Associate Director, Oncology Drug Discovery Unit

Job Description
Objective / Purpose

The Oncology Drug Discovery Unit is seeking an experienced Associate Director to serve as a scientific and program leader within the Next-generation Immuno-Oncology pillar. This role will provide strategic, scientific, and cross-functional leadership for discovery-stage oncology programs, with a particular focus on small molecule drug discovery and targeted protein degradation / induced proximity approaches.

The successful candidate will be an experienced drug discoverer who can lead complex programs from early target validation through key discovery inflection points, including project start, lead generation, lead optimization, development candidate selection and regulatory filing. The role requires strong scientific judgment, the ability to integrate data across disciplines, and the leadership skills to drive decisions in a highly matrixed environment.

This is an individual contributor leadership role with significant responsibility for program ownership, cross-functional coordination, and strategic decision-making. The role supports Takeda’s investment in degrader drug discovery and next-generation oncology therapeutics by combining deep small molecule / degrader expertise with program leadership experience.

• Serve as program leader, discovery lead, or scientific lead for one or more oncology discovery programs, with emphasis on small molecule and/or degrader-based therapeutic approaches.
• Lead cross-functional project teams to define program strategy, critical path activities, key decision points, timelines, and risk mitigation plans.
• Partner closely with medicinal chemistry, biology, pharmacology, DMPK, translational medicine, computational/data sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, and clinical colleagues to advance programs through discovery milestones.
• Translate complex datasets into clear program recommendations and ensure decisions are data-driven, scientifically rigorous, and aligned with portfolio priorities.
• Drive day-to-day program execution, including prioritization of experiments, alignment of cross-functional activities, issue escalation, and preparation for governance discussions.
• Present program strategy, key data, risks, and recommendations to ODDU leadership, Research leadership, and governance forums.
• Contribute to target and modality strategy within the Next-generation IO pillar, including identification and evaluation of opportunities.
• Support scientific diligence for external opportunities, partnerships, platforms, or assets relevant to oncology, small molecule drug discovery, targeted protein degradation, or induced proximity medicines.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and inclusive team environment; influence across functions without direct authority and mentor scientists contributing to program teams.

• PhD in cancer biology, pharmacology, immunology, molecular biology, or a related scientific discipline, with typically 6+ years of relevant biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience.
• Alternatively, MS with significant relevant industry experience may be considered, depending on depth of drug discovery leadership and technical expertise.
• Demonstrated experience leading or co-leading multidisciplinary drug discovery programs in a matrixed environment.
• Track record of advancing small molecule programs through key discovery milestones, ideally including hit identification, lead optimization, candidate nomination and IND-enabling studies.
• Direct experience with targeted protein degradation, molecular glues, PROTACs, induced proximity medicines, or adjacent small molecule modalities is a distinct advantage.

• Strong understanding of oncology drug discovery, including target biology, pharmacology, translational strategy, and decision-making from early discovery through IND filing.
• Deep expertise in cancer biology and/or immunology, with a proven ability to design and implement translational strategies, develop fit-for-purpose screening cascades, elucidate mechanism of action, and establish PK/PD/efficacy relationships to support candidate selection and First-in-Human studies
• Ability to integrate biology, chemistry, DMPK, pharmacology, biomarker, and translational data into program strategy and clear go/no-go recommendations.
• Experience developing program plans with defined milestones, critical experiments, timelines, risks, and contingency plans.
• Experience contributing to external innovation, scientific diligence, or evaluation of collaboration / licensing opportunities is desirable.

• Strong scientific judgment and comfort making decisions with incomplete or evolving data.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in a highly matrixed organization.
• Clear, concise communicator who can tailor messages for technical teams, senior leaders, and governance forums.
• Collaborative style with a strong sense of ownership, accountability, and…