Associate Director, China External Innovation

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Job Description

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Build trusted relationships with biotechnology companies, venture capital firms, investors, academic institutions, incubators, entrepreneurs, and scientific leaders across China.

• Represent Takeda at partnering conferences, scientific meetings, investor forums, and industry events, strengthening Takeda's position as a preferred biopharmaceutical innovation partner.

• Monitor scientific, financing, partnership, competitive, and company-building trends across China's life sciences ecosystem.

• Identify emerging assets, platforms, technologies, companies, and collaboration opportunities aligned with Takeda's strategic priorities.

• Develop concise ecosystem intelligence and competitive insights, including informed perspectives on implications for Takeda's strategy, portfolio priorities, and future opportunities.

• Provide initial scientific, strategic, competitive, and relationship assessments of emerging opportunities and develop independent recommendations regarding their potential relevance to Takeda.

• Prepare concise opportunity briefs and ecosystem updates for Therapeutic Area, Search & Evaluation, Portfolio Strategy, and Business Development teams.

• Develop and communicate informed perspectives on emerging scientific, technology, financing, and ecosystem trends that may influence Takeda's future innovation priorities.

• Connect global teams with priority opportunities and relevant external partners, providing China-specific context throughout the evaluation process.

• Support global evaluation and transaction workstreams with local insight and cross-functional coordination, while formal diligence, valuation, negotiation, and transaction ownership remain with the relevant global teams.

CORE ELEMENTS RELATED TO THIS ROLE:

• Serves as Takeda's China-based connector between the local innovation ecosystem and global Research & Development and Business Unit colleagues, particularly therapeutic Search & Evaluation and Global Business Development teams.

• Operates across therapeutic areas, modalities, technologies, and business models rather than within a narrow S&E, transaction, or functional scope.

• Emphasizes ecosystem access, informed judgment, independent perspectives, and strategic insight rather than duplicating global evaluation or transaction ownership.

• Requires the ability to distinguish signal from noise, translate local developments into global implications, and influence through clear recommendations and trusted relationships.

• Values potential to grow, learning agility, and a team-first mindset alongside relevant experience and technical credibility.

DIMENSIONS AND ASPECTS:

Technical/Functional (Line) Expertise

• Strong understanding of drug discovery, drug development, and the biopharmaceutical industry.

• Ability to assess scientific, strategic, commercial, competitive, and ecosystem information and translate observations into clear recommendations and actionable insights.

• Knowledge of China's biotechnology, venture capital, academic, investment, or innovation ecosystem is preferred.

Leadership

• Influences without direct authority across a complex, matrixed global organization.

• Builds trusted internal and external relationships and represents Takeda with credibility, integrity, and sound judgment.

• Contributes actively to a collaborative, team-first culture and supports shared enterprise outcomes.

Decision-making and Autonomy

• Independently identifies and assesses emerging opportunities, develops informed perspectives, and prioritizes what matters most in the context of Takeda's strategic priorities.

• Exercises discretion in external engagement and escalates opportunities to the appropriate global teams for formal evaluation and transaction decisions.

Interaction

• Internal: Global Research & Development (Research and Therapeutic Area Units), Global Business Units, Strategy & Portfolio Development, Search & Evaluation, Global Business Development, China Business Unit and R&D, and other enterprise stakeholders.

• External: Biotechnology companies, investors, venture funds, academic institutions, entrepreneurs, incubators, scientific leaders, and industry organizations.

Innovation

• Monitors emerging science, technologies, financing models, and ecosystem trends and develops independent perspectives on their relevance to Takeda.

• Connects ideas across disciplines and helps Takeda access opportunities and insights earlier.

Complexity

• Operates in a rapidly evolving ecosystem with scientific, competitive, regulatory, investment, and cross-cultural complexity.

• Balances local context and relationship continuity with global portfolio priorities and established functional ownership.

EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

Required:

• Advanced degree in a scientific, medical, business, or related discipline.

• Relevant experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, venture capital, consulting, business development, strategy, research, or a related area.

• Strong understanding of drug discovery, drug development, and the biopharmaceutical industry.

• Excellent communication, influencing, relationship-building, and stakeholder-management skills.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within complex, matrixed organizations.

• Fluency in English and Mandarin.

• Associate Director: typically 8-10 years of relevant experience, with the ability to independently identify and assess opportunities, build external relationships, and lead cross-functional workstreams.

• Final level will be determined based on relevant experience, scope of influence, leadership capability, and depth of ecosystem relationships.

Behavioural competencies:

• Takeda-ism: Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, with Integrity at the core.

• Patients: keeps patients and unmet medical needs at the center of opportunity assessment.

• Trust: acts with integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and transparency while building credible relationships.

• Reputation: represents Takeda thoughtfully, collaborates as an enterprise, and strengthens the company's standing in the innovation ecosystem.

• Business: connects ecosystem insights with Takeda's strategic priorities, operates effectively in ambiguity, and pursues sustainable impact.

• Demonstrates intellectual curiosity, learning agility, independent thinking, and a team-first mindset.

Desired:

• Experience with China's biotechnology, venture capital, academic, investment, or innovation ecosystem.

• Experience in external innovation, search & evaluation, business development, licensing, portfolio strategy, or strategic partnerships.

• Established relationships with China-based scientific, investment, entrepreneurial, or industry stakeholders.

• Experience translating local scientific or market developments into global strategic implications.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Domestic and international travel is required for conferences, partnering events, company visits, and ecosystem engagement activities.

• The position may be filled at Associate Director or Director level based on candidate experience, scope of influence, leadership capability, and demonstrated competencies.

• Financial accountability, job code, global reporting level, and budget responsibility are to be confirmed through HR review.

Locations

Shanghai, China

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time