Senior Manager, Business Operations

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Job Description

Are you looking for a patient-focused, innovation-driven company that will inspire you and empower you to shine? Join us as a Senior Manager, Business Operations reporting to the Director, Pharmaceutical Sciences Clinical Manufacturing Business Operations based in our Lexington, MA office.

At Takeda, we are transforming the pharmaceutical industry through our R&D-driven market leadership and being a values-led company. To do this, we empower our people to realize their potential through life-changing work. We offer stimulating careers, encourage innovation, and strive for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our global teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

Here, you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission.

This role leads business operations for assigned Pharmaceutical Sciences (PharmSci) functions, partnering with function heads and their Senior Leadership Teams to translate strategic priorities into effective operational plans and measurable outcomes. The Senior Manager independently leads complex, cross-functional initiatives; establishes clear governance, accountability, and performance monitoring; and anticipates operational risks and resource needs. By providing actionable analysis, improving processes and systems, and enabling effective leadership decisions, the role strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of PharmSci operations.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Own and lead complex operational initiatives for assigned PharmSci functions, translating strategic priorities into plans with defined outcomes, milestones, owners, dependencies, and measures of progress.
• Establish and lead governance and operating routines to review progress, resolve issues, track decisions, and ensure timely completion of cross-functional commitments.
• Proactively identify operational risks, resource constraints, and dependencies; develop mitigation options, drive in-scope actions, and escalate significant issues and tradeoffs to leadership.
  Lead budgeting and resource-planning activities, including headcount tracking and MRP, MYC, and Capex processes; analyze actuals, projections, and variances and provide clear recommendations to leaders.
• Develop and maintain operational reporting, dashboards, and tracking mechanisms that give leaders timely insight into performance, priorities, risks, and resource needs.
• Lead process-improvement initiatives across areas such as onboarding, communications, planning, and systems interactions; implement changes and assess their effectiveness.
• Own and improve function-level operating processes and infrastructure within scope, such as resource repositories, onboarding practices, functional communications, and training materials.
• Lead preparation and coordination of leadership meetings, Town Halls, and other forums, ensuring agendas, pre-reads, decisions, and follow-up actions support effective leadership and timely information flow.
• Partner with function heads and cross-functional stakeholders on requests, nominations, and organizational initiatives; drive alignment and follow-through rather than serving solely as a coordinator.
• Lead vendor and contracting activities within scope, partnering with Contracts, Legal, Compliance, and relevant stakeholders to address issues and escalate exceptions.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational tools and information flow; develop practical solutions using tools such as Power BI and SharePoint, and provide guidance to support adoption.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline, Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10 or more years of relevant industry experience, including demonstrated experience independently leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and accountability for governance, risk management, decision support, and measurable outcomes.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or other regulated environments preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead initiatives from planning through implementation, manage interdependencies, and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Strong analytical and financial skills, including the ability to interpret operational data, budgets, resource plans, and performance trends and turn them into actionable recommendations.
• Proven ability to influence senior and cross-functional stakeholders, establish accountability, and drive outcomes without direct authority.

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