Lead, Product Sustainability Strategy

Takeda; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda in Lexington, MA is seeking a Lead, Product Sustainability Strategy to design and implement overarching product sustainability narratives and governance across our portfolio. You will partner with Commercial, Regulatory, Legal, Medical, and Corporate Sustainability to validate claims and support tender documentation.

The role requires 8+ years in regulated industries with experience in ESG, brand/portfolio marketing, or regulatory affairs; strong stakeholder management and strategic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline (environmental science, sustainability, chemistry, life sciences) or related field.
• Advanced degree (e.g., MSc, MPH, MBA, PharmD, JD) preferred.
• Typically 8+ years of relevant experience in regulated industry including sustainability, ESG, marketing, medical affairs, regulatory, or communications.

Responsibilities

• Leads the design and implementation of product sustainability narrative strategies for priority brands and pipeline assets.
• Collaborates with Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Compliance, and Pharmacovigilance to define guardrails for sustainability-related claims.
• Defines data requirements, methodologies, and metrics to substantiate claims; ensures documentation is traceable and audit-ready.
• Designs, implements, and matures the Sustainability Product Claims governance framework including roles and procedures.
• Develops credible product sustainability narratives translating life cycle assessment outputs and emissions data into compelling content.

Education

Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline

Advanced degree (e.g., MSc, MPH, MBA, PharmD, JD) preferred

Job description

Job Description

About the role:

The purpose of the Lead, Product Sustainability Strategy is to:

• Develop and implement overarching strategies for product sustainability that enable Takeda tocredibly and consistently articulate product-level environmental performance to meet the growing requirements in customer tender submissionsand 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 whilemeeting tender/customer documentation requirementsandpreventing 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 supportproduct-level sustainability narratives and tender disclosures, including maintaining documentation that istraceable, defensible, and inspection/audit ready.

• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve theglobal Sustainability Product Claims governance frameworkto enableconsistent, compliant, and scalableexecution across Takeda’s portfolio and geographies—ensuring Takeda canqualify for and respond to customer tendersthat 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 istraceable, 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

YesIt 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.