Takeda

Director, Global Launch Excellence Lead

Takeda$177K — $278K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BA/BS degree required; Master's degree or PMP certification preferred
  • 12+ years in pharma/biotech with 5+ years in project/program management preferred
  • Proficiency in MS Office Suite, Teams, and project management software
  • Strong understanding of pharmaceutical development and commercial launch excellence
  • Exceptional planning and organizational abilities
  • Ability to drive value-based decisions in a global team environment
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Support Global Launch Activation Workshops to define the integrated launch plan
  • Manage overall global launch timelines alongside asset and brand strategies
  • Guide risk management processes and escalate issues to senior leadership
  • Integrate cross-functional team efforts to ensure operational success
  • Establish and track Launch Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
  • Coordinate financial oversight related to brand budget and variances
  • Foster a positive team culture and support onboarding of new team members

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) plan with company match
  • Short-term and long-term disability coverage
  • Tuition reimbursement program
  • Paid volunteer time off
  • Well-being benefits
  • Generous sick time and paid vacation allowances
Full Job Description
Job Description

Takeda is preparing to launch several innovative medicines globally. We are looking for a leader who is highly collaborative and results-oriented to support a specific product launch and champion our Global Launch Excellence community. As the Global Launch Excellence Lead, you will work with a Product Strategy Lead (PSL) and Global Commercial Leads/Global Brand Leads to develop and monitor an integrated global launch plan that aligns with our asset and brand strategies. Your role will be key in facilitating cross-functional engagement with stakeholders across Clinical Development, Global Regulatory Affairs, Global Manufacturing Sciences, Global Communications, and Global Medical Affairs, as well as launch leads in the US and International Business Unit to ensure an on-time, quality launch.

Additionally, you will promote innovation and excellence in our global launch processes among our community of launch excellence professionals. The ideal candidate should have exceptional project management skills, outstanding communication abilities, excellent facilitation skills, and a proven track record of successful commercial launches on a global scale.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Planning: Support Global Launch Activation Workshops to define the integrated global launch plan. Oversee Launch Team Meetings and Commercial Sub-Team to track progress. Organize Launch Summits to prepare regions. Guide the annual integrated Commercial Sub-Team goal-setting process for the asset.
  • Launch Timelines: Manage overall global launch timelines in line with asset and brand strategies, focusing on critical path tactics. Collaborate with the Global Program Manager (GPM) and regional launch leads to align timelines and tactics. Responsible for tracking detailed SPD functional tactics.
  • Risk Management: Guide the team in identifying and mitigating risks, scenario planning, decision criteria, and milestone stage gates to ensure teams stay on track. Identify, communicate, and escalate program-wide interdependencies, issues, and key decisions to senior leadership and governance.
  • Integration: Act as an integrator for the SPD functions and Commercial Sub-Teams, driving clarity and removing barriers to enable the operational execution of launch priorities.
  • Reporting and Communication: Establish and track Launch Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Manage scheduled and ad-hoc program status reporting. Coordinate the development of impactful presentations to facilitate strategic planning and decision-making, as well as preparing launch status updates for key governance committees.
  • Financial Oversight: Partner with the Finance representative and SPD functions to provide financial oversight of the brand budget. Monitor potential budget variances; proactively bring forward options for tradeoffs within the overall budget, timeline, and strategy.
  • Team Ways of Working and Culture: Foster a positive team culture through expert meeting facilitation, team health checks, collaborative and values-based decision-making, clear ways of working and team engagement. Support the onboarding of new launch team members as needed.
  • Continuous Learning: Facilitate After Action Reviews to identify and share key best practices and opportunities from launches.
  • Community of Practice: Champion the Global Launch Excellence community to develop processes, tools, and standards to execute our future launch readiness. Drive continuous process improvement initiatives, integrating GPT and regional ways of working and best practices.
  • Leverage Technology: Build and maintain tools to plan and track launch progress, enhancing team collaboration and agility.


Qualifications and Skills:
  • Education: BA/BS degree required; Master's degree or PMP certification preferred
  • Experience: 12+ years in pharma/biotech drug development or commercial in strategic or tactical roles supporting launch readiness, with 5+ years in project/program management preferred.
  • Technical Skills: Proficient with MS Office Suite, Teams, and project management software
  • Industry Knowledge: Understanding of pharmaceutical development, regulatory requirements and commercial launch excellence
  • Cross-Functional Knowledge: Understanding of essential global launch activities across key areas in cross-functional program team
  • Organizational Skills: Exceptional planning and organizational abilities to manage competing priorities
  • Agility: Self-motivated and adaptable professional, capable of handling multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment with minimal oversight
  • Risk Management: Proactive in identifying risks, proposing solutions, and delivering mitigation plans
  • Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills to provide context, articulate views, drive clarity, and address barriers. Excellent facilitation skills
  • Decision-Making: Ability to drive value-based decisions within a cross-functional, cross-cultural, global team structure


Preferred Qualifications:
  • Leadership: Proven success in leading cross-functional teams and managing stakeholder relationships
  • Influence: Ability to inspire and influence in a matrix environment to maximize launch success and address barriers
  • Digital Tools: Experience with implementing digital collaboration tools, project management and use of AI
  • Languages: Multilingual capabilities
  • Global Experience: Experience with global launches


Working Conditions:
  • Environment: Fast-paced with a large stakeholder base spanning countries and functions
  • Travel: Domestic and international travel may be required
  • Hours: Flexible working hours to accommodate global time zones
  • On-Site: Minimum in-person days per month required to enhance team collaboration


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:
USA - MA - Cambridge - Binney St

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.

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.

Locations
USA - MA - Cambridge - Binney St

Worker Type
Employee

Worker Sub-Type
Regular

Time Type
Full time

Job Exempt
Yes

About Takeda

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a global pharmaceutical company that develops and markets pharmaceutical products. The company's products are used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, respiratory diseases, and cancer. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited was founded in 1781 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company has operations in more than 80 countries and employs more than 49,000 people worldwide.
Learn more about Takeda
Size
47,347 employees
Market Cap
$48.2 billion
Industry
Founded
1781
5 Year Trend
+15.6%
NASDAQ

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