Scientific Director, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Unit

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Job Description

Are you looking for a patient-focused, innovation-driven company that will inspire you and empower you to shine? Join us as a Scientific Director, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Unit in our Cambridge, MA office.

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​At Takeda, we are transforming the pharmaceutical industry through our R&D-driven market leadership and being a values-led company. To do this, we empower our people to realize their potential through life-changing work. Certified as a Global Top Employer, we offer stimulating careers, encourage innovation, and strive for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our global teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

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​Here, you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission.

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​POSITION OBJECTIVES:

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• The Scientific Director ensures seamless integration of scientific strategy with clinical strategy for clinical trials in neuroscience to ensure effective decision making. 
• Provides scientific insight and expertise into Takeda’s internal drug development efforts as well as future business opportunities for rare neurology disorders.
• Works closely with colleagues from Takeda’s Neuroscience Drug Discovery Unit, Biomarker Sciences & Technologies, Clinical Imaging, Digital Health Sciences, Statistics, Computational Biology and Quantitative Clinical Pharmacology groups to ensure close alignment between scientific and clinical strategy.
• Serve as a key point of contact for translational activities in neuroscience
• Represents Takeda in interactions with the external scientific community and consortia efforts
• Anticipates need for novel scientific methods, insights, and capabilities for future trials and communicates with relevant line functions to ensure clinical readiness for future trials to establish early proof of concept.
• Contributes to the operational excellence of ongoing clinical trials.

​ACCOUNTABILITIES: 

• Act as a key interface between NS Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) scientists and Therapeutic Area Unit (TAU) clinicians to ensure portfolio prioritization and seamless transition of programs between research and clinical development.
• Engage early with NS discovery and preclinical sciences to design an overall program translational strategy and develop biomarkers to support the discovery stage projects and biomarker development.  
• Lead clinical facing activities for projects as they progress from Candidate nomination to the clinic, including  leadership for pipeline progression decisions and governance.
• Serves as the translational expert on Global Program Teams, Global Clinical Teams, and Preclinical Project Teams.
• Leads translational and biomarker activities sub-teams for Takeda Neuroscience Programs.
• Knowledge of biomarkers and endpoints for neuroscience, including their current use in clinical trials and their quantitative interpretation.
• Previous experience supporting clinical trials in academia or industry is highly desirable.

​ ​EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: 

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• ​PhD, MD, MD/PhD or equivalent in neuroscience, with at least 3 years of academic or industry experience in neuroscience.
• Scientific Director: At least 6 years of relevant post-doctoral experience in academia, or in industry.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to think critically and strategically.
• Ability to promote a shared understanding of complex scientific topics in teams compos