Senior Manager, Business Operations

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda in Lexington, MA is seeking a Senior Manager, Business Operations for the Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Manufacturing Business Operations. This role leads cross-functional initiatives, partners with function heads, and translates strategic priorities into actionable operational plans with governance and measurable outcomes.

You will manage budgeting, headcount tracking, and resource planning; develop dashboards and reporting; drive process improvements; and enable leadership decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant industry experience, including leading cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or other regulated environments preferred.
• Strong analytical and financial skills; interpret budgets and performance trends.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive outcomes without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills for leadership.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint; Power BI and SharePoint preferred.
• Project management, Lean, or Six Sigma certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own and lead complex operational initiatives for assigned PharmSci functions with defined outcomes and milestones.
• Establish governance and routines to review progress and resolve issues.
• Identify risks and resource constraints; develop mitigation options and escalate when needed.
• Lead budgeting and resource-planning activities, including headcount tracking and CAPEX processes.
• Develop and maintain operational reporting, dashboards, and tracking mechanisms for leadership.
• Lead process-improvement initiatives across onboarding, planning, and systems interactions.
• Own and improve function-level operating processes and training materials.
• Prepare and coordinate leadership meetings and forums with clear decisions and follow-ups.
• Partner with function heads and cross-functional stakeholders to drive alignment and execution.
• Lead vendor and contracting activities with Contracts, Legal, and Compliance; address issues.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical thinking

Financial acumen

Influence senior stakeholders

Communication & presentation

Project management

Process improvement

Decision support

Prioritization

Leadership without authority

Education

Bachelor’s degree in science or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Power BI

SharePoint

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 Senior Manager, Business Operations reporting to the Director, Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Manufacturing Business Operations based in our Lexington, 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. 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. This role leads business operations for assigned Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmSci) functions, partnering with function heads and their Senior Leadership Teams to translate strategic priorities into effective operational plans and measurable outcomes. The Senior Manager independently leads complex, cross-functional initiatives; establishes clear governance, accountability, and performance monitoring; and anticipates operational risks and resource needs. By providing actionable analysis, improving processes and systems, and enabling effective leadership decisions, the role strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of PharmSci operations.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Own and lead complex operational initiatives for assigned PharmSci functions, translating strategic priorities into plans with defined outcomes, milestones, owners, dependencies, and measures of progress.
• Establish and lead governance and operating routines to review progress, resolve issues, track decisions, and ensure timely completion of cross-functional commitments.
• Proactively identify operational risks, resource constraints, and dependencies; develop mitigation options, drive in-scope actions, and escalat significant issues and tradeoffs to leadership.
• Lead budgeting and resource-planning activities, including headcount tracking and MRP, MYC, and Capex processes; analyze actuals, projections, and variances and provide clear recommendations to leaders.
• Develop and maintain operational reporting, dashboards, and tracking mechanisms that give leaders timely insight into performance, priorities, risks, and resource needs.
• Lead process-improvement initiatives across areas such as onboarding, communications, planning, and systems interactions; implement changes and assess their effectiveness.
• Own and improve function-level operating processes and infrastructure within scope, such as resource repositories, onboarding practices, functional communications, and training materials.
• Lead preparation and coordination of leadership meetings, Town Halls, and other forums, ensuring agendas, pre-reads, decisions, and follow-up actions support effective leadership and timely information flow.
• Partner with function heads and cross-functional stakeholders on requests, nominations, and organizational initiatives; drive alignment and follow-through rather than serving solely as a coordinator.
• Lead vendor and contracting activities within scope, partnering with Contracts, Legal, Compliance, and relevant stakeholders to address issues and escalat exceptions.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational tools and information flow; develop practical solutions using tools such as Power BI and SharePoint, and provide guidance to support adoption.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10 or more years of relevant industry experience, including demonstrated experience independently leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and accountability for governance, risk management, decision support, and measurable outcomes.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or other regulated environments preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead initiatives from planning through implementation, manage interdependencies, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, including the ability to interpret operational data, budgets, resource plans, and performance trends and turn them into actionable recommendations.
• Proven ability to influence senior and cross-functional stakeholders, establish accountability, and drive outcomes without direct authority.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills; able to prepare clear, concise, decision-ready materials for leadership.
• Strong organizational skills, judgment, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize multiple complex activities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with Power BI and SharePoint preferred.
• Self-directed, proactive, and comfortable making decisions within delegated authority while escalating material issues appropriately.
• Project management, Lean, or Six Sigma certification preferred but not required.

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: $137,000.00 - $215,270.00

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

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.

Takeda is an industry-leading, global pharmaceutical company with an unwavering dedication to putting patients at the center of everything we do. We live our values of Takeda-ism – Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance – and are united by our mission to strive towards Better Health and a Brighter Future for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine. Here, everyone matters and you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission. At Takeda, you will make an impact on people’s lives – including your own.

Takeda is an equal opportunity employer.