Director, AIRx External Partnership Management Lead

Takeda•Boston, MA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Takeda Research is building a Lab of Tomorrow powered by AI, automation, and new working methods. The goal is to deliver differentiated medicines to the clinic faster and more cost-effectively. To support this, Takeda is establishing two key units: AI Research Accelerator (AIRx) and Lab Automation & Transformation (LAT). AIRx will be a specialized group of experienced drug hunters, operating with the agility of a biotech company but with the resources of a major pharmaceutical firm. Its purpose is to pioneer future AI-driven operating models and accelerate the delivery of drug candidates to the clinic with industry-leading speed and success rates. The Director, AIRx CRO & External Partnerships is the sole owner of all CRO relationships for AIRx. This role requires active management of CROs, setting clear expectations, providing regular direction, real-time performance management, and ensuring accountability for milestones and quality. This is achieved through daily coordination with CRO teams, frequent on-site visits to key partners (including domestic and international locations), and close collaboration with AIRx scientific leads. The role encompasses the entire external execution lifecycle, from partner identification and contracting to data specification and ongoing performance management, ensuring that CRO outputs are integrated into AIRx data systems in a format suitable for AI/ML decision-making. The ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge of the CRO landscape, a strong external network, and the operational discipline to manage multiple concurrent partnerships at AIRx's demanding pace and quality standards.

Requirements

Degree in life sciences or chemistry; advanced degree preferred.
10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical outsourcing, CRO management, or alliance management within drug discovery; biotech experience strongly preferred.
Deep knowledge of the CRO landscape across chemistry, biology, and DMPK capabilities; established personal network of CRO and external partner relationships.
Proven track record actively managing complex, multi-CRO programs — not just contracting them — with urgency, rigor, and budget discipline.
Hands-on, operational style; comfortable embedding in scientific team dynamics rather than managing at arm's length.
Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally on a regular basis.
Strong contract negotiation, vendor management, and performance oversight skills.
Experience supporting AI/ML-enabled or digital drug discovery programs strongly preferred; familiarity with data standardization requirements (TetraScience, FAIR data principles) a plus.

Responsibilities

Active CRO management: Manage CROs with active oversight, not as distant vendors. Set expectations, drive meeting cadences, and hold partners accountable for milestones and quality.
Maintain regular on-site presence at key CRO partners, including periodic visits to critical domestic and international partners, to deepen relationships, resolve issues directly, and reinforce AIRx ways of working.
Drive daily and weekly coordination between CRO teams and AIRx scientific leads to ensure tight execution against shared milestones.
Proactively identify performance issues at the working level before they escalate and resolve them in real-time to protect program timelines.
Partner selection & contracting: Identify and evaluate CRO partners for chemistry, biology, DMPK, and other capabilities required by AIRx programs.
Own contracts, SOWs, timelines, and quality standards; partner with Takeda procurement, legal, and alliance management as necessary.
Build and maintain a preferred supplier network capable of responding at AIRx's pace and quality requirements.
Data, budget & landscape: Coordinate data handoffs to ensure CRO outputs are captured in AIRx data systems (TetraScience, SAIL) in a standardized, decision-ready format suitable for AI/ML pipelines.
Track and manage outsourcing spend across programs; provide budget visibility to Head of AIRx and Program Manager.
Monitor the external CRO and innovation landscape for new capabilities, providers, and partnership models that strengthen AIRx execution.