Senior Director, Corporate Strategy

Takeda•Boston, MA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Corporate Strategy leads critical components of Takeda’s corporate strategy function, ensuring that corporate, portfolio, and functional strategies and enterprise resource allocation are aligned to support scientific innovation, commercial excellence, and patient impact. Reporting to the Head of Corporate Strategy, the role partners with senior leaders across Strategy & Portfolio Development, R&D, commercial business units, finance, External Portfolio Innovation, and other functions to assess enterprise priorities, frame strategic choices, and develop recommendations that support sustainable growth and competitive advantage. The role leads major enterprise strategy initiatives, scenario planning, strategic alternatives analysis, industry and competitive benchmarking, and strategic assessments of acquisitions, divestitures, and other corporate development opportunities. It also develops strategic evaluations and decision materials for the Takeda Executive Team and Board of Directors. The position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a hybrid work arrangement and approximately 15% global travel.

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in corporate strategy, portfolio strategy, management consulting, business development, investment banking, or related roles, with significant pharmaceutical or biotech industry experience.
Progressive track record leading complex corporate strategy, portfolio, growth strategy, or corporate development initiatives.
Experience in a global, matrixed organization and leading cross-functional teams without direct authority.
Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) required.
Ability to structure and solve complex, ambiguous strategic questions and translate qualitative and quantitative information into clear recommendations.
Demonstrated experience leading scenario planning, evaluating strategic alternatives, and explaining how uncertainty affects enterprise choices.
Strong understanding of global biopharma, including R&D, commercialization, portfolio management, business development, market access, healthcare policy, and industry economics.
Strong financial and business acumen, including understanding of valuation, capital allocation, financial statements, risk-adjusted returns, and enterprise value creation.
Ability to assess emerging technologies and external developments, including AI, digital health, geopolitical change, regulatory developments, and evolving business models.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including developing succinct and compelling materials for executive leadership and the Board.
Executive presence and credibility to advise, influence, and appropriately challenge senior leaders.
Strong facilitation and stakeholder-management skills, including building alignment across functions, cultures, therapeutic areas, and geographies.
Ability to lead multiple high-priority initiatives while maintaining analytical rigor, attention to detail, and responsiveness to changing priorities.
Ability to translate strategy into measurable outcomes and support implementation.
Experience guiding and developing strategy professionals.

Nice To Haves

MBA, PhD, MD, or equivalent advanced degree.

Responsibilities

Lead components of long-term corporate strategy across therapeutic areas and geographies, translating enterprise ambitions into strategic choices, priorities, and actions.
Lead enterprise scenario planning and strategic foresight, evaluating strategic pathways under potential industry, market, policy, geopolitical, scientific, and technology scenarios.
Frame complex enterprise decisions by defining alternatives, assessing implications and trade-offs, and developing evidence-based recommendations for senior leadership.
Lead analysis of major corporate strategic decisions and prepare executive summaries, evaluations, and decision materials for the Takeda Executive Team and Board of Directors.
Conduct industry and peer benchmarking of performance, portfolio strategies, investment patterns, operating models, capabilities, and competitive advantages.
Evaluate evolving biopharma and broader healthcare business models, including implications of artificial intelligence, digital health, scientific innovation, geopolitical conditions, healthcare policy, and emerging innovation ecosystems.
Lead strategic evaluations of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, and other corporate development opportunities, including strategic fit, value creation, portfolio implications, risks, and alternatives.
Lead cross-functional strategy projects addressing enterprise growth, portfolio priorities, geographic and market expansion, capability requirements, and other high-impact questions.
Support annual strategic planning and alignment of business unit, therapeutic area, portfolio, and functional strategies with the company’s long-term direction.
Monitor global biopharma trends, competitive dynamics, capital-market developments, regulatory and policy changes, and potential disruptions, translating them into actionable implications.
Develop concise presentations, strategic narratives, and executive communications for senior leadership and the Board.
Build alignment among senior stakeholders and facilitate structured discussions of strategic options, assumptions, risks, and trade-offs.
Apply AI, advanced analytics, and emerging technology tools to improve the speed, rigor, and scope of strategic analysis while maintaining quality, judgment, and confidentiality.
Translate strategy into measurable outcomes and support implementation, using AI and technology where appropriate.
Guide and develop strategy professionals and strengthen team analysis, problem-solving, and executive communication.