Director, Research Data and Digital Insights Innovation

Takeda • Boston, MA

4d

About The Position

We are seeking a director-level leader who can operate at the intersection of pharmaceutical business strategy and hands-on software delivery. This technical role is responsible for directly interfacing with business and scientific leadership to translate complex business, scientific, and operational needs into functional, full-stack prototypes—often within days, not months. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable whiteboarding with senior leaders, coding a production-quality prototype independently, and iterating in real time based on feedback.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in software engineering, product engineering, or technical leadership roles.
• Proven ability to personally code and deliver full-stack applications (this role is not hands-off).
• Strong experience with modern full-stack technologies (e.g., React, TypeScript, Python/Node/Java, APIs, cloud platforms).
• Demonstrated success working directly with senior leaders and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to move from vague problem statements to working software extremely quickly.
• Excellent communication skills—able to explain complex technical concepts in clear, executive-friendly language.
• Experience operating in highly regulated or complex domains (pharma, healthcare, life sciences preferred).

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or life sciences organizations.
• Familiarity with R&D workflows.
• Experience building prototypes that leverage data, AI/ML, or advanced analytics.
• Background in consulting, innovation labs, or high-growth environments where speed is critical.

Responsibilities

• Executive Engagement o Serve as the primary technical and product interface for pharmaceutical leaders.
• Rapidly understand high-level strategic or R&D challenges and translate them into concrete product concepts.
• Facilitate executive working sessions, demos, and reviews with credibility and clarity.
• Partner with DDT colleagues to translate concepts and prototypes into products, enabling the creation of an integrated insights ecosystem.
• Rapid Full-Stack Prototyping o Design, build, and deliver functional end-to-end prototypes in days, not weeks.
• Personally write production-quality code across the stack (frontend, backend, APIs, data), ensuring translatability and path to production with DDT partners.
• Make pragmatic architecture and technology recommendation optimized for speed, clarity, and learning.
• Technical Leadership o Set standards for rapid experimentation, code quality, and prototype reusability.
• Mentor engineers and product teams on rapid delivery techniques and executive-level communication.
• Evaluate when prototypes should evolve into scaled products versus remain exploratory.
• Product & Innovation Execution o Partner with product, design, data science, and engineering teams to move from concept to validated solution.
• Incorporate user feedback, regulatory constraints, and pharma-specific requirements into designs.
• Drive a culture of experimentation, accountability, and measurable impact.

Benefits

• U.S. based employees may be eligible to participate in medical, dental, vision insurance, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, a tuition reimbursement program, paid volunteer time off, company holidays, and well-being benefits, among others.
• U.S. based employees are also eligible to receive, per calendar year, up to 80 hours of sick time, and new hires are eligible to accrue up to 120 hours of paid vacation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees