Head of Discovery Biology for AI-Driven Therapeutics

USA - 3316 Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc.; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 212,000 - 333,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda is seeking a Senior Director, AIRx Discovery Biology Lead in Cambridge, MA to set mechanistic and translational foundations for AIRx programs, guiding from target hypothesis to clinical hypothesis in an AI-enabled operating model.

You will own disease biology and target validation strategy across the AIRx portfolio, design translational biomarker programs, oversee CRO biology, and collaborate with biology, chemistry, and data science teams to deliver IND-enabling packages.

Qualifications

• PhD in cell biology, molecular biology, pharmacology, or closely related discipline.
• 12–15+ years of drug discovery with a strong track record in target validation and disease biology.
• IND filings experience.
• Experience designing and managing external CRO biology programs; ability to scope and interpret study data.
• Ability to connect target biology to clinical hypothesis and translational strategy.
• AI/ML data integration experience; comfortable with large multi-source datasets.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills in a lean, fast-paced team.

Responsibilities

• Direct CRO partners to generate high-quality data for AI DMTA cycles and connect biology to translational strategy and clinical outcomes.
• Own disease biology and target validation strategy across the AIRx portfolio with mechanistic rationale and clinical line of sight.
• Define translational biomarker strategies to support go/no-go decisions and future clinical development.
• Design and oversee CRO-executed in vitro and in vivo biology studies; critically evaluate data for decision-readiness.
• Integrate biology data into AI-enabled DMTA cycles with medicinal/computational chemists, DMPK, safety, and structural biology.
• Shape how biology is practiced in the AIRx model and represent biology in Takeda governance forums.

Skills

AI/ML data integration

Cross-functional collaboration

Clinical hypothesis linkage

IND filings experience

External CRO management

Data interpretation in biology

Education

PhD in biology or related field

Job description

Takeda is seeking a Senior Director, AIRx Discovery Biology Lead in Cambridge, MA to set mechanistic and translational foundations for AIRx programs, guiding from target hypothesis to clinical hypothesis in an AI-enabled operating model.

You will own disease biology and target validation strategy across the AIRx portfolio, design translational biomarker programs, oversee CRO biology, and collaborate with biology, chemistry, and data science teams to deliver IND-enabling packages.