Head, Global Scientific Training

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Job Description

Location: While a primary location is identified for this role, qualified internal candidates located in Zurich, Switzerland may also be considered, subject to business needs, role requirements, talent availability, and local legal requirements.

Compensation: The salary range displayed reflects the primary location associated with this posting. Compensation may vary for candidates considered in other locations. Where applicable, location-specific salary ranges and compensation information will be provided in accordance with local requirements.

OBJECTIVES / PURPOSE:

The Head, Global Scientific Training is a Senior Director-level enterprise leader and Takeda’s enterprise centre of excellence for scientific training capability, spanning Medical, R&D, Commercial, and other Takeda functions. The role defines, governs, and delivers the global scientific training strategy, leading the scientific training component of the global Medical Excellence capability framework and ensuring Medical teams worldwide are scientifically ready, future-capable, and equipped to deliver meaningful impact across the product lifecycle.

As a senior thought partner to the Head, Global Medical Excellence, this role shapes how scientific knowledge is translated into capability, driving scientific engagement quality, launch readiness, and field medical effectiveness across markets and business units in line with Medical Affairs Vision 2030.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Global Scientific Training Strategy

• Define and own Takeda’s global scientific training strategy across the enterprise, spanning Medical, R&D, Commercial, and other Takeda functions, aligned to Medical Affairs Vision 2030 and the global Medical Excellence capability framework

• Lead the scientific training component of Takeda Medical’s global capability framework, ensuring curricula, platforms, and programmes are coherent, future-ready, and consistently delivered at scale

• Evolve the scientific training approach by integrating digital, AI-enabled, and immersive learning modalities, and partner with Global Learning Strategy & Operations to ensure effectiveness measurement is embedded in the broader capability infrastructure

2. Launch & Access Medical Readiness

• Own the enterprise scientific training and launch readiness strategy for pipeline and inline assets across all LOC Medical teams, ensuring Medical teams are scientifically credible, commercially aware, and field-ready at launch, accounting for the non-linear nature of LOC hiring and market readiness timelines

• Ensure Medical Strategy Team scientific training goals are delivered on time across all LOCs, and partner with the Medical-Market Access Partnership SteerCo to embed scientific narratives and value messaging into field medical training programmes

3. Research & Development and Marketing & Commercial Excellence Partnerships

• Act as the primary scientific training partner to R&D and Global Development, engaging through Takeda’s Enterprise Engagement model to ensure field and Medical teams are scientifically prepared to support clinical studies, strengthening the connective tissue between Global Development and Medical Affairs across the product lifecycle

• Act as the primary scientific training partner to Marketing & Commercial Excellence, aligning the scientific training agenda to commercial launch priorities and developing shared frameworks for launch effectiveness

• Position Scientific Training as a genuine enterprise capability rather than a Medical-only function, ensuring its strategic relevance and contribution are visible and valued across R&D, Global Development, and Commercial, and contributing to measurable indicators of Medical’s contribution to launch and study success

4. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop a global team of Scientific Training Leads across Therapy Areas, Neuroscience, GI, Immunology, Oncology, PDT, Vaccines, Marketed Products, and emerging pipeline areas

• Build a high-performance team culture of scientific rigour, accountability, and continuous improvement, managing team allocation and an annual budget of approximately USD $5M to ensure quality delivery against the global scientific training plan

• Provide strategic oversight of vendor relationships, managing external partners and agencies who contribute to global scientific training programme development and delivery

5. Enterprise Stakeholder Partnership

• Serve as a senior scientific training thought partner to Global Medical Leadership, Therapy Area Heads, R&D, MCE, IBU Medical Excellence, and LOC Medical Directors

• Partner with IBU Medical Excellence & Operations to co-deliver scientific training programmes in IBU markets, and with Digital, Data & Technology to drive adoption of digital and AI-enabled training solutions

6. Governance & Compliance

• Ensure all scientific training programmes are developed and delivered in compliance with international regulatory and legal guidelines governing medical communication and education

• Own the effectiveness measurement framework for scientific training, defining what good looks like, tracking performance, and continuously improving based on evidence

DIMENSIONS & ASPECTS

• Deep expertise in Medical Affairs scientific training, capability development, and medical education across multiple Therapy Areas, with strong understanding of field medical roles, MSL operations, and launch readiness

• Enterprise-level strategic leadership with the ability to set direction, influence senior stakeholders across Medical, R&D, Global Development, and Commercial without direct authority, and drive results across a globally distributed, cross-cultural team in a complex matrix environment

• Decision authority over global scientific training strategy, curricula, content standards, delivery approaches, and effectiveness frameworks, with accountability for approximately USD $5M annual budget

• Leads through significant matrix and indirect influence across Therapy Areas, Business Units, and functions including R&D and Global Development, managing without direct authority to align the scientific training agenda to enterprise priorities

• Visionary and forward-thinking, actively driving the evolution from traditional scientific training towards future-ready, digitally-enabled, outcomes-focused capability development aligned to Medical Affairs Vision 2030

EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES & SKILLS:

• MD, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent advanced scientific or medical degree strongly preferred

• 12+ years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry with significant experience in Medical Affairs

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience in scientific training, medical education, or Medical Excellence roles

• Demonstrated success designing and delivering global scientific training programmes across multiple Therapy Areas and markets

• Experience leading globally distributed teams in complex matrix environments

• Strong knowledge of medical communication approaches, adult learning principles, and digital learning platforms

• Familiarity with international regulatory and legal guidelines governing medical communication and education

• Experience working across Regional Business Units, LOC, and global Medical structures preferred

• Track record of building effective partnerships with R&D, Global Development, Commercial Excellence, and Marketing functions preferred

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 - Kendall Square - 500

U.S. Base Salary Range:

$229,600.00 - $360,800.00

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

USA - MA - Cambridge - Kendall Square - 500CHE - Glattpark (Opfikon) - Zurich HQ

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

Job Exempt

Yes

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