Head of Lab Operations

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Job Description

About the Role:

At Takeda, we are guided by our purpose of Better Health for People, Brighter Future for the World and our commitment to patients, our people, and the planet. Leading smooth transitions and integration of labs, systems, processes, and capabilities is essential to maintaining operational continuity and delivering on our commitments to patients, regulators, and partners.

We are seeking an Executive Director, Head of Lab Operations to lead and scale global laboratory operations across Takeda’s R&D organization. This role is responsible for ensuring that lab environments, processes, and systems are optimized to enable scientific excellence, operational efficiency, and scalability across a complex global footprint.

You will operate at the intersection of science, operations, and strategy—driving large-scale operational excellence initiatives, enabling scientists to focus on discovery, and shaping the future of laboratory operations, including preparation for the One Cambridge Campus.

What You Will Do:

As a key leader in the R&D Operational Excellence organization, you will:

• Lead and oversee global R&D laboratory operations, defining standardized processes, roles, and governance while enabling best practice sharing across regions and appropriate local adaptation.

• Develop and execute enterprise laboratory operations strategies to centrally scale and optimize services across R&D, increasing productivity and reducing administrative burden on scientific teams.

• Ensure end-to-end operational support for R&D laboratories, including equipment, space, utilities, purchasing, maintenance, calibration, and materials flow, enabling scientific teams to focus on technical execution.

• Drive R&D laboratory space and capacity strategy, including long term planning and readiness for the One Cambridge Campus, lab footprint scaling, asset utilization, storage, and materials flow optimization.

• Coordinate global laboratory operations services and partnerships, serving as a primary interface for vendors and lab users; oversee CAPEX and OPEX, performance metrics, and continuous improvement, including innovation in automation, robotics, AI/data integration, and asset sharing.

• Serve as the central R&D point of accountability for lab operations, including safety/EHS, procurement, and compliance, with clear escalation and issue resolution mechanisms to protect program timelines and support R&D simplicity goals.

What Makes This Role Unique:

This role sits at the center of enabling scientific innovation by ensuring that laboratory environments operate efficiently, consistently, and at scale across a complex global footprint. You will:

• Lead high-visibility, enterprise-critical initiatives that shape the future of Takeda’s R&D laboratory operations.

• Drive large-scale transformation in preparation for the One Cambridge Campus and evolving global lab strategy.

• Balance the needs of scientists with operational efficiency, enabling productivity while simplifying processes.

• Serve as a key partner across R&D and with external vendors, influencing how laboratory operations evolve globally.

• Success in this role requires a leader who can balance strategic vision with operational execution and people leadership, while influencing across a highly matrixed, global organization.

What You Bring:

• Deep experience in pharmaceutical R&D environments, including strong understanding of laboratory operations and processes.

• Proven experience leading large-scale lab operations, including equipment, facilities, procurement, maintenance, and vendor management.

• Strong experience driving operational efficiency, process improvement, and implementation of new systems.

• Experience managing large-scale financial oversight, including CAPEX and OPEX budgets.

• Strong understanding of safety, compliance, and regulatory considerations within laboratory environments.

• Ability to think strategically while operating at a practical, execution-focused level, even in ambiguous situations.

Leadership & Impact:

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex global organizations and drive operational and cultural change, both directly and through influence.

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence, align, and inspire across functions, regions, and levels.

• Proven ability to lead transformation initiatives, implement new systems, and drive process changes.

• Ability to establish alignment through collaboration and persuasive communication; strong communicator with excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

• Ability to influence and work effectively across business partnerships, regions, and cultures while balancing scientific needs with operational efficiencies.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, pharmacy, engineering, operations, business management, or related field.

• 15+ years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D, with a preference for lab operations management & leadership, and deep experience working with scientists, vendor management and procurement functions in an R&D lab environment.

• Minimum 7 years of people leadership experience, including driving process change and implementing systems.

• Experience working within complex, matrixed organizations across functions and regions.

• Proven track record of leading large-scale lab operations, driving organizational change, and delivering complex programs.

Preferred:

• Advanced degree in science or business.

• Certifications in operational excellence, vendor management, or process improvement programs.

Additional Information:

• Requires approximately 10–15% travel, including domestic and international travel.

• Flexibility to support meetings across global time zones.

• 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:

$208,200.00 - $327,140.00

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.

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.