Senior Director, Search and Evaluation Lead, Global Oncology

Takeda•Cambridge, MA

15d•$212,000 - $333,190•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Oncology Search & Evaluation will be responsible for advancing the oncology portfolio through the integration of external innovation scouting, scientific diligence, and supporting disease area strategy and early asset commercial planning. This role sits within the Oncology Business Unit (OBU) at the intersection of science and strategy, translating scientific, clinical, regulatory, and competitive insights into actionable external innovation recommendations that inform portfolio priorities, partnership decisions, and asset value creation. This leader will drive cross-functional efforts to identify and assess external opportunities, help shape early-stage and pre-commercial asset strategies, and support governance and investment decisions across the oncology portfolio. The ideal candidate brings deep oncology expertise, strong strategic and commercial judgment, and a demonstrated ability to lead in a highly matrixed global environment. You will report to the Head, NPP and S&E OBU. This is a hybrid role based in Cambridge, MA.

Requirements

Advanced degree in a relevant discipline required; PhD, MD, PharmD, or equivalent strongly preferred.
15+ years of biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience, including 10+ years in oncology.
8+ years of experience in one or more of the following: external innovation, scientific evaluation, business development, licensing, new product planning, portfolio strategy, or early commercial strategy.
Demonstrated ability to evaluate scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial information and translate it into strategic recommendations and investment decisions.
Strong understanding of oncology drug discovery and development, competitive dynamics, disease area strategy, and portfolio planning.
Proven success leading cross-functional global teams and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
Excellent executive communication, strategic thinking, judgment, and stakeholder management skills.
Requires approximately 20% travel.

Nice To Haves

MBA or additional business training.
5+ years of experience supporting or leading diligence and transaction-related activities in a business development setting.
Established external network across the oncology ecosystem, including biotech, academia, investors, and industry partners.
Experience representing an organization at major scientific or partnering meetings.
Strategic thinker with the ability to connect scientific innovation to portfolio and business impact.
Strong matrix leader who drives alignment and decision-making across functions and senior stakeholders.
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and balancing near-term opportunities with long-term strategic priorities.
Effective external ambassador with credibility across both scientific and business audiences.
Data-driven and insightful, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.

Responsibilities

Identify, evaluate, and prioritize external oncology opportunities, spanning discovery through commercial stages.
Lead scientific, strategic, and commercial assessment of external assets, including technical diligence, risk evaluation, differentiation, market attractiveness, and alignment with disease area and portfolio strategy.
Help shape early-stage and pre-commercial asset strategy, including target product profiles, positioning, patient segmentation, forecasting, and value proposition development.
Serve as a subject matter expert for oncology disease area strategy, integrating internal portfolio priorities with external innovation trends, competitor activity, regulatory developments, and emerging science.
Build and manage a strategic opportunity funnel aligned to oncology priorities, including thematic scouting and portfolio gap assessment.
Assemble and lead cross-functional diligence teams, synthesize findings, and deliver clear recommendations to senior leadership and governance bodies.
Partner with research, clinical, regulatory, commercial, analytics, and business development teams to guide development decisions and maximize asset value.
Support transaction processes through business case development, senior leadership presentations, scientific input, and collaboration with business development teams during deal evaluation and negotiations.
Monitor the oncology scientific, clinical, regulatory, and competitive landscape, including novel endpoints, trial designs, biomarkers, and evolving standards of care.
Develop and maintain competitive intelligence and opportunity tracking capabilities to support portfolio planning, strategic assessments, and governance discussions.
Represent the organization externally at major scientific, medical, and partnering forums to identify trends, build strategic relationships, and strengthen the company’s position as a partner of choice in oncology.
Lead and influence cross-functional global teams in a matrixed environment to align stakeholders around strategic priorities, investment decisions, and asset recommendations.