Director, Global Launch Excellence Lead

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Job Description

Takeda is preparing to launch several innovative medicines globally. We are looking for a leader who is highly collaborative and results-oriented to support a specific product launch and champion our Global Launch Excellence community.  As the Global Launch Excellence Lead, you will work with a Product Strategy Lead (PSL) and Global Commercial Leads/Global Brand Leads to develop and monitor an integrated global launch plan that aligns with our asset and brand strategies. Your role will be key in facilitating cross-functional engagement with stakeholders across Clinical Development, Global Regulatory Affairs, Global Manufacturing Sciences, Global Communications, and Global Medical Affairs, as well as launch leads in the US and International Business Unit to ensure an on-time, quality launch.

Additionally, you will promote innovation and excellence in our global launch processes among our community of launch excellence professionals. The ideal candidate should have exceptional project management skills, outstanding communication abilities, excellent facilitation skills, and a proven track record of successful commercial launches on a global scale.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Planning:   Support Global Launch Activation Workshops to define the integrated global launch plan. Oversee Launch Team Meetings and Commercial Sub-Team to track progress. Organize Launch Summits to prepare regions. Guide the annual integrated Commercial Sub-Team goal-setting process for the asset.

• Launch Timelines: Manage overall global launch timelines in line with asset and brand strategies, focusing on critical path tactics. Collaborate with the Global Program Manager (GPM) and regional launch leads to align timelines and tactics.  Responsible for tracking detailed SPD functional tactics.

• Risk Management: Guide the team in identifying and mitigating risks, scenario planning, decision criteria, and milestone stage gates to ensure teams stay on track. Identify, communicate, and escalate program-wide interdependencies, issues, and key decisions to senior leadership and governance.
• Integration: Act as an integrator for the SPD functions and Commercial Sub-Teams, driving clarity and removing barriers to enable the operational execution of launch priorities.
• Reporting and Communication: Establish and track Launch Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Manage scheduled and ad-hoc program status reporting. Coordinate the development of impactful presentations to facilitate strategic planning and decision-making, as well as preparing launch status updates for key governance committees. 
• Financial Oversight: Partner with the Finance representative and SPD functions to provide financial oversight of the brand budget.  Monitor potential budget variances; proactively bring forward options for tradeoffs within the overall budget, timeline, and strategy.
• Team Ways of Working and Culture: Foster a positive team culture through expert meeting facilitation, team health checks, collaborative and values-based decision-making, clear ways of working and team engagement. Support the onboarding of new launch team members as needed.
• Continuous Learning:  Facilitate After Action Reviews to identify and share key best practices and opportunities from launches.
• Community of Practice:  Champion the Global Launch Excellence community to develop processes, tools, and standards to execute our future launch readiness. Drive continuous process improvement initiatives, integrating GPT and regional ways of working and best practices. 
• Leverage Technology:  Build and maintain tools to plan and track launch progress, enhancing team collaboration and agility.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Education: BA/BS degree required; Master's degree or PMP certification preferred
• Experience: 12+ years in pharma/biotech drug development or commercial in strategic or tactical roles supporting launch readiness, with 5+ years in project/program management preferred.
• Technical Skills: Proficient with MS Office Suite, Teams, and project management software
• Industry Knowledge: Understanding of pharmaceutical development, regulatory requirements and commercial launch excel