Director, FTP Field Marketing

Takeda•Cambridge, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

About the role The Director, Field Marketing – FTP BU leads the centralized Thought Leader Liaison (TLL) and field KOL engagement function for the Foundational Therapies Platform (FTP) Business Unit. The ideal candidate will be responsible for setting the vision and strategy for how FTP engages neurology, immunology and other key specialists and institutional opinion leaders across Immunology, including the IVIG/SCIG portfolio. The role oversees a team of field-based TLLs who are accountable for KOL relationships and insights, advisory boards, speaker bureau support, and conference engagements, and for bringing structured insights back to brand and access teams. The role ensures that these activities are strategically aligned, operationally excellent, and fully compliant, and that TLL efforts are integrated with field marketing, professional engagement, and broader FTP commercial objectives. How you will contribute Establish and lead a centralized immunology Thought Leader Liaison / Field KOL Engagement function, defining the operating model, roles, and ways of working across franchises and regions. Set the immunology-wide KOL engagement strategy in partnership with Franchise Marketing, Medical Affairs, and Sales Leadership, including segmentation, prioritization, and tiers of engagement for national and regional KOLs. Lead, coach, and develop a team of field-based TLLs who are responsible for KOL relationships and insights, peer-to-peer programs, advisory boards, and congress engagements in their regions. Ensure TLLs develop and execute structured KOL engagement plans (e.g., top 20 KOL plans per region), including identification, profiling, cultivation, and maintenance of long-term relationships with key opinion leaders. Oversee design and execution of peer-to-peer programs and contracted activities (e.g., symposia, product theaters, training programs), including KOL/speaker selection, training on approved materials, and compliant execution. Provide leadership and oversight for advisory board planning and execution, including cross-functional planning, KOL recruitment, content alignment, and systematic insight capture and dissemination back to brand and access teams. Align TLL activities with national and regional congress strategies, ensuring coordinated KOL engagements, on-site support for product theaters and symposia, and appropriate follow-up with KOLs and internal stakeholders. Develop standardized processes, tools, and platforms for TLL field logistics (e.g., event tracking, KOL databases, insight capture, and reporting) to drive efficiency, compliance, and visibility across immunology. Partner with Compliance, Legal, Regulatory, and Ethics & Compliance to ensure all KOL-related activities, speaker programs, advisory boards, and sponsorships adhere to policies, SOPs, and applicable regulations. Work closely with Franchise Marketing and Professional Engagement teams to ensure that TLL insights are systematically fed into brand strategy, messaging refinement, and tactical planning. Define and track KPIs for KOL engagement, peer-to-peer programs, advisory boards, and congress activities; regularly review performance with senior leadership and recommend optimization and scaling opportunities. Lead internal communication and change management related to TLL and KOL engagement, helping the broader FTP organization understand the role, value, and guardrails of the function. Foster a high-performing, patient-centric culture within the TLL and field marketing team, emphasizing collaboration, insight quality, operational excellence, and one-FTP ways of working.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, including significant experience in KOL/Thought Leader management, field medical/marketing, or professional engagement roles.
Proven track record leading or scaling a field-based KOL engagement or TLL function, including strategy development, field execution oversight, and integration with brand and medical strategies.
Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with Sales, Marketing, Medical Affairs, and Compliance to design and execute compliant KOL engagement programs (peer-to-peer, advisory boards, congresses).
Strong people leadership skills, including experience recruiting, coaching, and developing highly skilled field-based professionals in a matrixed environment.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and effectively represent the TLL function in cross-functional forums.
Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple complex initiatives and ensure timely, high-quality execution.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MS, PharmD, or related discipline) preferred.
Hands-on experience as a Thought Leader Liaison, MSL, or similar field-based engagement role.
Experience establishing or optimizing KOL engagement platforms, CRM/engagement tracking tools, or speaker bureau operations.
Experience leading cross-franchise or BU-wide initiatives to harmonize KOL strategies and processes.
Deep understanding of U.S. specialty/rare disease markets, with preference for experience in neuromuscular, immunology, or plasma-derived therapies.
Demonstrated success driving culture-building and change management initiatives related to field engagement or professional education.

Responsibilities

Establish and lead a centralized immunology Thought Leader Liaison / Field KOL Engagement function, defining the operating model, roles, and ways of working across franchises and regions.
Set the immunology-wide KOL engagement strategy in partnership with Franchise Marketing, Medical Affairs, and Sales Leadership, including segmentation, prioritization, and tiers of engagement for national and regional KOLs.
Lead, coach, and develop a team of field-based TLLs who are responsible for KOL relationships and insights, peer-to-peer programs, advisory boards, and congress engagements in their regions.
Ensure TLLs develop and execute structured KOL engagement plans (e.g., top 20 KOL plans per region), including identification, profiling, cultivation, and maintenance of long-term relationships with key opinion leaders.
Oversee design and execution of peer-to-peer programs and contracted activities (e.g., symposia, product theaters, training programs), including KOL/speaker selection, training on approved materials, and compliant execution.
Provide leadership and oversight for advisory board planning and execution, including cross-functional planning, KOL recruitment, content alignment, and systematic insight capture and dissemination back to brand and access teams.
Align TLL activities with national and regional congress strategies, ensuring coordinated KOL engagements, on-site support for product theaters and symposia, and appropriate follow-up with KOLs and internal stakeholders.
Develop standardized processes, tools, and platforms for TLL field logistics (e.g., event tracking, KOL databases, insight capture, and reporting) to drive efficiency, compliance, and visibility across immunology.
Partner with Compliance, Legal, Regulatory, and Ethics & Compliance to ensure all KOL-related activities, speaker programs, advisory boards, and sponsorships adhere to policies, SOPs, and applicable regulations.
Work closely with Franchise Marketing and Professional Engagement teams to ensure that TLL insights are systematically fed into brand strategy, messaging refinement, and tactical planning.
Define and track KPIs for KOL engagement, peer-to-peer programs, advisory boards, and congress activities; regularly review performance with senior leadership and recommend optimization and scaling opportunities.
Lead internal communication and change management related to TLL and KOL engagement, helping the broader FTP organization understand the role, value, and guardrails of the function.
Foster a high-performing, patient-centric culture within the TLL and field marketing team, emphasizing collaboration, insight quality, operational excellence, and one-FTP ways of working.