Executive Compensation Lead

Takeda•Cambridge, MA

3d•$154,400 - $242,550

About The Position

As the Executive Compensation Lead, you will help shape and deliver compensation programs for Takeda’s Executive Team and Directors. You will provide strategic and operational guidance to senior leaders while leading global executive compensation benchmarking, modeling, governance, and program administration. You will help ensure that Takeda’s executive incentive and equity programs are competitive, equitable, aligned with company performance, and administered consistently across the United States, Japan, and other relevant markets. The role partners with senior leaders and cross-functional teams in a complex, global organization and requires executive compensation expertise, sound judgment, strong analytical capabilities, and the ability to communicate complex information clearly to varied audiences.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Legal Studies, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
At least seven years of relevant experience in executive compensation, compensation governance, or a closely related area.
Experience supporting executive or Director compensation strategy, governance, and program design.
Knowledge of executive compensation practices, including benchmarking, peer-group methodology, market positioning, internal comparisons, and pay-for-performance principles.
Experience supporting Compensation Committee or Board processes, including preparing compensation recommendations and decision materials.
Financial modeling experience, including scenario planning, forecasting, payout modeling, or sensitivity analysis for incentive programs.
Knowledge of long-term incentive and equity programs, which may include award design, grant sizing, performance conditions, dilution, vesting, or global administration.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to interpret compensation data and communicate key findings.
Experience supporting governance processes, internal controls, audit readiness, or data-quality standards.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical information clearly and prepare senior leadership materials.
Ability to build relationships and collaborate across Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Tax, Payroll, Global Mobility, Equity Administration, and Investor Relations.
Sound judgment, discretion, and attention to detail when handling confidential and complex information.
Experience managing projects and coordinating work across teams and functions.
Experience with Workday or a comparable human resources information system, compensation platform, equity administration system, or analytics tool.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or relevant professional certification in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Law, or a related discipline.
Executive compensation experience across multiple countries or markets, particularly the United States and Japan.
Knowledge of securities, tax, equity, disclosure, or corporate governance requirements in the United States, Japan, or other relevant markets.
Experience supporting executive compensation programs in a global public company, life sciences organization, or another complex and highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities

Contribute to the design and continued development of compensation programs for Takeda’s Executive Team and Directors, evaluating their effectiveness in attracting, retaining, and motivating executive talent.
Monitor market trends, regulatory developments, and governance practices; conduct global pharmaceutical peer-group benchmarking and develop recommendations for base salary, annual incentives, long-term incentives, and equity awards.
Facilitate discussions and technical reviews with senior leaders and compensation partners.
Support annual incentive goal setting, KPI governance, performance certification, payout modeling, approval processes, and plan design through scenario planning, financial modeling, and sensitivity analysis.
Coordinate long-term incentive design, grant sizing, vesting, performance assessment, and administration; support consistent application of compensation plans and policies, including share ownership, severance, and change-in-control provisions.
Partner with stakeholders to establish, monitor, and consolidate corporate incentive plan measures and support Compensation Committee and Board governance and approval processes.
Prepare agendas, decision papers, benchmarking analyses, recommendations, and other materials for the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors.
Maintain the annual executive compensation governance calendar and coordinate approvals, documentation, follow-up, and decision records.
Support senior Human Resources and business leaders in executive compensation decisions and consolidate market data, internal information, analyses, and recommendations for annual executive and Director compensation cycles.
Work with the Compensation Committee’s independent executive compensation advisor to prepare accurate, decision-ready meeting materials.
Coordinate with the Japan-based executive compensation team on regulatory requirements and disclosures; coordinate governance and disclosure activities across the United States and Japan.
Partner with Legal, Finance, Tax, and Investor Relations on shareholder matters, proxy advisor engagement, and regulatory requirements; assess changes in market practices and governance expectations and recommend responses.
Lead end-to-end execution of executive compensation processes, including incentive payouts, long-term incentive grants, system setup, data validation, equity administration, and controls.
Maintain documentation, process maps, controls, and governance records; improve automation, data quality, control effectiveness, and process efficiency; support audit readiness and data accuracy.
Serve as a subject matter resource for executive compensation practices and lead projects and cross-functional workstreams through collaboration and influence.
Partner with the Japan-based executive compensation team to align global compensation principles with local market and regulatory requirements.
Provide compensation guidance related to executive hiring, promotions, mobility, role changes, retention, and departures.
Lead cross-functional projects involving Human Resources, Finance, Tax, Legal, Payroll, Global Mobility, Equity Administration, and Investor Relations; build collaborative relationships across regions and functions.