks.
• have experience of producing detailed reports and, ideally, contributing to the development and presentation of business cases.
• have experience of working in, or managing a specialist, technical environment.
• work independently and in a structured manner and can keep an extraordinary overview of ongoing issues, challenges, and opportunities for the CPD.
• at the same time, be able to work closely and well with others, especially in the senior academic and management team of the CPD.
• are proactive, flexible, have a solution-oriented mindset and excel in collaborating and creating networks and relationships across professional groups, internally as well as externally.
• are able to understand the larger context and perspective at the same time as having an eye for detail.
• possess a pioneering spirit.

We offer

You will have an interesting and developing job at the CPD and you can expect a high level of activity and a challenging working day in a rapidly growing center. The tasks will initially cover a very broad range as everyone will have to help in solving the tasks related to the establishment of CPD.

We aim to establish a coherent Center administration that professionally and proactively supports CPD's research activities, and thereby underpins the best working environment to deliver world-leading research and training in protein design.

Salary and employment conditions

The position is as senior consultant in accordance with the Collective Agreement for Academics in the Danish State. Remuneration in accordance with the AC collective agreement is determined by seniority. It will be possible to negotiate additional supplements based on qualifications. The position is full-time and the average weekly working hours are 37 hours.

Your employment will be at CPD, the Department of Biology, the Faculty of Science, the University of Copenhagen.

The application process

If you are interested in the position, please send an electronic application in English with attachments (incl. CV, and relevant documentation for your academic degree) via the Job Portal (click on the link "APPLY FOR THE POSITION" at the bottom of the advertisement) no later than 1 October 2025 23:59 CEST.

We want to reflect the surrounding society and encourage everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

Further information

For further information about the position, see: New Danish research centre to make designed proteins with vast potential – University of Copenhagen, or contact Louise Thers Nielsen ltni@science.ku.dk .