Director, Scientific & Competitive Analysis
Takeda
Summary
The Director, Scientific & Competitive Analysis leads the Oncology Business Unit's competitive intelligence function and team, delivering integrated insights through primary and secondary intelligence sources. The role is accountable for the function's strategy, operating model, governance, priorities, and quality standards, and for translating scientific, clinical, regulatory, commercial, and market developments into actionable insights that inform brand strategy, clinical development, business development evaluations, launch planning, and disease area strategy.
Job description
About the Role
The Director, Scientific & Competitive Analysis leads the Oncology Business Unit's competitive intelligence function and team, delivering integrated insights through primary and secondary intelligence sources. The role is accountable for the function's strategy, operating model, governance, priorities, and quality standards, and for translating scientific, clinical, regulatory, commercial, and market developments into actionable insights that inform brand strategy, clinical development, business development evaluations, launch planning, and disease area strategy.
As the leader of Scientific & Competitive Analysis, you will establish the strategic direction and methodologies for competitive intelligence across multiple brands, disease areas, pipeline assets, launches, and markets, and ensure the organization maintains a comprehensive understanding of the evolving competitive landscape. The Scientific & Competitive Analysis team operates as an embedded strategic partner to brand teams throughout the product lifecycle. Working closely with brand, portfolio, commercial, medical, and executive leaders, the team proactively identifies competitive risks, opportunities, and emerging market signals, translating them into business implications and strategic recommendations.
How You Will Contribute
- Lead and develop a high-performing Scientific & Competitive Analysis team, establishing priorities, deploying team and budget resources, and building capabilities and ways of working aligned to Oncology Business Unit objectives.
- Drive the team to act as embedded strategic partners to brand teams, aligning competitive intelligence activities to business priorities and providing ongoing counsel that informs brand strategy, launch planning, lifecycle management, and portfolio decisions.
- Serve as the Oncology Business Unit's competitive early warning system by anticipating market shifts, competitor actions, emerging opportunities, and strategic risks; escalate significant developments and initiate coordinated response planning and actionable recommendations.
- Develop, prioritize, and execute intelligence plans across brands, disease areas, pipeline assets, launches, and markets, ensuring ongoing monitoring and assessment of competitive, scientific, clinical, regulatory, and market developments.
- Deliver forward-looking competitive assessments, including business implications, potential scenarios, and actionable recommendations to inform clinical development, commercialization, and portfolio decisions.
- Lead competitive scenario planning and response planning activities to prepare the organization for key market events and competitive disruptions.
- Serve as a strategic partner to Commercial, Medical, Market Access, NPP, BD, R&D, and other stakeholders, providing intelligence that supports growth strategies, pipeline decisions, and business development evaluations.
- Collaborate with Market Research, Forecasting, and Analytics teams to deliver integrated insights and a comprehensive view of market dynamics.
- Provide regular competitive landscape updates and recommendations to leadership and cross-functional governance teams to inform investment, development, launch, business development, and portfolio decisions.
- Lead the planning and execution of competitive intelligence activities at major scientific and industry conferences and ensure timely dissemination of insights to global and regional stakeholders.
- Manage and deploy external competitive intelligence vendors, tools, services, and budget while driving continuous improvement of team processes, stakeholder engagement, and operational effectiveness.
- Own competitive intelligence methodologies and present functional insights and strategic recommendations to senior leaders and key stakeholders.
Skills and Qualifications
- BS in Life Sciences or related field; plus advanced degree (MS, MBA, PhD, or equivalent).
- 10+ years of experience in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industry with exposure to product development and commercialization.
- Demonstrated ability to anticipate competitive risks and opportunities and translate intelligence into strategic business recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams or functions of meaningful scale, develop talent, allocate resources, and foster collaboration across functions.
- Experience partnering directly with brand and executive leadership teams and influencing high-value commercial, investment, portfolio, and development decisions through proactive intelligence.
- Experience leading competitive scenario planning or strategic response planning initiatives.
- Demonstrated expertise in competitive intelligence, market analysis, and strategic business support.
- Strong ability to synthesize primary and secondary competitive intelligence into actionable business insights.
- Proven capability to communicate complex information effectively to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Experience utilizing competitive intelligence best practices and specialty pharmaceutical data sources to support strategic recommendations.
- Strong presentation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Expertise in competitive intelligence research methodologies and monitoring approaches.
- Ability to assess market dynamics, identify risks and opportunities, and support scenario planning exercises.
- Proficiency in competitive intelligence tools and analytical platforms.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Requirements
- BS in Life Sciences or related field; plus advanced degree (MS, MBA, PhD, or equivalent).
- 10+ years of experience in the healthcare or pharmaceutical industry with exposure to product development and commercialization.
- Demonstrated ability to anticipate competitive risks and opportunities and translate intelligence into strategic business recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams or functions of meaningful scale, develop talent, allocate resources, and foster collaboration across functions.
- Experience partnering directly with brand and executive leadership teams and influencing high-value commercial, investment, portfolio, and development decisions through proactive intelligence.
- Experience leading competitive scenario planning or strategic response planning initiatives.
- Demonstrated expertise in competitive intelligence, market analysis, and strategic business support.
- Strong ability to synthesize primary and secondary competitive intelligence into actionable business insights.
- Proven capability to communicate complex information effectively to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
- Experience utilizing competitive intelligence best practices and specialty pharmaceutical data sources to support strategic recommendations.
- Strong presentation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
- Expertise in competitive intelligence research methodologies and monitoring approaches.
- Ability to assess market dynamics, identify risks and opportunities, and support scenario planning exercises.
- Proficiency in competitive intelligence tools and analytical platforms.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Company overview
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a Japanese multinational pharmaceutical company founded in 1781 and incorporated in 1925. As one of the world's top 20 largest pharmaceutical companies by revenue and the third largest in Asia, Takeda specializes in developing and commercializing innovative medicines across several therapeutic areas including oncology, rare diseases, neuroscience, gastroenterology, plasma-derived therapies, and vaccines. With approximately 49,095 employees globally, the company operates research and development centers, manufacturing facilities, and commercial operations across 39 U.S. states and numerous countries worldwide. Takeda maintains dual headquarters in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, with significant operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it serves as the largest life sciences employer in the state. The company's patient-focused approach is guided by its Takeda-ism values of Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, emphasizing a commitment to delivering life-transforming treatments while advancing sustainable healthcare solutions. Takeda's extensive portfolio includes both innovative biologics and small molecule drugs, supported by strategic acquisitions and partnerships that have expanded its capabilities in areas such as immuno-oncology and rare disease treatments.