Lead, Product Sustainability Strategy

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in Lexington, MA is seeking a senior leader to develop and govern product-level sustainability narratives and claims across the portfolio. You will partner with Regulatory, Legal, Compliance, Medical, and Commercial teams to ensure truthful, compliant claims that support tender documentation and brand objectives.

The role requires 8+ years in regulated industries, strong program management, and experience with environmental impact assessments or LCA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline and experience in sustainability or ESG.
• 8+ years in pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare, or regulated industries.
• Experience developing or governing product-related claims with Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of Takeda's product sustainability narrative strategies for priority brands and pipeline assets.
• Define guardrails for sustainability related claims with Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, and Pharmacovigilance.
• Define data requirements, methodologies, and metrics needed to substantiate claims, ensuring traceability and audit readiness.
• Design, implement, and mature the Sustainability Product Claims governance framework across Takeda's portfolio.
• Translate technical assessments (e.g., LCA outputs, emissions data) into clear, credible narratives for diverse stakeholders.
• Integrate sustainability narratives into brand plans, promotional and non-promotional materials, and education tools while staying compliant.
• Co-lead or participate in cross-functional governance forums focused on product-level sustainability and timely decision making.
• Monitor regulatory trends and update internal policies and training accordingly.
• Develop training, playbooks, and tools to build capability in sustainability narrative development.
• Engage with external partners to benchmark Takeda's approach and strengthen credibility of methods and claims.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Strategic thinking

Written and oral communication

Regulatory/compliance knowledge

Sustainability / ESG

Life cycle assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree in science/engineering/related field

Advanced degree preferred (MS/MBA/PhD)

Job description

Job Description

About the role

• Develop and implement overarching strategies for product sustainability that enable Takeda to credibly and consistently articulate product-level environmental performance to meet the growing requirements in customer tender submissions and to bolster Takeda's Planet strategy and brand objectives.
• Partner with Commercial, Regulatory, Medical, Legal, and Corporate Sustainability to design, substantiate, approve, and govern sustainability-related product claims and narratives that support the business while meeting tender/customer documentation requirements and preventing non-compliant or misleading claims.
• Collaborate with Environmental Sustainability Operations and DD&T to identify and operationalize the data needs, assessments, methodologies, and evidence required to support product-level sustainability narratives and tender disclosures, including maintaining documentation that is traceable, defensible, and inspection/audit ready.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve the global Sustainability Product Claims governance framework to enable consistent, compliant, and scalable execution across Takeda's portfolio and geographies-ensuring Takeda can qualify for and respond to customer tenders that require verified sustainability information and controlled product claims.

How you will contribute

• Leads the design and implementation of Takeda's product sustainability narrative strategies for priority brands and pipeline assets, ensuring alignment with enterprise sustainability goals, brand strategies, and customer tender requirements.
• Collaborates closely with Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, and Pharmacovigilance to define guardrails for sustainability related claims, ensure appropriate evidence standards, and oversee review and approval processes.
• Works with Environmental Sustainability Operations and DD&T to define data requirements, methodologies, and metrics needed to substantiate claims, including maintaining documentation that is traceable, defensible, and inspection/audit ready.
• Designs, implements, and matures the Sustainability Product Claims governance framework, including roles, decision rights, operating procedures, documentation standards, and escalation pathways.
• Develops clear, credible, and differentiated product sustainability narratives and claims, translating complex technical assessments (e.g., life cycle assessment outputs, emissions data) into compelling content for diverse stakeholders.
• Partners with Commercial, Marketing, Market Access, and Medical Affairs to integrate sustainability narratives into brand plans, promotional and non promotional materials, and patient and HCP education tools in compliance with regulatory and promotional standards.
• Co leads or participates in cross functional governance forums and project teams focused on product level sustainability, ensuring consistent application of policy and timely decision making.
• Monitors external regulatory, policy, and stakeholder trends related to environmental and sustainability claims; recommends updates to internal policies, templates, and training accordingly.
• Develops and delivers training, playbooks, and tools to build capability in sustainability narrative development across global and regional teams.
• Engages with external partners (e.g., industry associations, NGOs, specialist consultancies) as appropriate to benchmark Takeda's approach, align with best practices, and strengthen credibility of methods and claims.
• Maintains high standards of ethical conduct and integrity, proactively identifying and mitigating risks of greenwashing, reputational harm, or misalignment with Takeda values.
• Other duties as assigned.

What you bring to Takeda

Education / experience

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in a scientific discipline (e.g., environmental science, sustainability, chemistry, life sciences), communications, business, or engineering; advanced degree (e.g., MSc, MPH, MBA, PharmD, JD) preferred.
• Typically 8+ years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, consumer goods, or related regulated industry, including significant experience in sustainability, ESG, brand/portfolio marketing, medical affairs, regulatory affairs, or communications.
• Demonstrated track record developing or governing product related claims, narratives, or communications in consultation with Legal, Regulatory, and Compliance partners.
• Strong program and project management capabilities; able to lead complex cross functional initiatives and deliver high quality outputs on time.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; able to distill complex technical content into clear, concise, and compelling messages for diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a highly matrixed, global organization; strong stakeholder management, influence, and negotiation skills.
• Experience with sustainability and ESG strategies, environmental impact assessments, or life cycle assessment is strongly preferred.
• Experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector and familiarity with industry specific regulatory and promotional standards are highly desirable.

Behavioural Competencies and Skills

• Strong integrity and ethics, with a risk-aware mindset focused on avoiding greenwashing and maintaining trust with patients, HCPs, regulators, and society.
• Strategic thinker who can connect enterprise-level sustainability commitments with concrete product-level value propositions.
• High degree of curiosity, learning agility, and openness to new ideas and ways of working.
• Collaborative, inclusive, and respectful; demonstrates Takeda values and leadership behaviors in all interactions.

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

Lexington, MA

U.S. Base Salary Range

$154,400.00 - $242,550.00

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

Lexington, MA

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.