Head of Medical Affairs, Medical Affairs, Beijing/Shanghai

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Job Description

RESPONSIBILITIES

Enterprise Medical Leadership

• Define and execute the overall China Medical Affairs vision, strategy, and priorities aligned with Takeda China business objectives and Global/IBU Medical strategies.
• Set the long-term Medical Affairs vision and strategic priorities for China, aligned with Takeda global priorities and China enterprise ambition.
• Serve as the principal medical advisor to the China President and senior leadership team on scientific, clinical, evidence, and healthcare ecosystem matters.
• Contribute to enterprise-level decisions by balancing patient outcomes, scientific integrity, compliance, reputation, resource stewardship, and sustainable business impact.
• Represent Medical Affairs as a strategic driver of patient impact, healthcare value, enterprise reputation, and growth.

Medical Strategy and Portfolio Leadership

• Lead integrated medical strategy across therapeutic areas, lifecycle stages, external scientific engagement, launch readiness, pipeline preparation, and portfolio prioritization.
• Ensure China medical plans are aligned with global and regional strategies while reflecting local healthcare needs and scientific priorities.
• Provide strategic oversight for TA Medical Heads and functional Medical Affairs leaders to ensure quality, consistency, and execution excellence.
• Translate medical insights and external evidence into differentiated value propositions for patients, healthcare professionals, healthcare systems, and Takeda.

Scientific Leadership and External Engagement

• Build Takeda China as a trusted scientific partner within the China healthcare ecosystem.
• Establish and sustain executive-level relationships with key opinion leaders, academic institutions, professional societies, research organizations, and relevant healthcare stakeholders.
• Serve as the senior medical representative for Takeda China in appropriate scientific and healthcare forums.
• Elevate Takeda China’s medical reputation through high-quality, non-promotional scientific exchange and thought leadership.

Evidence Generation, Insights and Patient Impact

• Define and govern the China evidence generation strategy, including real-world evidence, health outcomes research, investigator-sponsored research, publications, and patient insights.
• Ensure evidence generation priorities are scientifically robust, locally relevant, globally aligned, and connected to patient and healthcare system needs.
• Strengthen the use of data, digital, analytics, and medical insights to inform portfolio strategy and improve patient outcomes.
• Champion patient-centric innovation and ensure patient voice is reflected in medical planning and external engagement.

Medical Governance, Ethics and Risk Management

• Act as the accountable executive for Medical Affairs governance in China, ensuring high standards of scientific integrity, ethics, compliance, and medical independence.
• Ensure medical activities comply with applicable China healthcare regulations, industry codes, Takeda policies, and global standards.
• Maintain robust medical review, evidence, publication, scientific communication, and external engagement governance processes.
• Anticipate, assess, and mitigate enterprise medical risks while enabling agile, compliant execution.

Organization Leadership and Talent Development

• Build and lead a high-performing Medical Affairs organization with the capabilities required for current portfolio priorities and future pipeline opportunities.
• Develop strong succession pipelines for TA Medical Heads, Medical Operations, Medical Excellence, Field Medical, and other critical medical capabilities.
• Create an inclusive and performance-oriented culture that attracts, develops, and retains top medical talent.
• Lead organizational transformation, capability building, and future-ready ways of working across Medical Affairs.
• Champion innovative approaches and leverage AI, digital tools, and advanced analytics to enable new ways of working, improve decision quality, enhance medical productivity, and accelerate patient-focused impact.

Cross-Functional Enterprise Partnership

• Partner with Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory, Public Affairs, Government Affairs, Finance, Legal, Compliance, R&D, Global Medical, and Regional Medical teams to deliver aligned enterprise outcomes.
• Influence cross-functional strategy through scientific expertise, healthcare system understanding, and patient-first decision making.
• Ensure medical perspectives are appropriately integrated into launch, lifecycle, access, evidence, and external stakeholder strategies while preserving medical independence.

Resource Stewardship and Operational Excellence

• Oversee Medical Affairs investment, budget allocation, workforce planning, and operating model effectiveness.
• Establish clear performance measures and governance routines to track medical contribution to patient impact, healthcare value, and enterprise priorities.
• Drive operational excellence, continuous improvement, digital innovation, and effective deployment of medical resources.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Internal

China Leadership Team, Global Medical Leadership Team, IBU Medical Leadership Team, Global Therapeutic Area Heads, Global Medical Excellence & Operations, Global Evidence Generation, R&D, Commercial, Market Access, Regulatory Affairs, Government Affairs, Patient Safety, Ethics & Compliance, DD&T, Finance, Human Resources.

External

Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Academic and Research Institutions, Scientific Societies and Industry Associations, Regulatory Authorities, Patient Organizations, Clinical Research Organizations (CROs), Healthcare Systems, Strategic Partners, Vendors and Service Providers.

QUALIFICATIONS

Level of Education

•     MD, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent advanced life sciences / medical degree required.

•     MBA or additional business / executive leadership qualification preferred.

Working Experience in Relevant Field

•      Typically 15-20+ years of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or relevant medical leadership experience.

Professional Knowledge and Skills

• Proven track record leading a large-scale Medical Affairs organization in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Demonstrated experience as a senior medical executive partnering with country, regional, and global leadership teams.
• Significant leadership experience in Medical Affairs, Clinical Development, Medical Strategy, or related medical functions.
• Deep understanding of China healthcare ecosystem, scientific engagement, drug development, evidence generation, regulatory environment, and access dynamics.
• Experience leading organizational transformation, capability building, senior talent development, and external stakeholder strategy.
• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing medical strategies across multiple therapeutic areas.

Locations

Beijing, ChinaShanghai, China

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time