Strategy & Operations Lead—Medical Trial Enablement & Early Pipeline

Takeda; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 154,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work policy

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Takeda Oncology is seeking a Strategy & Operations Lead- Medical Trial Enablement & Early Pipeline (Associate Director) in Cambridge, MA, reporting to the GMAO Chief of Staff. The role drives planning, coordination, and execution of trial enablement across Global Medical Affairs with regional and local Medical teams.

The incumbent will lead cross-functional initiatives, governance, and communications to ensure timely support for new and ongoing oncology trials, including strategic planning,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PhD, etc.) preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in medical affairs, clinical development, clinical operations, program management, or a related role within pharma/biotech/healthcare.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level content.
• Proven experience developing presentations for senior executives using PowerPoint and related tools.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into clear narratives.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationships with senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic initiatives for GMAO leadership to strengthen trial planning and execution across the oncology portfolio.
• Coordinate integrated planning across trial support activities, including milestones, risks, and deliverables.
• Maintain forward-looking trial milestone views and align owners, requirements, and capacity.
• Establish governance, roles, handoffs, escalation routes, and communication pathways for trial support.
• Ensure Medical representation in key feasibility, country/site planning, and study forums with clear input expectations.
• Collaborate with Global Medical Leads to optimize meeting management and team effectiveness.
• Track recommendations and escalations with clear decisions and next steps.
• Represent GMAO in digital innovation efforts to define Medical requirements and cross-functional impact.
• Continuously assess workflows, identify improvements, and monitor adoption and benefits.
• Develop executive updates on readiness, milestones, risks, dependencies, and actions.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree (MBA/ MPH/ PhD)

Tools

PowerPoint

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Join Takeda Oncology as a Strategy & Operations Lead- Medical Trial Enablement & Early Pipeline (Associate Director) out of our Cambridge, MA office. The S&O Lead for Medical Trial Enablement & Early Pipeline strengthens and scales Medical’s support for oncology clinical trials across the portfolio. Reporting to the GMAO Chief of Staff, the role leads the planning, coordination, implementation, and continuous assessment and improvement of the GMAO clinical trial enablement model by translating clinical development plans and study timelines into clear Medical requirements, integrated readiness plans, and coordinated execution. The S&O Lead partners with GMAO Medical, Global Development Operations, senior leaders, and Global, Regional, and Local Medical teams to enable proactive, consistent, and timely support for new and ongoing trials. This role involves change management, communication planning, and enhancing team collaboration to contribute to the overall success of Global Medical Affairs effectiveness and operations.

Accountabilities:

• Lead strategic initiatives on behalf of the GMAO CMO and Chief of Staff that strengthen Medical’s contribution to clinical trial planning, start-up, execution, and acceleration across the oncology portfolio, ensuring clear responsibilities and coordinated execution across Global, Regional, and LOC Medical teams.
• Lead integrated planning across GMAO clinical trial support activities, including milestones, decision points, dependencies, risks, deliverables, and measures of success.
• Maintain a forward-looking view of trial milestones and Medical support needs. Partner with Regional and LOC Medical leaders to confirm owners, preparation requirements, and resource capacity, and elevate gaps before they affect execution.
• Establish clear governance, roles, handoffs, escalation routes, and communication pathways for GMAO clinical trial support across Global, Regional, and Local Medical teams.
• Ensure appropriate Medical representation in key feasibility, country and site planning, and study execution forums, with clear expectations for input and timely communication of decisions to relevant Medical teams.
• Partner with Global Medical Leads to optimize meeting management and team effectiveness for GMA core and strategic teams for early pipeline program.
• Track Medical recommendations, requests, and escalations through resolution, ensuring decisions, rationale, and next steps are communicated back to contributing teams.
• Represent GMAO on digital innovation efforts to define and prioritize Medical requirements and enhance cross-functional impact on clinical trial execution.
• Continuously assess workflows and processes with cross-functional partners; identify and prioritize improvement opportunities; implement changes that reduce complexity and strengthen execution; and monitor adoption, outcomes, and realized benefits to inform further refinement.
• Develop executive-level updates and decision materials that provide transparent visibility to readiness, milestones, risks, dependencies, and required actions.

Dimensions and Aspects:

• Communicates ideas and data clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing.
• Builds credibility, trust, and confidence as an effective team member within and outside the company.
• Distills complex concepts into clear, accessible, and actionable language.
• Maintains high standards of excellence and thrives in a dynamic, cross-functional environment.
• Leads complex, cross-functional projects from ideation through execution.
• Manages multiple priorities with attention to detail and strong organizational discipline in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborates proactively with a solution-focused mindset.

Education, Behavioral Competencies, and Skills:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PhD, etc.) preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in medical affairs, clinical development, clinical operations, program management, or a related role within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare industry.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including experience drafting executive-level content.
• Proven experience developing presentations for senior executives using Microsoft PowerPoint and related business communication tools.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to synthesize technical or operational data into clear narratives.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to build relationships with senior leaders and diverse teams.

Desired:

• Strong understanding of the drug development process, clinical trial lifecycle, and the Medical Affairs activities that enable study planning, start-up, enrollment, execution, and closeout.
• Experience partnering with R&D Operations, study teams, and/or Global, Regional, and Local Medical leads to align timelines, clarify deliverables, and drive cross-functional trial readiness.
• Experience establishing governance, integrated plans, communication pathways, and process improvements across global and country-level stakeholders.
• Experience working in a multinational setting with international affiliates.
• Proven ability to influence across a matrixed organization, lead through ambiguity, and navigate conflict diplomatically.

Additional Information:

Requires approximately 10% travel, including overnight and international travel to other Takeda sites and meetings with external partners.

More about us:

At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.

Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

This position is currently classified as “hybrid” in accordance with Takeda’s Hybrid and Remote Work policy.

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:

$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

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.