Head of Media Relations & Issues Communications

A Sr. Director leadership role responsible for defining and advancing Takeda's brand and reputation globally through enterprise media relations, external stakeholder engagement, issues management and crisis communications strategy. This leader serves as the architect of Takeda's corporate media approach, strengthening stakeholder trust, building strategic external relationships with key global, pharmaceutical and policy-based media, and helping ensure the company can effectively navigate an increasingly complex operating environment.

Working in close partnership with Communications, Public Affairs, Legal, Investor Relations and business leaders around the world, this role will build the capabilities, governance and readiness required to proactively shape Takeda's reputation through proactive media engagement and respond with speed, consistency and confidence to emerging issues.

Reporting to the Head of Corporate Communications, the Head of Media & Issues leads a global team of communications professionals and serves as a key member of the Corporate Communications leadership team. This role is responsible for establishing enterprise-wide media relations, issues management and crisis communications strategies and capabilities that protect and enhance Takeda's reputation, support business priorities and enable coordinated communications approaches across the organization.

• Define and lead Takeda's global, integrated enterprise media relations strategy through the execution of proactive approaches that advance Takeda's business priorities and narrative, strengthen corporate reputation and elevate awareness of the company's purpose, innovation, unique culture and patient impact.
• Partner across communications, public affairs and business functions to identify and maximize opportunities that enhance Takeda's profile at key corporate, business, scientific and societal milestones, as well as create high‑impact opportunities to tell unique and compelling stories that highlight Takeda’s science, brands and values. Ensure Takeda's policy point of view is part of the conversation in key centers, including D.C., New York, Brussels, London and Tokyo.
• Work closely with the social and digital team on integrated content.
• Build and maintain consistent and strong relationships with key journalists, editors, influencers and media organizations globally to strengthen Takeda's credibility and visibility.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and communicators on media engagement, thought leadership, executive visibility and reputation management.
• Act as the company's primary spokesperson on enterprise topics and ensure appropriate spokesperson readiness and training across the organization.

• Lead Takeda's enterprise global issues and crisis communications capability, ensuring the success of the vision, governance, frameworks and standards that support effective management of reputation-sensitive situations.
• Oversee enterprise application and ongoing improvement of Takeda's Issues and Crisis Communications Framework, ensuring consistent approaches to risk assessment, stakeholder engagement, message development, activation, response management and post‑incident evaluation.
• Ensure global readiness and rapid response capability through clear governance, follow-the-sun operating models, training programs, simulation exercises and regional support models.
• Provide strategic counsel to executive leaders on issues preparedness, crisis management, stakeholder expectations and reputational risk mitigation.

• Establish…