Internship with the Global Development team in the Health Area

Are you a Bachelor’s or Master’s student in Denmark passionate about the intersection between health and food systems in low-and middle-income countries? The Global Development team at the Novo Nordisk Foundation is looking for a motivated intern for a full-time internship during the fall semester 2026 (up to six months). This is a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative projects that support the Foundation’s mission in health, sustainability, and life sciences, while developing your skills in data analysis, project development and stakeholder engagement.

The Position
As our new Global Development Intern, you will join a dedicated team working on a wide array of projects and partnerships. No day is ever the same. This internship is designed to be a learning experience, where you will be supported in developing new skills and deepening your understanding of how to design projects at the intersection of health and food systems within a development context.

You will have the opportunity to work closely with the Global Development team’s Senior Scientific Manager (food systems) and receive guidance throughout your internship. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to other non-food system related projects emerging within the team. Your specific tasks and responsibilities will be scoped according to your academic background, capabilities, and interests. However, we are looking for someone who is excited to work with any or all of the following topics:

• Working with the food systems core team, an internal collaboration between colleagues from Global Development and Global Partnerships working on food systems related projects/partnerships in India and Eastern Africa
• Analysing scientific literature on the role of healthy food environments and public meal programmes to improve diets and prevent against cardiometabolic disease in Eastern Africa and India
• Contributing to furthering the team's advocacy work on the role of school meals programmes as a public health intervention and a part of the health promotion/primary prevention toolkit.
• Contributing to our wider work with humanitarian partners and the strengthening of health systems to prevent cardiometabolic disease.

You do not need to have experience in all areas listed above; these are examples of what you may learn about and contribute to during your time with us.

The working hours will be 37 hours a week with flexibility in relation to your other obligations as a student. 

Professional Qualifications 

We are looking for a candidate with some or all of these qualities: 

• A bachelor within, e.g., public health, nutrition, interdisciplinary studies, economics, development studies, political science, behavioural science, development finance, organization and management, etc.
• Experience working/volunteering/studying in low- and middle-income country contexts

• Experience with and/or interest in the nexus between food systems, health systems and policy in low- and middle-income countries

• Super user in Microsoft Office , especially Powerpoint 

• Proficiency in English (written and oral). Speaking Danish fluently is not a requirement

Personal Qualifications   

What we are looking for in an intern: 

• Analytical and detail-oriented, while able to maintain a bird’s eye view

• Flexible, highly self-motivated and can work independently but not afraid to ask for help/feedback 

• Contributes to a positive environment and wants to learn and develop 

• Has a collaborative mindset

Application and Information 
For further information, please contact Afton Halloran, Senior Scientific Manager, ahl@novo.dk

To apply, please submit your CV and a brief cover letter clearly outlining your motivation and relevant experience.  Please specify how long you will be able to intern with the team.

The application deadline is 17 March 2026, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The internship is a full-time, on-site position for the fall semester of 2026, with a start date of 1 September 2026. The role is based at the Novo Nordisk Foundation headquarters in Tuborg Havn, Hellerup.

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation  and Health Area
Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.  

In the coming years, the Foundation will broaden its scope and increase its grants for scientific, humanitarian, and social purposes, including solving the climate crisis and developing tomorrow’s food production. As a consequence, we are a growing organisation, which means new job openings and exciting opportunities for employees to be part of forming the future of the Foundation. 

The Health Area of the Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the overall vision by working towards a future where all people at risk of or living with cardiometabolic and infectious diseases can live healthy lives. To fulfil this vision and mission, we work across the entire value chain of health:

1.        Research

2.       Translation 

3.       Capacity building

4.       Implementation and advocacy

The Global Development team is situated within the Health Area. We focus exclusively on funding impactful partnerships and projects in low- and middle-income countries, mainly India and Eastern Africa (including Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda). The team consists of five people and is led by Rikke Johannessen, Director for Global Development. We work across the health systems and food systems in humanitarian and non-humanitarian contexts. We co-develop projects with outstanding partners that are aligned with our strategic process. We collaborate with research institutions, civil society organizations, multilateral organizations as well as bilateral and philanthropic funders. Our team’s culture is characterised by a fun, supportive, and informal atmosphere, coupled with high ambitions and a strong drive to continuously co-develop and fund impactful projects.