Director, Strategy & Operations GI2

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Adams (MA); Hybrid; USD 177,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda seeks a Director, Strategy & Operations in Cambridge, MA, to act as a strategic advisor to the GI² leadership team and drive BU-wide strategic initiatives with fiscal discipline and clear governance.

The role requires strong executive communication, project management, and cross-functional collaboration to align stakeholders and deliver measurable outcomes in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA, MS, or related graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant business experience in strategy, operations, commercial leadership, project management, or business planning.
• Experience in the U.S. pharmaceutical, biotech, rare disease, specialty, or complex healthcare market environment.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives, managing complex projects, and influencing senior stakeholders in a matrixed organization.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget planning, resource allocation, performance tracking, and business case development.
• Excellent executive communication skills, including ability to develop clear presentations, leadership updates, and strategic narratives.

Responsibilities

• Drives the GI² operating cadence, including leadership team agendas, governance forums, decision-making processes, follow-up actions, and integration of BU priorities into USBU planning and reporting.
• Leads planning, coordination, and execution of BU-wide strategic initiatives and special projects with clear ownership, milestones, deliverables, and escalation pathways.
• Monitors progress against strategic priorities, identifies risks, dependencies, gaps, and opportunities; develops executive dashboards and updates for timely decisions.
• Leads executive external engagement activities, partnering with cross-functional teams to execute congress strategies, coordinate HCP and patient advocacy engagements.
• Partners with Finance and BU leaders for budget planning, resource allocation, financial tracking, and investment management across GI² BU.
• Develops executive-level communications translating strategy and performance into clear messaging for internal audiences.
• Builds cross-functional partnerships to remove barriers, align stakeholders, and advance enterprise priorities.
• Leads, coaches, and develops direct reports to ensure accountability and delivery of strategy and operations support.

Skills

Strategic planning

Operations leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Executive communication

Project management

Financial acumen

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or related graduate degree

Job description

About the role:

The Director, Strategy & Operations reports directly to the SVP, Head of Gastrointestinal & Inflammation Business Unit and serves as a strategic advisor and operating partner to the GI² leadership team. This role drives the operating framework, governance, prioritization, and execution of key BU-wide strategic initiatives to enable effective decision-making, operational discipline, and cross-functional alignment across the business. The Director ensures visibility to critical priorities, risks, dependencies, financial considerations, and execution progress, while leading integrated planning and operational management for the Business Unit. This is a hybrid role based in Cambridge, MA.

How you will contribute:

• Drives the GI² operating cadence, including leadership team agendas, governance forums, decision-making processes, follow-up actions, and integration of BU priorities into USBU executive planning and reporting.
• Leads the planning, coordination, and execution of BU-wide strategic initiatives and special projects, ensuring clear ownership, milestones, deliverables, and escalation pathways.
• Monitors progress against strategic priorities, identifying risks, dependencies, gaps, and opportunities; develops metrics, dashboards, and executive-level updates to enable timely decisions and course correction.
• Leads executive external engagement activities, partnering with cross-functional teams to execute congress and conference strategies, coordinate HCP and patient advocacy engagements, and oversee field visits that strengthen stakeholder relationships and support business priorities.
• Partners with Finance and BU leaders to support budget planning, resource allocation, financial tracking, and effective management of investments across the GI² BU.
• Develops executive-level communications that translate business strategy, priorities, performance, and organizational updates into clear, consistent messaging for internal and cross-functional audiences.
• Builds strong cross-functional partnerships across USBU, Finance, HR, Communications, and other key functions to remove barriers, align stakeholders, and advance enterprise priorities.
• Leads, coaches, and develops direct reports, ensuring clear priorities, accountability, capability building, and effective delivery of strategy and operations support across the BU.

Technical/Functional (Line) Expertise

• Demonstrated experience translating business priorities into actionable strategies, operating plans, and measurable execution outcomes.
• Proven ability to partner with commercial, medical, finance, HR, communications, and cross-functional teams to drive strategy implementation and operational improvements.
• Strong project management, financial acumen, analytics, reporting, and executive dashboard capabilities, including resource planning, budget tracking, and performance measurement.

Leadership

• Strong enterprise mindset with the ability to influence across a matrixed organization and align senior stakeholders around shared priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, exercise sound judgment, and drive disciplined execution in a dynamic business environment.
• Proven people leadership capability, including setting direction, coaching talent, building capability, and fostering accountability.

Decision-making and Autonomy

• Ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously while maintaining a clear view of strategic implications, risks, dependencies, and tradeoffs.
• Uses sound judgment and business insight to assess complex issues, recommend options, and support timely executive decision-making.
• Proactively seeks diverse input and data-driven insights to inform strategy, improve execution, and solve complex business challenges.

Interaction

• Builds trusted relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional partners to influence decisions, resolve barriers, and enable effective execution.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, simplicity, collaboration, empowerment, external orientation, and curiosity.

Innovation

• Identifies opportunities to improve operating processes, governance, reporting, and systems to increase leadership team effectiveness and BU performance.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree such as MBA, MS, or related graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant business experience, including strategy, operations, commercial leadership, project management, or business planning experience.
• Experience in the U.S. pharmaceutical, biotech, rare disease, specialty, or complex healthcare market environment.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional initiatives, managing complex projects, and influencing senior stakeholders in a matrixed organization.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget planning, resource allocation, performance tracking, and business case development.
• Excellent executive communication skills, including ability to develop clear presentations, leadership updates, and strategic narratives.

Preferred

• Experience working directly with senior executives or leadership teams in a strategy, operations, chief-of-staff, or business planning capacity.
• People leadership experience with demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and manage talent.
• Strong business intelligence, analytics, reporting, and visualization capability.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently, anticipate business needs, manage ambiguity, and drive results in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong judgment, enterprise mindset, discretion, and ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Periodic domestic and international overnight travel may be required up to 20%

More about us

At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.

Certified as a Global Top Employer, Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

This position is currently classified as "hybrid" in accordance with Takeda's Hybrid and Remote Work policy.

Takeda Compensation and Benefits Summary

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. We are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices.

For Location

USA - MA - Cambridge - Kendall Square - 500

U.S. Base Salary Range

$177,000.00 - $278,080.00

The estimated salary range reflects an anticipated range for this position. The actual base salary offered may depend on a variety of factors, including the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. The actual base salary offered will be in accordance with state or local minimum wage requirements for the job location.

EEO Statement

Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.

Locations

USA - MA - Cambridge - Kendall Square - 500

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

Job Exempt

Yes

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.