Associate Director, Media Relations

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Job Description

About the role:

As Associate Director, Media Relations, reporting to the Head, U.S. Communications, this role will be responsible for helping to enhance and protect Takeda’s reputation by leading and managing media strategy and engagement working in close partnership with communications colleagues that support executive visibility, public affairs, financial communications and other key business areas such as Takeda’s therapeutic areas. The role requires a strong storyteller with the ability to build and strengthen relationships with media and collaborate with colleagues to identify and build media opportunities.

This position is currently classified as "hybrid" in accordance with Takeda's Hybrid and Remote Work policy. Currently, this position will require a minimum of 2 days per week onsite in Cambridge, MA, USA.

How you will contribute:

• Build a U.S.-focused media strategy that aligns with Takeda’s U.S. reputation strategy, working in partnership with relevant colleagues.  
• Build and strengthen relationships with global top-tier media and key trade outlets to educate and engage journalists on important company news and initiatives.
• Have a strong sense of the media landscape and ability to create compelling stories.
• Ability to proactively work with individuals across the business to identify opportunities to engage media for interviews, at industry conferences and through other external thought leadership opportunities.
• Work with U.S. Communications Strategy and Operations colleague to build and manage a corporate media relations center of excellence to create a best-in-class media newsroom.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Investor Relations, Public Affairs, Legal, HR and other functions to build media storylines.
• Support crisis communications, including proactively planning for and managing issues affecting the company and industry.
• Partner with colleagues to develop press releases, Q&As and standby statements for brand and corporate issues, as appropriate.
• Manage Takeda.com’s global and U.S. newsroom, partnering with colleagues in Japan on the Japanese newsroom.
• Provide media training to key spokespeople including executives and other senior leaders, as well as prepare briefing materials, backgrounders and messaging toolkits.
• Manage global news brief, media relations inbox and monitor for industry trends and issues as well as best-in-class media relations practices to educate colleagues on external environment factors to enhance and protect Takeda’s corporate reputation.
• Responsible for managing amplification strategies of key media stories.
• Manage agency partners on matters related to media relations activities.
• Support implementation of new technologies and AI to enhance Takeda’s communications strategies.
• Manage measurement of media impact on enhancing Takeda’s reputation, partnering with corporate reputation colleagues.

Qualifications:

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or a related field.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in communications, with a strong track record of leading and executing strategic corporate and product media relations efforts.
• Experience in the healthcare industry preferred, specifically within biopharmaceuticals, pharma or biotech.
• Strategic and creative thinking, with the ability to anticipate and address opportunities and challenges through storytelling in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Strong planner and attention to detail.
• Experience working with global b