Director Inflammatory Disease Drug Discovery - Immunology

Job Description

At Takeda, we are a forward-looking, world-class R&D organization that unlocks innovation and delivers transformative therapies to patients. By focusing R&D efforts on three therapeutic areas and other targeted investments, we push the boundaries of what is possible to bring life-changing therapies to patients worldwide.

The GI-Drug Discovery Unit at Takeda is a team of experienced, innovative and collaborative drug discovery scientists building an industry-leading portfolio of drugs for inflammatory and GI diseases with high unmet medical need. We are seeking a leader with significant experience in building and leading biology and cross‑functional drug discovery teams to establish a new group focused on chronic autoimmune diseases.

• Will be responsible for developing industry‑leading therapeutics for patients with inflammatory diseases by leading a research group focused on drug development from target identification through to candidate selection.
• Will recruit, retain, and develop a large team of world‑class, highly innovative in vitro and in vivo research biologists focused on understanding the molecular, cellular and organ‑level drivers of inflammatory disease processes, and identifying and developing drug candidates.
• Will be scientific research thought leader within the Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), working within a highly matrixed environment to build an industry‑leading preclinical and early clinical therapeutic pipeline for inflammatory diseases.
• Will set the discovery portfolio goals for high priority autoimmune diseases and ensure alignment with key stakeholders in inflammatory disease research, the clinical development team, and other Takeda stakeholders.
• Will be accountable for defining the preclinical elements of multiple drug discovery programs, in partnership with other research leaders across Takeda and the early clinical development team within the GI and Inflammation Therapeutic Area.
• Will interface with the business development group to identify strategically important innovative external opportunities.
• Will help maintain the Takeda culture that promotes creativity, open communication, collaboration, collegiality, and a high sense of urgency. Maintain the highest quality of scientific foundations of the company’s drug discovery process.

• Forms a strong partnership with clinical and commercial team colleagues for disease area strategic alignment and is accountability for formulation and delivery of mid‑long term innovative strategies to build a sustainable and innovative Inflammation disease area pipeline.
• The Director Inflammation Drug Discovery will lead a team of researchers in early target discovery through candidate selection and partner with the therapeutic area Translational team in the development and delivery of robust early development plans supporting programs through early clinical proof‑of‑concept.
• The appointee will partner with the Center for External Innovation at Takeda for the identification and assessment of external platform and pipeline opportunities and be accountable for due diligence evaluation and recommendations on external opportunities in Inflammation diseases.
• Is seen as an international subject matter expert and identified as a global Takeda thought leader in the field of Inflammatory disease research and keeps up up‑to‑date with scientific, drug discovery and development and the external competitive environment.
• Represents Takeda and fosters a presence in the global inflammation and immunology scientific community through scientific meetings.
• Ensures and encourages diversity and supports individual colleagues and their reports in career development.
• Ensures that all Inflammation disease area Global Product Teams are resourced for optimal scientific support for research studies, mechanistic understanding, disease area evolution and competitive landscape understanding.
• Provides nuanced and well‑informed advice to senior stakeholders about the GI and Inflammation therapeutic landscape, providing direction on where the science will lead.

• Creative, collaborative,…