Director, US Medical Strategy - GI

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 192,000 - 302,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. in Boston, MA seeks a Director, US Medical Strategy- GI to lead product-level medical strategy within US Medical Affairs. You will drive evidence generation, external engagement with KOLs, and AI-enabled insights to inform lifecycle plans and budget management.

This role requires advanced clinical degree and strong leadership in GI or related fields. Hybrid work with up to 30% travel, reporting to TA Head, with global collaboration.

Qualifications

• Required: Advanced Doctoral Degree (MD/DO/PhD/PharmD) with experience in clinical research and publications.
• Preferred: 5+ years of relevant clinical practice, research, and pharma industry experience; GI experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead product-level medical strategy within USMA.
• Oversee execution of medical strategies and budget in collaboration with GI Head.
• Develop evidence generation and AI-enabled approaches to inform strategy and decision-making.
• Build external KOL relationships and manage advisory boards and collaborations.
• Represent medical affairs in cross-functional/global forums.

Skills

Clinical research

Publication activities

Congress presentations

Public speaking

Digital analytics AI in medical

Executive presence

Strategic storytelling

Education

Advanced Doctoral Degree (MD/DO/PhD/PharmD)

Job description

Job Description

Are you looking for a patient-focused, innovation-driven company that will inspire you and empower you to shine? Join us as a Director, US Medical Strategy- GI

in our Cambridge, MA office.

At Takeda, we are transforming the pharmaceutical industry through our R&D-driven market leadership and being a values-led company. To do this, we empower our people to realize their potential through life-changing work. Certified as a Global Top Employer, we offer stimulating careers, encourage innovation, and strive for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our global teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

Here, you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission.

POSITION OBJECTIVES:

• The Director, GI is a critical role within the US Medical Affairs (USMA) organization that reports to the Therapeutic Area (TA) Head, with product level strategic responsibility for one or more products, and may have broader responsibility for later in lifecycle TA.
• The role is accountable for medical strategy, ensuring that product-specific strategies are developed and executed in collaboration with the Medical Unit.
• The role serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME), representing the USMA at the Global level for a product on relevant internal committees. The role is accountable for the relevant budget, drives overall medical unit insights, including ad boards, and communication with cross-functional partners.
• This role is expected to continuously evolve medical strategy and operating models through the thoughtful adoption of digital, analytics, and AI-enabled capabilities to enhance insight generation, decision‑making, execution efficiency, and patient impact.

POSITION ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Overarching Responsibilities:

• Product Level strategic responsibility for one or more products.
• TA and/or product focus may evolve to support priorities of the organization (e.g. additional TA or product-specific responsibilities may change based upon the strategic direction of the organization).
• Oversee the execution of medical strategies by the medical unit partner with the PM to track progress against strategic plans, including development + communication of periodic reports.
• Apply data-driven and AI-enabled approaches to monitor execution, identify gaps, and continuously improve medical plans.

Develop US Product Medical Strategy:

• Lead/co-develop/coordinate with the medical unit and provide medical input into the near-term and long-term strategic direction for assigned product.
• Accountable for the development and ongoing updates to relevant product specific medical strategies, in partnership with medical unit, and in alignment with the commercial brand strategy and global product teams.
• Collaborate with Global Medical Evidence Generation team to develop evidence generation strategy.
• Develop long-term lifecycle management strategy + tactics (HEOR etc.).
• Leverage digital and AI-enabled analyses to improve scenario planning, prioritization, and lifecycle management strategy.
• Champion responsible adoption of digital and AI-powered tools that improve efficiency, scalability, and consistency of medical strategy development and execution.
• Collaborate with PM (as applicable) to develop and maintain the medical landscape and insights to inform strategy.

Medical Expert:

• Serve as the in‑house medical and scientific expert for therapies within GI and represent medical affairs at the Global level for a product.
• Generate Insights – Develop and execute ad board strategy, which may be done in partnership with the PM (as applicable), and insights from field medical/additional sources.
• Understand and Communicate Insights: Synthesize summarized insights + implications from relevant sources (e.g., ad boards, field medical) to the medical unit and cross‑functional stakeholders and update medical landscape + medical strategy (as appropriate).

External Engagement:

• Develop external KOL relationships and insights through Advisory Boards, professional associations/meetings and conferences etc.; manage global interactions with US KOLs and vice‑versa.
• Partner with Advocacy and other medical directors on external partnership, as appropriate (e.g., external affairs/government affairs).

Budget Management:

• Accountable/Responsible for budget at the Product level, and ongoing budget management in partnership with the PM in concert with GI Head.
• Coordinates with the medical unit and functional leads.

Execution / Content Creation:

• Partner with the medical unit functional leads to ensure strategic alignment related to the execution of the relevant product medical strategy and how it is pulled through into tactics (e.g. Grants, Medical Communications (e.g. SCP, ICP, Slide Decks), Publications, Research, Field Medical, Etc.).
• Support medical review of appropriate materials as part of medical and commercial review processes.

Internal Engagement

• Lead/coordinate with the medical unit, including attending regular meetings, and representing on the SLT (assuming most medical units are product‑level, but may be broader).
• Represent medical affairs (i.e., be the point of contact) on cross‑functional / cross‑division meetings (representation on global medical forums, commercial / product forums, etc.).
• Primary point of contact: Ensure appropriate delegation for GI/product‑specific single point of contact for Medical Affairs; [e.g., ensure representation on GPT – R&D, GMA, Commercial Teams (e.g., insights team)].
• Provide input into confidential new business development.

Leadership Behaviors:

• Demonstrates strategic enterprise thinking finding innovative ways to serve patients, and building trust, reputation, and business.
• Creates an environment that inspires and enables people to move the organization forward.
• Focuses on a few priorities and delivers superior results.
• Elevates the capabilities of the organization for now and the future, demonstrating a continuous improvement mindset, including modernization of ways of working through digital and AI-enabled approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate and influence up, down, and cross‑functionally with the ability to influence internally, and externally.
• Executive Presence & strategic storytelling.
• Ability to oversee delegate and manage stakeholders.
• Demonstrates strong partnerships and collaboration.

EDUCATION, BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

Required:· Advanced Doctoral Degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, PharmD).

• Experience with clinical research, publication activities, congress presentations, and public speaking.
• Demonstrated experience applying digital, analytics, or AI-enabled approaches to improve medical strategy, insights, operational efficiency, or decision‑making.

Preferred:

• Advanced Doctoral Degree (e.g., MD, DO, PhD, PharmD) preferred with at least 5 years of relevant clinical practice, research, academic and/or pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Experience in gastroenterology.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS:

Maintain minimum standards of education/certification in individual professional discipline

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

Periodic travel required (up to 30%)

This position is currently classified as “hybrid” in accordance with Takeda’s Hybrid and Remote Work policy.

Empowering Our People to Shine

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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:

Boston, MA

U.S. Base Salary Range:

$192,400.00 - $302,390.00

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.

For information about our benefits, please click here.

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