Senior Manager, Process Operations & Product Management

By clicking the Apply button I understand that my employment application process with Takeda will commence and that the information I provide in my application will be processed in line with Takedas Privacy Notice and Terms of Use. I further attest that all information I submit in my employment application is true to the best of my knowledge.

Objective / Purpose:

Support the Head of Process Optimization & Enablement in applying operational excellence and human-centered design to evaluate redesign and continuously improve the processes underpinning GPT (Global Program Team) ways of working and the broader R&D Operational Excellence function. This role combines process design expertise with technical acumen to translate business needs into scalable technology-enabled solutions automations dashboards and digital products that improve insight generation data usability and operational efficiency. Working closely with Data Digital & Technology (DD&T) and business stakeholders the role stewards a practical Lean-based optimization framework and moves teams beyond static documentation toward integrated user-centric digitally enabled solutions that balance enterprise standards with business flexibility.

Accountabilities:

1) Process Design & Improvement

• Evaluate current processes and ways of working for GPTs and R&D Operational Excellence functions and partner with the Head of Process Optimization & Enablement and function owners to redesign prioritized processes against strategic needs.

• Identify possible opportunities where AI automation or digital tooling can reduce manual effort accelerate cycle time or improve quality recommending what to automate versus keep human-in-the-loop and the expected value.

• Incorporate automation analytics and emerging AI capabilities to support self-service and system-generated insights that improve decision-making and operational effectiveness.

• Reimagine static outputs (e.g. fixed dashboards) as flexible solutions that support both standardized reporting and user-driven data exploration.

2) Technology & Data Enablement

• Collaborate with business owners DD&T and data teams to translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions for redesigned processes.

• Embed and optimize data within process implementations for structured reusable inputs ensuring alignment with enterprise data standards and governance.

• Identify and evaluate data sources critical to process improvement initiatives assessing availability accessibility and usability.

• Hands-on development and delivery of technical prototypes and demos to validate process improvements demonstrate new capabilities and drive adoption.

• Partner with DD&T and data quality SMEs to uncover barriers to data access and establish frameworks that balance end-user flexibility with a single source of truth.

• Maintain accessible well-governed process documentation interconnected with related resources and structured for long-term version control so functional leads can apply Process Optimization & Enablement methods independently.

3) Continuous Improvement & Adoption

• Lead follow-up on prototypes to capture lessons learned and refine solutions before broader rollout keeping a clear line of sight from design intent to adoption and outcomes.

• Support and ensure post-implementation assessments are completed to capture value ROI and opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Represent process design work in working groups and governance forums on behalf of the Head of Process Optimization & Enablement.

4) Cross-Functional Enablement & Relationships

• Provide process design support and technical reference guides across R&D Operational Excellence functions in alignment with the framework set by the Head of Process Optimization & Enablement.

• Partner with the Operations & Digital Enablement Lead to train peers and line function teams building an internal process design capability that isnt dependent on any one individual.

• Define simple leading and lagging indicators (e.g. cycle time rework adoption quality) that support periodic process health reviews and recommend the next round of improvements.

• Build effective working relationships with GPT Enablement CAPTIVATE process leads R&D line function leaders transformation program leads and DD&T partners to ensure designs reflect real operating constraints and surface upstream/downstream dependencies.

Education & Competencies (Technical and Behavioral):

• Bachelors degree required; advanced degree preferred with 4-6 years of experience in process design business operations data/analytics or digital transformation.

• Strong hands-on command of operational excellence and process improvement methodologies (e.g. value-stream mapping metric development root-cause analysis RACI design and Kaizen-style improvement events).

• Demonstrated experience supporting end-to-end process redesign in matrixed organizations from current-state diagnosis through future-state design pilot rollout and sustainment.

• Systems-thinking orientation with the ability to see how a process sits inside a wider operating model and design processes that coherently accommodate upstream and downstream impacts.

• Experience with data platforms analytics tools or reporting environments (e.g. Power BI data models) including a working understanding of how AI and automation can be applied to enterprise processes.

• Understanding of data governance data standards and data quality principles.

• Strong analytical orientation comfortable defining simple process KPIs and using data to diagnose issues and quantify improvement.

• Able to operate across functions without direct authority and bring senior stakeholders along.

• Preferred: familiarity with cross-functional drug development execution GPT ways of working and portfolio/project/resource management processes within R&D.