Director, AIRx External Partnership Management Lead

3316 Takeda Development Center Americas•Boston, MA

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

Takeda Research is building a Lab of Tomorrow focused on AI, automation, and innovative work practices to deliver differentiated medicines to the clinic efficiently. To support this vision, Takeda is establishing two new units: AI Research Accelerator (AIRx) and Discovery Automation & Robotics (DAR). AIRx will be a dedicated team of experienced drug hunters, operating with the agility of a biotech company and the resources of a major pharmaceutical firm. Its goal is to pioneer future AI-powered operating models and accelerate the delivery of drug candidates to the clinic with industry-leading speed and success rates. This role is for an individual who can move beyond traditional CRO relationship management to foster true partnerships. These partnerships should drive program acceleration, develop new capabilities, and leverage executive skills to navigate the demands of an agile team within a large pharmaceutical company, all with an entrepreneurial spirit.

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.
Demonstrable experience in developing new capabilities and ways of working that drive innovation and accelerated outcomes with outsourced partners.
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.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with data standardization requirements (TetraScience, FAIR data principles) a plus.

Responsibilities

Manage CROs with active oversight, setting clear expectations, driving cadences, and holding 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, 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 and resolve performance issues at the working level in real-time to protect program timelines.
Identify and evaluate CRO partners for chemistry, biology, DMPK, and other capabilities required by AIRx programs.
Own contracts, SOWs, timelines, and quality standards, partnering 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.
Develop innovative CRO capabilities through active partnerships that drive AIRx goals.
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, providing budget visibility to the Head of AIRx and Program Manager.
Monitor the external CRO and innovation landscape for new capabilities, providers, and partnership models that strengthen AIRx execution.