Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Head (TAH), Global Medical Safety

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Job Description

Objective / Purpose:

Principal responsibilities include:

• Accountable for end-to-end safety and benefit–risk strategy across the Therapeutic Area (TA), ensuring integrated, science-driven decision-making across Neuroscience development and marketed products

• Defines and drives the global vision for patient safety within the TA, aligning safety strategy with asset strategy, regulatory expectations, and enterprise priorities

• Serves as a senior enterprise decision-maker, shaping outcomes in Safety Board and executive governance forums, including impact on go/no-go decisions, labeling, and development strategy

• Builds and leads a high-performing, future-ready safety organization, advancing innovation and strengthening global capability in safety science and benefit–risk assessment

Accountabilities:

Enterprise Safety Strategy & Decision Making:

• Owns and is ultimately accountable for the TA-wide benefit–risk profile, integrating internal and external data to drive clear, evidence-based decisions impacting development strategy and regulatory positioning

• Leads interpretation of complex safety signals and emerging risks, directing proactive and reactive response strategies, while overseeing Safety Management Teams (SMTs) and ensuring GSLs proactively identify risks and drive aligned, forward-looking safety recommendations across programs.

• Shapes enterprise-level decisions (e.g., go/no-go, study design, risk tolerance, labeling), ensuring the primacy of patient safety while balancing scientific and business considerations

Governance Leadership & Executive Influence:

• Plays a central leadership role at Safety Board other enterprise bodies, ensuring clear, decision-ready safety narratives and recommendations while driving crossfunctional alignment.

• Leads high-impact regulatory interactions, including direct engagement with Health Authorities on complex safety and benefit–risk matters, anticipating regulatory implications and shaping response strategies

Organizational Leadership & Capability Building:

• Leads and develops a multi-layered organization (EMDs, SMDs, GSLs, PV Scientists) with full accountability for talent strategy, organizational design, and succession planning

• Establishes a culture of accountability, scientific rigor, and innovation, ensuring consistent excellence in safety strategy and execution across the TA

• Drives capability advancement, including adoption of advanced analytics, and AI-enabled approaches

• Mentors and develops GSLs and PV Scientists, strengthening medical judgment and advancing scientific safety leadership across the organization

Cross-Functional & External Leadership:

• Serves as the primary safety leader interfacing with cross-functional partners, ensuring integrated product strategy across the lifecycle

• Represents the organization externally with regulatory authorities, advisory boards, and partners, influencing external safety and benefit–risk positioning

• Leads or oversees safety due diligence for business development, ensuring robust evaluation and integration of safety considerations into partnerships

Operational Oversight with Strategic Impact:

• Ensures excellence in core pharmacovigilance activities (signal detection, risk management, regulatory submissions), with focus on strategic interpretation and impact

• Ensures high-quality safety contributions to global regulatory submissions and health authority interactions, supporting development and lifecycle management

• Ensures compliance with global pharmacovigilance regulations and standards (e.g., FDA, EMA, PMDA, ICH, CIOMS), maintaining inspection readiness

Enterprise Leadership

• Core member of the PSPV Leadership Team, contributing to strategic direction and operational excellence

• Leads and/or contributes to executive initiatives across disciplines and functions, driving enterprise impact

Education & Competencies (Technical and Behavioral):

• Medical Degree (M.D. or D.O.) required, or internationally recognized equivalent ideally combined with Advanced Degree (e.g. Ph.D./Master in a healthcare or Public Health discipline).

• Direct clinical patient care experience following post-graduate training and appropriate grounding and knowledge of general medicine.

• 10 years+ experience gained in Pharmacovigilance, Clinical Research or Clinical Development within Pharmaceutical industry and/or academia and/or CRO including significant experience in operating in a global pharmacovigilance organization.

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in people management.

• Demonstrated knowledge of regulatory agency requirements regarding drug safety and an understanding of general drug safety methodologies.

• Ability to comprehend and synthesize complex data and should have experience in the identification, analysis and implementation of programs and procedures required to achieve corporate objectives.

• Experience of operating in a multi-disciplinary drug development environment including international experience and exposure to a variety of therapeutic areas.

• Experience working in an outsourced environment managing suppliers, CROs, vendors and strategic partnerships. 

• Identifies opportunities and anticipates changes in the medical safety landscape through an understanding and ongoing assessment of the environment affecting Patient.

• Develops partnerships with internal and external stakeholders’ strategic objectives.

• Inspires commitment through a wide range of communication channels (meetings, writing, presentations) and demonstrates integrity

• Must have demonstrable experience in people management at a leadership level and well-developed skills in teambuilding, motivating, empowering and developing people.

• Works productively in a fast moving and pressured environment.

• Good analytical/judgment capabilities to understand, analyze/synthesize and communicate successfully and concisely.

• Well-developed time management skillset to assist prioritization of multiple issues.

• Computer literate, including safety database acumen.

• Self-resourced, with confidence to take the initiative and act autonomously.

• Facilitates and efficiently leads meetings, both in person and other media.

• Excellent communication skillset, orally and presentational. 

• Proven ability to work globally and cross-functionally, with strong interpersonal skills /appropriately assertive /team minded and mentoring

Travel Requirements:

• Up to 15% domestic and international travel may be required to support transformation activities, governance, inspections, audits, capability-center engagement, and business meetings.

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:

$321,000.00 - $504,460.00

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.