Cand.Polit in Corporate Procurement at Novo Nordisk

Where do you work?
I work as a Procurement Consultant in Corporate Procurement at Novo Nordisk. In Corporate Procurement we manage the total external spend of DKK 25 billion in collaboration with the global organisation.

What is the role of a Procurement Consultant?
The role of a Procurement Consultant is a permanent, full time position for graduates. As part of which, in the first two years, you are expected to rotate within four different departments in Corporate Procurement. This means you get to work with many different stakeholders, sometimes globally, which is not only exciting but also enables you to build a broad internal network and gives a broad understanding of how it is to work with procurement at Novo Nordisk.

What does a typical day in Corporate Procurement look like?
No two days are the same, this is because of the diversity of tasks and projects, that said most days I interact with suppliers, work on projects as well as ad-hoc tasks. My colleagues are mainly those working as internal consultants executing sourcing tasks in close cooperation with our customers. Besides that we also work on other projects, for example developing category strategies that help us improve and optimize our supply chain processes.

At the moment I am a part of the project team developing a sourcing strategy for the IT category, a large category with significant external spend and a number of global suppliers.

How did you get this job?
Actually, I started my time in Corporate Procurement as an intern in Autumn 2015 and was offered the chance to become a Procurement Consultant after my internship period ended. That was my experience; others got their job as Procurement Consultants through the regular recruitment process.

What was your experience as an intern?
In my opinion the internship programme is a great way to gain work experience and knowledge of procurement. The best thing about the programme in Corporate Procurement is that you will be given the opportunity to work on exciting projects where you play a big part in defining the level of responsibility and involvement you have. It’s challenging, in a good way, and I feel like I developed both personally and professionally during my time in this role.

Application procedure for the internship?
It’s Novo Nordisk; so understandably, the hiring process for interns is quite thorough. During the recruitment, I was asked to complete an online aptitude test, which was more fun and different from the standard “50 questions in 12 minutes” type. Hereafter, I participated in a recruitment assessment day together with other selected candidates. The day included an introduction to Novo Nordisk and Corporate Procurement, I had two interviews and had to solve and present a case in groups.

Advice for new applicants?
The best advice I can give is stay relaxed and calm on the assessment day – most of the interviewers are employees from the department you will work in and they want to hear your story, decisions are based not only on your professional skills, but also on your personal fit for the team, so it’s important to be yourself. For the larger case you will work on during the assessment day, it is important to keep in mind that you are being evaluated not solely on your own performance, but also on your ability to work with and involve other teammates.

What’s the best part of working within Corporate Procurement?
For me the best thing is the exposure to all parts of the Novo Nordisk value chain. In less than a year I had the chance to work with some very different areas of the organisation and learn a lot about e.g. our clinical trial processes; international pricing methods or our global IT infrastructure. Besides that, I got to work with a variety of world leading companies that are suppliers to Novo Nordisk. In this way you are always on top of the latest products or technologies available in the market.

Which courses were the most relevant for you? Which courses could be useful?
It has been said so many times before, but for me the most valuable lesson from my studies has been the economic way of thinking. If I had to highlight some useful courses in addition to that, I would say Industrial Organisation and Auction Theory. Sometimes I have to plan eAuctions, so understanding market dynamics, various auction formats and strategic implications adds a lot of value. On the more practical level solid Excel skills (and VBA) could really come in handy and improve your efficiency.

Social activities on the job?
We have a young and friendly environment in Corporate Procurement, which makes it a pleasant and engaging place to work. If you need a break from work you can always find someone who is up for a game of foosball. It is not uncommon to go and grab a beer at the local café on Fridays after work or for example arrange a board game night with your colleagues.

Corporate Procurement is looking to hire new interns for Fall 2016 read more at altandetlige.dk’s job bank: Internship in Corporate Procurement