Director, Global Program Management, Neuroscience TAU

Takeda•Boston, MA

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

Are you looking for a patient-focused, innovation-driven company that will inspire you and empower you to shine? Join us as a Director, Global Program Management, NS TAU in our Cambridge, MA office. At Takeda, we are transforming the pharmaceutical industry through our R&D-driven market leadership and being a values-led company. To do this, we empower our people to realize their potential through life-changing work. Certified as a Global Top Employer, we offer stimulating careers, encourage innovation, and strive for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our global teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world. Here, you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission. POSITION OBJECTIVE: Provides strong global program management and matrixed leadership to global, cross-functional, cross-divisional teams to drive development and deliver results in early to late-phase major development and/or lifecycle management programs (including established/marketed products) to meet Takeda strategic objectives. Providing strategic direction and translating the cross-divisional, integrated Global Product Team (GPT) strategy into an efficiently executable plan; predicting and planning solutions to achieve program goals and objectives; driving clarity and removing barriers to ensure team success; interfacing with management and influencing decision making, proactive management and mitigation of development risks, and ensuring appropriate communication and interface with internal governance. Works closely with the Global Program Leader (GPL), as well as other R&D and Commercial functions to ensure that the scientific and commercial strategies are incorporated into the asset strategy and integrated development plan. May lead key initiatives that have cross-functional or cross-divisional impact that are critical to the objectives of the Therapeutic Area Unit (TAU), Center of Operational Performance (CoOP), CMSO and/or global business objectives. Play a key role in ensuring team effectiveness, partnering with GPL and CoOP to administer team health checks to generate insights, plan & execute appropriate follow-up actions. Identifies and drives innovative process improvements with significant organizational impact and manages, as needed, non-project responsibilities, which can include processes and system optimizations. You will play a key GPT leadership role in championing an AI forward mindset, and leveraging data driven and AI enabled tools to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, improve decision-making, and optimize team collaboration. May have direct people management responsibilities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree science or business-related field
Minimum of 10-12 years of strong pharmaceutical industry experience and drug development in all phases of development with significant experience within related functions (e.g. Clinical Science, Clinical Operations, Research, Regulatory, CMC, Marketing)
Minimum of 5-7 years program management experience leading complex pharmaceutical projects in a multi-disciplinary, global environment
Advanced ability to positively influence outcomes, key project decisions, and strategic problem-solving
Advanced ability to communicate clearly and present key information objectively to all levels of the organization including executive management
Substantial experience in intercultural cooperation
Modest people management experience and/or proven leadership experience in managing global, matrix teams
Matrix program leadership and management skills are required
Strong influencing skills
Ability to predict risks and independently propose solutions and appropriate mitigation plan
Highly effective presentation, written and verbal communication skills
Ability to drive decision-making within cross-functional & cross-cultural, global team structures
Simultaneous management of multiple tasks of varied complexity
Flexibility, tolerance and diplomacy to best manage change and differing opinions
Ability to work in a virtual setting/across time-zones, i.e., making effective use of communication tools (WebEx, TelePresence, telephone and video conferencing, etc.)
Ability to work in a highly complex, multi-cultural, environment
Excellent organizational skills
Experience with Microsoft Project Professional, Excel, PowerPoint & Word
Fluent in English

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in science or business is preferred
Therapeutic Area preferable but not required
Project Management Professional certification with PMI desired

Responsibilities

Partners with GPL to coordinate and facilitate GPT or joint Program Team (for partnered Alliance programs) and/or other cross-functional teams to develop and maintain the asset strategy and integrated development plan in conjunction with TAU and commercial strategy, lifecycle management requirements, and evidence generation/publication needs.
Proactively identifies resource requirements necessary to progress asset development in alignment with TAU or enterprise business objectives.
Drives clarity with GPT and other relevant stakeholders to communicate asset strategic imperatives to ensure appropriate prioritization.
Identifies ways to optimize program execution without compromise to patients or compliance.
Accountable to maintain the integrated program level plan, ensuring delivery of critical path activities to progress asset development.
Ensures asset strategy and integrated development plan are aligned with the GPT, have a patient-centric focus, incorporate innovative approaches that are meaningful to patients, HCPs, regulators & payers, and adhere to the highest standards of operational excellence in drug development and life cycle management.
Manages the strategic GPT forum and assigned sub-teams to ensure progress of asset development. This includes establishing meeting agendas, facilitating effective team discussions, driving to clear and timely team actions and decisions, driving and holding team members accountable for action follow-through.
Ensures team effectiveness through team health checks with development and appropriate follow-through on action plans to boost team productivity.
Partners with the GPL to provide financial oversight of the program including global, cross-divisional budgets. Includes consolidation, vetting and prioritization of GPT spending to deliver critical path activities.
Proactively addresses and removes barriers to program progress, keeping leadership informed of critical considerations (e.g., resources, performance).
Proactively identify potential issues or obstacles and achieves resolution or plans contingencies.
Follow issues through to resolution ensuring that all key stakeholders are informed of outcomes and program implications.
Provides clarity and direction in urgent or unexpected situations.
Independently resolves complex issues and competing priorities that may impact achievement of goals, creates mitigation plans and drives to resolution.
Manages scheduled and ad-hoc program status reporting, citing progress to program goals/KPIs, proactively identifying risk with planned mitigation(s), and providing rationale for timeline and budget variances.
Participate in annual portfolio analyses to communicate program development progress, opportunities, and risks to Senior & Executive Management.
Responsible for coordinating preparation efforts for governance engagement to support and drive asset objectives and deliverables.
Proactively manages key stakeholders and facilitates relevant communications to appropriate cross-regional, cross-functional, cross-divisional and Alliance partners
Provides direction and mentors junior colleagues to work strategically and drive results; identifies opportunities for junior PMs to demonstrate their abilities; uses effective coaching techniques to refocus energy and address barriers to success; leads by example
Change management leadership and upskilling—experienced in maturing team AI/data fluency and enabling adoption through AI leadership, training, and community of practice approaches for GPMs and GPT leadership.
May have responsibility for line management of Sr. Manager and/or Associate Director level GPMs as well as contractors within the GPM function.
May support Business Development in-licensing activities to ensure appropriate technical assessment, including development costs and timelines, to support the business case of potential in-licensed compounds.
May work as Alliance Manager for partnered programs under the guidance of the TAU Alliance Management team.