Associate Director, Research Program Management
Takeda
- Boston, MA
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Collaborates Research project teams to develop comprehensive end-to-end program plans, including defining objectives, milestones, and measurable deliverables.
- Provides expert guidance on the drug discovery process and applies best practices in program management to advance programs.
- Provides strategic insights on overall program, team, and operational performance to ensure portfolio alignment, program prioritization, and issue escalation are addressed efficiently.
- Drives execution of program plans and critical decision making, while taking accountability for ‘on time, on budget’ delivery of program goals & milestones
- Provides expert guidance on budget planning, forecasting, and leverages quantitative analytics to forecast time and cost to goals & milestones.
- Communicates effectively with key stakeholders regarding the status, objectives, risks, and mitigation plans of Discovery programs to enhance the organization's focus and delivery capabilities.
- Support/manage cross-functional meetings, including scheduling logistics, the creation and distribution of meeting agendas and minutes, and drive completion of action items.
- Ensure good meeting disciplines are continuously maintained (with supporting documentation) so that there is a clear logical record of events for each project or partnership.
- Support and maintain project infrastructure – including library/repositories of data & actions, project Gantt charts, and budgets.
- Ensure data integrity to support accurate reporting and communications.
- Track progress against project plans and ensures project teams/stakeholders have the tools necessary to deliver assays/contracts/decisions, etc.
- Manage stakeholder communication in support of project execution and issue escalation.
- Coach/support Research Project Leaders to drive projects to stage gates ensuring KPIs are met.
- Drives continuous improvement activities for all project management processes. Accountable for good budgetary disciplines and adherence to contractual commitments.
- Utilizes advanced systems and technologies to ensure rigor, consistency, and transparency in program reporting, facilitating informed decision-making.
- Influences and ensures the timely delivery of strategic decisions, aligning with research priorities to support critical program outcomes.
- Conducts high-level commercial assessments at project inception and continues through key milestones to align with business objectives.
- Proactively identifies program risks and implements mitigation plans to prevent issues, ensuring timely communication with senior executive management.
- Maintains regular communication with senior R&D leadership regarding the status, risks, and progress of pipeline assets.
- Drives innovation in research methodologies and ensures the adoption of best practices in project management and execution.
- Contributes to Takeda-wide Program Management initiatives, supporting the development and scaling of capabilities, tools, and processes.
- Sound scientific knowledge with Bachelor’s degree 15 years, MS 13 years, or PhD 7 years in Science or Management related discipline
- Expected 10 years of experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry with a preference for work in drug discovery
- Expected of 6 years of program management experience with experience in early drug discovery (e.g., target identification, hit-to-lead stages) and late drug discovery (e.g., candidate stage, preclinical/IND enabling stages) in the capacity as a program manager.
- Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification required
- Focused on problem solving, troubleshooting, and issue resolution with demonstrated track record of taking initiative to resolve problems rapidly in large cross functional environments
- Structured thinker, strong organizational bias with the ability to implement structure without impacting efficiency of team
- Core planning skills with high level of discipline and thorough attention to detail
- Solid analytical thinking with preference for analysis to support decisions and a good process orientation
- Focus on results and ability to focus upon bigger picture/departmental objectives.
- Solid financial knowledge of cost-based budgeting (internal and external costs) and ability to seek out savings/efficiencies; earned value analysis and time to completion
- Strong communication skills with excellent written and verbal proficiency to communicate information succinctly, in English (required)
- Strong competence in using Microsoft PowerPoint, Project, and Excel to above average proficiency.
- Entrepreneurial: Demonstrates perseverance, identifies, and actively pursues potential opportunities in self-motivating and self-directed manner