Strategy and Operational Excellence Lead

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 177,000 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in Boston, MA, seeks a Strategy and Operational Excellence Lead (Director) to shape the U.S. Oncology strategy and drive cross-functional execution.

You will translate priorities into actionable plans, establish governance, and deliver measurable outcomes with disciplined execution. The role demands senior partnership, enterprise alignment, and a track record leading complex initiatives in a matrix environment, embedding Takeda-ism and a culture of high

Qualifications

• 10+ years in pharma/biotech/healthcare with senior strategy/operations experience.
• Experience leading cross-functional, matrixed initiatives with executive stakeholders.
• Formal training in project/change management or continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Refine and activate US OBU strategy with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Translate strategy into integrated operating plans with clear accountability.
• Provide senior thought partnership and clear leadership recommendations.
• Build and monitor governance, dashboards, and performance measures.
• Lead operational excellence initiatives across portfolio and resources.
• Oversee communications, town halls, and leadership messaging.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Problem solving

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, life sciences, healthcare, organizational leadership, or related field

Tools

Lean

Job description

Job Description

About the Role:

Strategy and Operational Excellence Lead (Director), reporting to the Head of U.S. Oncology Business Unit (OBU) Strategy & Business Operations, serves as a senior strategic and operational advisor responsible for shaping and activating the U.S. Oncology strategy by translating enterprise and business unit priorities into actionable plans, governance structures, and measurable outcomes. The role drives operational excellence and enterprise-visible cross-functional initiatives that simplify processes, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and accelerate sustainable value delivery. Working across a complex matrix environment, this leader establishes operating discipline, guides strategic decision-making, anticipates risks, aligns stakeholders, and ensures accountable execution of key business priorities. The position also champions a high-performing, values-based culture grounded in Takeda-ism and the organization's cultural pillars, delivering meaningful business and organizational impact through disciplined execution, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

How You Contribute:

Strategy Activation & Enterprise Alignment

• Lead the refinement, socialization, and activation of business-unit strategy, priorities, critical success factors, and multi-year roadmaps with leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Own the translation of strategy into integrated operating plans, clear decision rights, accountabilities, performance measures, and communications that enable sustained execution.
• Provide senior-level thought partnership by synthesizing internal and external insights, framing enterprise trade-offs, and advancing clear recommendations for leadership decisions.
• Ensure business-unit strategy and execution remain connected to Takeda enterprise priorities, global direction, portfolio needs, and patient and customer outcomes.

Operational Excellence & Portfolio Leadership

• Set a new standard of operational excellence by building capabilities, streamline processes, automate approaches, and leverage systems, tools and technologies to elevate and scale US Oncology operations.
• Support cross-functional initiatives from strategy through implementation, establishing outcomes, governance, resources, and change approaches.
• Establish scalable frameworks, standard work, tools, and governance that improve consistency, transparency, speed, and decision quality while reducing unnecessary administrative burden.
• Maintain oversight of initiative health, resources, milestones, risks, and interdependencies; intervene early and elevate issues with clear options and recommendations.
• Build practical portfolio dashboards and performance measures that enable prioritization, accountability, and data-informed decisions.
• Partner with Corporate Communications to refine and deploy internal leadership communications that connect enterprise priorities, business decisions, ways of working and culture.
• Oversee Home Office Huddles and Town Hall operations and logistics, including agendas, presentation creation, and stakeholder engagements.
• Partner with Finance and business leaders to influence resource allocation, maintain budget visibility, and drive responsible stewardship aligned with strategic priorities.

Leadership Governance & Operating Rhythm

• Establish and continuously improve governance and operating rhythms for the US Oncology Business Unit, leadership and cross-functional forums, including annual and quarterly planning, Leadership meeting agendas, pre-reads, decision documentation, and follow-through.
• Develop clear and concise narratives, presentations, reports, and recommendations that clarify choices, risks, trade-offs, and expected impact.
• Maintain an integrated business-unit milestone view to anticipate dependencies, sequence decisions, and resolve execution conflicts.
• Help support a culture of accountability by ensuring decisions, commitments, owners, timing, and outcomes are visible and actively managed.
• Build trusted senior-level relationships, influence without authority, resolve competing viewpoints, and enable timely enterprise-minded decisions.
• Facilitate leadership workshops and working sessions that convert ambiguity into aligned choices, concrete outputs, and accountable next steps.

Culture, Engagement & Capability Building

• Lead cross-functional culture and employee-engagement initiatives aligned to strategy and organizational health priorities.
• Create inclusive forums and communication approaches that amplify colleague voice, reinforce shared purpose, and strengthen connection across the organization.
• Lead home office new hire onboarding, provide an inclusive environment to share knowledge and accelerate learning.
• Model Takeda-ism and focus on six culture pillars: patient-centricity, people-mindedness, respect and collaboration, high performance, decision effectiveness and enterprise orientation.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, life sciences, healthcare, organizational leadership, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, consulting, or another highly regulated industry, including progressive leadership experience in strategy, business operations, transformation, or cross-functional portfolio leadership.
• Minimum 2 years of experience working as a consultant or in a consulting role, with demonstrated responsibility for structured problem-solving, executive-ready recommendations, and cross-functional client or stakeholder engagement.
• Formal project management, change management, Lean, or continuous improvement training or certification.
• Demonstrated Director-level leadership of complex, high-visibility initiatives across a matrixed organization, including influencing senior leaders and delivering outcomes without direct authority.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to connect enterprise priorities, market context, organizational capabilities, and operational execution.
• Enterprise portfolio leadership capabilities, including prioritization, governance, resource and risk oversight, decision framing, and accountability for sustained outcomes.
• Exceptional executive presence and written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to shape compelling narratives, advise senior leaders, and communicate complex choices with clarity.
• Strong facilitation, stakeholder management, and change leadership skills; able to create alignment amid ambiguity and competing priorities.
• High learning agility, judgment, discretion, and commitment to integrity, fairness, honesty, and perseverance.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and digital collaboration tools; demonstrated interest in responsibly applying AI and automation to improve quality, speed, and ways of working.
• Highly proficient in storytelling and presentations skills.

Preferred

• Experience in Human Resources or supporting people, talent, organizational effectiveness, culture, or workforce initiatives is a plus.
• Advanced degree such as an MBA, MS, MPH, or equivalent.
• Experience in commercial operations, product lifecycle planning, or enterprise transformation.

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time, based on business need.

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:
$177,000.00 - $278,080.00

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.

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

Boston, 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.