Associate Director, PharmSci Clinical Manufacturing Planning

3316 Takeda Development Center Americas•Lexington, MA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This role is part of the Strategic Planning Group within PharmSci Clinical Manufacturing Planning, which is responsible for delivering robust, risk‑appropriate Drug Substance (DS) and Drug Product (DP) production plans across Takeda’s clinical portfolio. The Associate Director contributes to the team’s delivery of critical planning capabilities by owning program-level planning strategy, integrating demand, supply, cost, and risk into optimized production planning approaches for complex assets. This role drives scenario-based tradeoff evaluation and decision support, enabling leadership to make informed choices regarding inventory strategy, manufacturing timing, and risk mitigation. Through strong cross-functional alignment and leadership of planning governance activities, the Associate Director advances the adoption of a standardized, data-driven planning capability across PharmSci.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Pharmacy, Business, or other scientific/technical discipline required
8+ years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, CMC, clinical manufacturing, supply chain planning, or external manufacturing / CDMO-facing roles preferred.
Advanced expertise in DS/DP production planning, supply/demand forecasting, inventory strategy, and risk-based scenario planning within clinical development or related environments.
Demonstrated ability to integrate technical, operational, financial, and supply considerations into planning recommendations and strategic tradeoff decisions.
Strong knowledge of GxP requirements and demonstrated ability to apply compliance principles, exception management, and change management in complex planning situations.
Proven ability to influence stakeholders across technical disciplines and organizational levels, including senior cross-functional partners and external suppliers.
Ability to balance enterprise perspective with asset- and program-level deliverables, and to translate ambiguity into clear recommendations and actions.
Demonstrated strategic problem-solving capability, including ability to assess complex interdependencies, anticipate issues, and define effective mitigation strategies.
Strong communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to lead high-level planning discussions and governance reviews.
Experience leading matrix teams, workstreams, or cross-functional decision processes in complex and dynamic environments.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree, MBA, or other advanced degree preferred.
Certifications such as APICS/CPIM/CSCP, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent planning / operational excellence credentials preferred.
Demonstrated accomplishment in driving process improvement, improving planning discipline, or implementing new planning capabilities, governance, or business processes.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end DS/DP production planning for complex assets, portfolio segments, or high-priority programs, ensuring plans are strategically optimized for supply continuity, cost, inventory, and risk.
Define planning approaches, assumptions, and scenario strategies that translate cross-functional inputs into clear production and inventory recommendations.
Lead scenario analysis and tradeoff evaluation across cost, timing, inventory, and risk to support program-level planning decisions.
Drive identification, assessment, and mitigation of supply risks, and ensure mitigation strategies are aligned, actionable, and embedded in planning outputs.
Align senior cross-functional stakeholders across CMC, CDMO management, GCSC, Quality, Finance, and Program Leadership on planning strategy and implications.
Lead preparation of governance recommendations, escalation options, and decision materials for complex planning issues and portfolio reviews.
Drive implementation of standardized planning rules, processes, and governance expectations across assigned scope while ensuring consistency and documentation of planning outputs.
Coach and influence other planners and stakeholders to strengthen planning discipline, improve decision quality, and accelerate adoption of the Strategic Planning Group capability.