Early Talent Internship

Public Affairs Early Talent Intern

Patient Access & Public Affairs

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Start your career where public policy meets patient impact. At Novo Nordisk Canada, you'll spend 12 months helping shape the strategies, partnerships, and advocacy campaigns that connect people living with serious chronic diseases to the care they need — learning from experienced colleagues every step of the way.

Your new role

As a Public Affairs Early Talent Intern, you will gain hands-on experience across the full scope of public affairs work, from healthcare policy research and stakeholder engagement to advocacy campaigns and sustainability initiatives. Reporting to the Associate Director, Public Affairs, you will contribute to meaningful projects from day one while building the practical skills and professional network to launch a career in public affairs.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the development and execution of Public Affairs strategies and activities that advance patient needs and reflect the Canadian healthcare policy environment


• Assisting with research and environmental scanning on topics including healthcare access, chronic and rare disease policy, life sciences innovation, and environmental sustainability


• Coordinating project plans, timelines, status updates, meeting logistics, and deliverable tracking across partnerships, advocacy campaigns, and policy workstreams


• Preparing clear, accurate materials such as briefing notes, key messages, policy briefs, slide decks, Q&A documents, speaking points, and stakeholder summaries


• Supporting engagement with patient organizations, community partners, healthcare stakeholders, and public-private partnership collaborators in a compliant and patient-centred manner


• Maintaining planning tools, stakeholder lists, evidence libraries, and project records to support consistency and knowledge sharing across the Public Affairs team


• Identifying opportunities to improve internal processes, streamline materials development, and strengthen the team's ways of working

Your new department

Within Novo Nordisk Canada, the Public Affairs team sits in the Patient Access & Public Affairs department. Here, you will work alongside colleagues across Government Affairs, Market Access, Communications, Patient Relations, Medical, Regulatory, Legal, Compliance, Sustainability, and Commercial functions. The team translates complex public policy, healthcare, and biotechnology issues into clear strategies and materials for governments, patient organizations, external partners, and internal stakeholders, always with the patient at the centre. This is a collaborative, fast-paced environment where your contributions will be visible and valued.

Your skills & qualifications

We're looking for a curious, motivated early career professional who is eager to learn and ready to contribute. You'll bring with you:

• A recent college certificate, undergraduate, or graduate degree in public policy, political management, health policy, communications, political science, public administration, business, sustainability, life sciences, or a related field


• Demonstrated interest in Canadian public policy, healthcare systems, patient advocacy, sustainability, life sciences innovation, and the role of public-private collaboration in improving patient outcomes


• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to synthesize information into clear, accurate, and audience-appropriate materials, whether developed through academic, work, volunteer, or community experience


• Solid organization, prioritization, and follow-up skills, with the ability to manage multiple deliverables and timelines with guidance


• A collaborative, adaptable approach, you ask questions, welcome feedback, learn quickly, exercise sound judgment, and raise potential issues promptly


• Working knowledge of PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and digital collaboration tools, with a willingness to learn AI-enabled productivity tools in accordance with company policies


• An analytical mindset, with the ability to conduct research, organize information, summarize insights, and support recommendations or measurement of project outcomes


• Strong attention to detail, comfort working under deadlines, and motivation to learn from and contribute to a highly skilled Public Affairs team


• Previous full-time public affairs experience is not required; relevant internships, co-op terms, campus leadership, volunteer roles, not-for-profit, association, healthcare, or communications experience are valued assets


• Understanding of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, market access, pricing/reimbursement, or health policy issues is an asset but not required

Working at Novo Nordisk

For over a century, we have stayed true to our mission of defeating serious chronic diseases, reaching more patients today than ever before. When you start your career at Novo Nordisk, you join driven, talented colleagues who share a genuine passion for making a difference. As an Early Talent Intern, you will find an environment designed to help you grow: through coaching, feedback, exposure to diverse projects, and the opportunity to build a professional foundation at a company operating at the cutting edge of biotechnological innovation. The energy and collaborative spirit here are real, and from day one your work will connect directly to the patients and communities we serve.

What we offer

At Novo Nordisk, you'll join a global healthcare company with a unique culture and strong results. We offer continuous learning, career development, and benefits tailored to your life and career stage.

Salary: For this role the Annual Base Salary ranges from $56,850.00 - $85,280.00

The placement in the salary range will be assessed during the recruitment process based on your skills, competencies, knowledge and relevant experience match the position requirements.

Incentives: Based on the role's level and other factors, the salary package may include short-term (STI) and/or long-term (LTI) incentives.

Benefits: The eligibility for specific benefits may vary based on the job and location.

Learn more about our Reward Philosophy here.

More information

This posting is not for an existing vacancy.

Deadline: 16 September 2026. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Novo Nordisk is not your typical healthcare company. In a modern world of quick fixes, we focus on solutions to defeat serious chronic diseases and promote long-term health. Our unordinary mindset is at the heart of everything we do. We believe in putting people first and highly value innovations as we push the boundaries of science, make healthcare more accessible, and treat, prevent, and ultimately defeat serious chronic diseases.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and preventing diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.