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Director, Launch Excellence – USBU, Marketing and Content Operations
About the Role:
The Director of Launch Excellence in the USBU plays a critical role integrating launch discipline capabilities, consistency, and best practices across the USBU portfolio. This leader is responsible for developing and sustaining the frameworks, tools, and governance models that drive consistent, high-quality launches across the US Business Unit. The Director serves as a strategic advisor, collaborating with brand/franchise and cross-functional teams to integrate launch excellence into management for effective planning, execution, and post-launch optimization.
How you will contribute:
Develop and enhance US Launch Excellence frameworks, playbooks, and tools to drive consistency throughout the USBU and quality across product launches.
Partner with US Brand and Franchise teams to integrate launch excellence methodologies, training, and tools into brand program management and launch planning processes.
Coach brand, franchise, and cross functional teams on launch excellence principles, ensuring appropriate adoption and thoughtful customization based on brand needs.
Institutionalize key launch excellence milestones, such as launch planning kickoffs, mock launch exercises, and KPI readiness assessments.
Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) on launch practices, capturing learnings and embedding best practices into future launch strategies.
Lead US launch governance, liaising with brand teams on milestone planning, cross functional decision forums, and risk identification/mitigation processes and forums for US BU ELT elevation.
Define and harmonize US launch KPIs across brands, including access, demand uptake, and early performance indicators.
Serve as a resource for cross functional launch readiness workshops, guiding teams through governance structures, gap identification, risk assessment, interdependencies, and mitigation planning.
Manage the Launch Excellence Community of Practice within the USBU and coordinate with SPD and OBU counterparts as appropriate.
Candidate Requirements
Education
Bachelor’s degree required
Experience
10–15+ years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry
Preferred, 5+ years specifically within a commercialization environment in life sciences.
Proven track record supporting or leading multiple US product launches. Expertise in Launch Excellence, Agile, Six Sigma, Lean or similar operational excellence approaches.
Strong experience in US Commercial Strategy, Marketing, Launch Management, or Commercial Operations
Demonstrated success working in highly matrixed, global organizations
Able to thrive in a highly dynamic, fast paced, continuously changing environment.
Core Competencies
Demonstrated experience in applying program management principles including Delivering strategic value with complex, cross functional activities, managing interdependencies, enabling disciplined decisions, measure and evaluation, risk and mitigation and adapting to change.
Strong strategic thinking combined with operational rigor
Ability to influence without authority and lead through collaboration
Excellent communication and executive level presentation skills
Strong analytical mindset with comfort using data to drive decisions
High level of compliance awareness and ethical judgment
Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable navigating ambiguity
Inclusive leader who builds trust across functions and geographies
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.
Certified as a Global Top Employer, 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:
Lexington, MAU.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.
U.S. based employees may be eligible for short-term and/ or long-term incentives. U.S. based employees may be eligible to participate in medical, dental, vision insurance, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, a tuition reimbursement program, paid volunteer time off, company holidays, and well-being benefits, among others. U.S. based employees are also eligible to receive, per calendar year, up to 80 hours of sick time, and new hires are eligible to accrue up to 120 hours of paid vacation.
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.
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.