The Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity (NIVI) Research Center at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) seeks to appoint a Chief Operating Officer (COO).

We are looking for an energetic and ambitious COO to lead and provide the driving force for the administrative team of a large research center. The successful applicant should be motivated by working closely with the center’s leadership team, researchers and administrative staff in an inclusive and highly collaborative environment. The aim is to establish the NIVI Research Center as an internationally recognized nucleus for cutting-edge research in vaccines and immunity.

About NIVI
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity (NIVI), launched in January 2024, with a unique mission to harness airway immunity through innovative vaccine research and development to prevent airborne epidemics.

NIVI comprises two entities working towards a common mission:

• NIVI Research Center (NIVI-R): A state-of-the-art research center anchored at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen (www.niviresearch.ku.dk)

• NIVI Development (NIVI-D): A not-for-profit company focused on translational sciences and advancing vaccine development. The company is wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (www.nividevelopment.dk)

NIVI-R conducts collaborative scientific research, while NIVI-D works to turn that research into new vaccine candidates for clinical development. Furthermore, NIVI-D ensures a smooth transition to partners for the later stages of vaccine development.

By connecting basic science, innovation, translational activities, clinical trials, regulatory processes, and product development, NIVI aims to accelerate vaccine development in Denmark by bridging the gap between academic research and industry innovation.

The position
The NIVI-R COO will report to NIVI-R’s Executive Director and be responsible for the administrative operations of the center. The COO will be the administrative point of contact for both NIVI-R’s employees and collaboration partners, the administrative teams at ISIM, the central administrative units across UCPH and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. In addition, the COO will be expected to help develop new internal (UCPH) and external partnerships; thus, together with the Executive Director, the two will be both internal and external points of contact for NIVI-R. The COO will be member of the NIVI-R leadership team.

As NIVI-R COO, your tasks will include (but are not limited to):

• Developing the best administrative framework and processes for NIVI-R together with the Executive Director, ISIM and NIVI-D.
• Administrative management of the NIVI-R grant (and other grants) and reporting to the Novo Nordisk Foundation (and other foundations and agencies). This will be done alongside the Executive Director, and in collaboration with NIVI-R’s financial officer.
• Acting as sparring partner for the Executive Director and the NIVI-R leadership team in relation to, e.g., finance, recruitment, communication, general management and planning.
• Coordination of tasks in the NIVI-R administrative team.
• Supporting NIVI-R’s strategy and process development, and implementation.
• Developing fundraising strategies and business plans for the growth and development of NIVI-R, involving the NIVI-R leadership team, and UCPH Innovation/Lighthouse, as well as the UCPH central administration.
• Supporting the planning of teaching and research for NIVI-R’s academic staff in conjunction with the Executive Director to ensure equitable workloads across the center.
• Ensuring implementation and monitoring of relevant policies and strategies to meet statutory and regulatory compliance requirements (e.g., security and risk management, business continuity, health and safety, and data protection).
• Coordinating activities with the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
• Planning and overseeing activities such as meetings, including within NIVI-R and with the NIVI-R Governance Committee, academic and industrial collaborators, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and advisory boards.
• Supporting the preparation of the NIVI-R Annual Report.
• Coordinating communication activities with ISIM’s and UCPH’s communication teams to ensure that NIVI-R becomes a national and international beacon for research on vaccines and immunity.
• Participating in relevant UCPH fora, including leading these if appropriate.
• Working with ISIM’s and the Faculty’s technical teams on operational requirements within NIVI-R’s highly technical environment to support training and research.

Thus, the COO will be pivotal in establishing, running, and developing NIVI-R in close collaboration with the Executive Director and the leadership team.

Our expectations
We expect that you will:

• have an academic degree at Master's level or higher (e.g., master’s degree in economics, political science, or similar)
• have substantial transferable and relevant experience in a management support position gained within a complex organization.
• have a proven ability to interact and collaborate 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 experience with governance across complex organizational boundaries.
• have numerical skills 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 structured, and can keep an extraordinary overview of ongoing issues, challenges, and opportunities around NIVI-R.
• be proactive, flexible, have a solution-oriented mindset and excel in collaborating and creating networks and relationships across professional groups, internally as well as externally.
• understand the larger context and perspectives, while at the same time keep attention to detail.
• possess a pioneering spirit.

We offer
As NIVI-R COO, you will play a key role and have a unique and developing job where you can expect a high level of activity and a challenging work day in an organization that is under establishment and rapidly growing.

We aim to create a coherent center administration that provides professional proactive support to NIVI-R's research activities, and thereby ensures the working environment that will deliver on the NIVI mission: “Generating knowledge on host immunity, host-pathogen interactions, and vaccine technologies – and translating this knowledge into vaccines that provide robust, durable and broad immunity against respiratory pathogens.”

Salary and employment conditions

The position is as senior consultant or chief consultant with personnel responsibility in accordance with the Collective Agreement for Academics in the Danish State. Remuneration in accordance with the same collective agreement is determined by seniority. It will be possible to negotiate additional supplements based on qualifications. The position is full-time, with an average of 37 working hours per week, and is to start as soon as possible.

Your employment will be at NIVI-R, Department of Immunology and Microbiology (ISIM), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, 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 4th January 2026.

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 NIVI Research Center, see: Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity – University of Copenhagen.