Head Counsel, U.S. Policy Legal

Takeda

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

As the Head Counsel for U.S. Policy Legal (Senior Director), this role delivers strategic legal guidance across Takeda’s U.S. business, focusing on federal and state healthcare programs and policies. The position provides high-quality legal support related to the evolving governmental healthcare, reimbursement, legislative, and regulatory landscape. The role serves as a key legal advisor to Takeda’s U.S. Public Affairs organization on healthcare policy matters, trade association engagement, and policy-driven business strategies. It ensures informed decision‑making by offering authoritative counsel on enterprise risks and opportunities, including their mitigation, escalation, and resolution.

Requirements

• Qualified/admitted lawyer; high academic achievement in the study of law
• Professional training in corporate/commercial law or pharmaceutical/compliance law, gained at a highly regarded law firm
• Minimum +10 years of experience working in a law firm and as in-house counsel in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry; in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and U.S. legal affairs
• Deep understanding of the healthcare policy and government reimbursement legal framework in which pharmaceutical companies operate, including federal and state health care programs and reimbursement.
• Profound knowledge of regulations U.S. federal and state drug pricing and reimbursement programs.
• In-depth knowledge of commercial, compliance and regulatory matters related to the launch, marketing, access, pricing and reimbursement and the commercialization of branded pharmaceutical products and ability to support global functions.
• Experience in identifying and addressing strategic, compliance and enforcement risks
• Understands the complexity of the respective business matters and is able to prioritize tasks within his/her area of expertise

Responsibilities

• Responsible for providing and leading high quality legal support related to US government healthcare program policy and reimbursement.
• Provide legal support to relevant Takeda functions, including Takeda’s US Public Affairs organization.
• Affirmatively assesses, monitors and evaluates the evolving external governmental healthcare environment, including Medicare, Medicaid, 340B and other federal and state level programs.
• Through legal counsel, helps guide and shape Takeda’s response to external changes and developments.
• Excellent ability to develop and maintain an active external legal network relating to the evolving healthcare policy landscape.
• Sets legal strategy for the relevant functions and acts as Takeda’s active representative to relevant Trade Association legal work groups and committees on healthcare matters.
• Helps drive cross-functional strategy development and ensures the strategy is consistent with the legal strategy.
• Conducts sophisticated legal analysis with regard to complex and high risk issues for the Company and BU/Functions.

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