Vice President for Innovation, Materials & Sustainability

Build and lead a business area at the intersection of science, innovation, materials, and sustainability

About Emendo R&D

Emendo R&D is a specialized life science consultancy supporting pharmaceutical and medical device companies across the full R&D lifecycle. As part of Emendo Consulting Group, Emendo R&D has earned five consecutive Børsen Gazelle awards - a reflection of the pace at which we have grown and the quality of the team behind it.

The Role

As part of a planned leadership transition, we are recruiting two new Vice Presidents to lead Emendo R&D into its next chapter of growth. This is one of those two roles. The other is a VP for Medical Devices & Combination Products - the two positions are being recruited simultaneously, and the two VPs will work closely together as peers on the Executive Leadership Team.

We are creating a dedicated Vice President role to lead and accelerate our Innovation, Materials & Sustainability services. This is a new VP position, carved out from our existing Medical Devices practice, reflecting both the growing strategic importance of these 3 service areas in life science R&D and the depth of expertise we have already built here.

As VP of Innovation, Materials & Sustainability, you will own and shape a growing business area together with our Lead Consultants and be a member of our Leadership Team. You will attend our board of directors meetings and work closely with our Managing Partners and fellow Vice Presidents to define how Emendo R&D positions itself as a partner in sustainable life science innovation.

You will lead a team of 7-10 consultants and scientists across our Innovation, Materials, and Sustainability practices - spanning device innovation, IP landscaping, materials science and engineering, regulatory strategy, eco-design, lifecycle assessment, and restricted substance phase-out. All three areas operate at the intersection of science and regulation, and this role is equal parts scientific leadership, people development, and business building.

In practice, that means three things. On the scientific side, this role sets technical direction across projects, ensures the rigor and quality of the work, and stays close enough to the science to guide it credibly. On people, it means growing the team’s expertise, mentoring consultants and scientists at different career stages, and building the kind of environment that attracts and retains top talent in a niche field. On the business side, it means shaping our service offering, developing client relationships, and identifying where our expertise can open new opportunities - in close collaboration with the VP of Medical Devices & Combination Products and VP of Pharma Services and our service leads - turning scientific credibility into commercial growth.

The role is based at our office in Copenhagen. We work with clients across the world, and some travel is a natural part of the job.

In your first year, you will hit the ground running - immersing yourself in the team, learning from some of the sharpest scientific minds in the industry, and getting to know our broad and active client network. At the same time, you will start bringing your own network into play: opening doors, sparking conversations, and laying the commercial groundwork that will drive real growth in the years ahead. By the end of year one, you will know exactly where the opportunities are - and have the relationships to go after them.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop Emendo R&D’s Innovation, Materials & Sustainability business area
• Manage, develop, and inspire a growing team of 7-10 consultants and scientific specialists
• An ambition to combine leadership with hands-on consulting work, remaining actively involved in client projects, technical challenges, and industry developments rather than operating solely as a people manager
• Act as a senior technical sparring partner on projects spanning innovation, materials, and sustainability
• Work closely with the VP of Medical Devices & Combination Products and VP of Pharma Services on projects where innovation, materials, sustainability, packaging, and device development intersect
• Build and maintain relationships with clients and key stakeholders across the MedTech and pharmaceutical industries
• Define and execute a growth strategy for the Innovation, Materials & Sustainability area
• Stay ahead of evolving sustainability regulations, materials restrictions, and scientific developments relevant to the life science industry
• Collaborate closely with fellow Vice Presidents, service leads and leadership on Emendo R&D’s overall strategy

About You

You have a strong scientific background, with deep expertise - ideally at PhD level - in one of our three core fields: Materials, Sustainability, or Innovation. That depth is what lets you engage in scientific discussions as a credible peer, not just a manager. Alongside it, you bring working knowledge across the other two areas, and you have moved into roles that combine technical depth with strategic and people leadership. You understand the practical realities of sustainable product development in regulated industries and are motivated by building something that matters.

You may currently hold a title such as Head of R&D, Research Director, Technical Director, Head of Sustainability, or similar. What matters most is the combination of scientific credibility, leadership experience, and genuine commitment to advancing sustainability in a commercial context.

You bring:

• Deep expertise, ideally at PhD level, in one of our three core fields - Innovation, Materials or Sustainability - with broad working knowledge across the other two, enough to engage in scientific discussions as a credible peer
• Proven track record of leading and growing high-performing technical teams
• A genuine appetite for business development and marketing - you are energised by identifying new opportunities, shaping how the area is positioned in the market, and building client relationships that grow over time
• Ability to translate scientific insights, materials expertise, and sustainability strategy into client value and business opportunity
• Familiarity with relevant sustainability and product regulations - including those governing materials restrictions, emissions reporting, and device compliance - and how they intersect in practice
• An established professional network in MedTech, pharmaceutical, or adjacent industries
• Comfort operating in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving consulting environment

Life at Emendo R&D

We are a high-performance team that takes pride in delivering work our clients remember - the kind of cases that become good stories. At the same time, we believe that great results come from people who genuinely enjoy working together.

That means we make room for fun. We get together socially every month, run together every week, and once a year the whole team goes on a trip - not just to celebrate, but to make sure we know each other as people, not just colleagues. If you thrive in an environment that is serious about the work and serious about the people doing it, you will fit right in.

How to Apply

Application deadline: 09 August 2026.

To apply or learn more about the role, contact Morten Alhede, Senior Partner, on +45 23207405 or at ma@emendo.com. We look forward to hearing from you.