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Associate Director, AI/ML

Boston, Massachusetts
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  • Job Level: Senior
  • Travel: Minimal (if any)

Within Takeda’s Data Sciences Institute, we harness the insight of data and digital to speed the development of new medicines to patients. The Data Sciences Institute (DSI) is primarily focused on getting medicines to patients faster through innovation and efficiencies driven by data and analytics.

We nurture a culture that encourages disciplined risk-taking, supports innovation, values diversity and emphasizes implementation.

We want to hire and develop the best talent to join us on our mission to strive towards Better Health and a Brighter Future for people worldwide through leading innovation in medicine!

Job ID R0162705 Date posted 09/17/2025 Location Boston, Massachusetts

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 Takeda’sPrivacy Noticeand Terms of Use. I further attest that all information I submit in my employment application is true to the best of my knowledge.

Job Description

We are inviting individuals with deep knowledge of machine learning and artificial intelligence to join us in the ShinrAI Center for AI/ML at Takeda, based in Cambridge, MA. 

At the ShinrAI Center, we’re a team of scientists, engineers, machine learning experts and more, working together to advance the application of artificial intelligence in developing innovative medicine for patients.  We like to solve problems, take initiative, pitch in when needed, and enthusiastic for trying new things.  We are looking for more curious thinkers who like to tackle challenging, real-world problems in a rewarding environment where your contributions are valued and have a direct impact.

We're building a diverse team whose skills, experiences, and backgrounds complement one another.  Extensive experience working in Pharma or Biotech is optional.  A strong curiosity for a deeper understanding of human health and disease to deliver innovative medicine for patients is a must.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

  • Educate, demonstrate, guide, and enable the application of AI/ML in various pharmaceutical R&D operations and scientific domains

  • Partners with data science teams, domain experts, and business units to identify and prioritize opportunities to leverage machine learning to drive decision making and automation across all levels of the R&D organization

  • Translate business needs into clearly scoped machine learning projects, and take a hands-on approach to steer solution design and implementation

  • Identify, monitor, and validate relevant external AI/ML developments, cultivate relationships with external domain experts and partners, and report and present emerging novel developments within the organization to further innovation and shape long-term strategy and governance.

  • Proactively build relationships across the company to inform your work and contribute to internal and external collaborations, through involvement in working groups, and the writing of insightful, engaging, and actionable opinion pieces that are easily digestible by internal decision makers and stakeholders.

  • Be the leading voice for building common capability and approaches and for adopting best practices

  • Work in collaboration with our Ethics and Governance teams to ensure our AI/ML applications are developed ethically and provide broad benefits to our patients and business

  • Help talented, driven, enthusiastic AI/ML engineers and data scientists across the company grow professionally

  • Measure, document, and communicate impacts of the Center’s efforts

To set you up for success at the Shinrai Center, we look for the following skills and experience:

EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

  • A track record of partnering cross-functionally with a wide range of stakeholders and cross-functional teams to develop and deploy novel data solutions in production environments

  • Demonstrated passion for making complex technology more accessible and the ability to communicate complex technical topics simply and convincingly to a wide range of audiences

  • Demonstrated ability in translating big picture business and product ideas into micro use cases and has a strong focus on solving core problems to deliver simple solutions

  • Experience recognizing and communicating the implications of emerging technologies

  • Excellent communication, prioritization, and interpersonal skills, with a high level of attention to detail

  • An advanced degree (M.S., PhD.) in mathematics, applied statistics, computer science, machine learning or similar.  With 6+ years of experience architecting, building, launching, and maintaining end-to-end ML systems from whiteboard to production at scale across a range of models and platforms, such as: Experience in fine tuning large language models for domain specific applications. Experience in designing transfer learning strategy to enable learning from small datasets. Demonstrated ability and authoritative knowledge in a variety of AI/ML problems and domains, with depth in at least two (computer vision, natural language processing, geometric deep learning, timeseries, reinforcement learning, multimodal learning, etc.). Solid understanding of deep learning model architectures (C/RNN, attention/memory, autoregressive, etc.) and extensions (Transformer, LSTM, Autoencoders, etc.) as well as traditional ML models (k-means, KNN, decision trees, SVM, Bayesian/graphical models, Gaussian process, etc.) and their real-world advantages and drawbacks. Experience tuning, validating, optimizing, visualizing, and debugging these models in applied settings. Familiarity with ML Ops concepts related to testing, retraining, and monitoring models in production. Experience in configuring and working in different coding environments (local, notebooks, containers) and using standard software engineering workflows (testing, code management/Git, CI/CD)

  • An enthusiasm to ask questions and try and learn new things is essential

  • Entrepreneurial experience is desirable.

  • Experience in life sciences and healthcare and experience in a complex global organization is a plus

Takeda Compensation and Benefits Summary

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. We are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices.

For Location:

Boston, MA

U.S. Base Salary Range:

$153,600.00 - $241,340.00

The estimated salary range reflects an anticipated range for this position. The actual base salary offered may depend on a variety of factors, including the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.The actual base salary offered will be in accordance with state or local minimum wage requirements for the job location.

U.S. based employees may be eligible for short-term and/or long-termincentives. U.S.based employees may be eligible to participate in medical, dental, vision insurance, a 401(k) plan and company match, short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, a tuition reimbursement program, paid volunteer time off, company holidays, and well-being benefits, among others. U.S.based employees are also eligible to receive, per calendar year, up to 80 hours of sick time, and new hires are eligible to accrue up to 120 hours of paid vacation.

EEO Statement

Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.

Locations

Boston, MA

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

Job Exempt

Yes

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
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Where you fit in

When you join our Data Sciences Institute team, you’ll connect with a diverse and talented group of scientists, engineers and analysts. Together, you’ll define cutting-edge algorithms, conduct pharmacology-based modeling and explore new approaches to data services. In a collaborative environment marked by strong, open and honest leadership, you’ll take charge of your professional advancement as you work on important projects that grow your skills and lead to ongoing opportunities.

A career within the Data Sciences Institute at Takeda will give you everything you need to succeed professionally. You’ll see up close that what you do with information and insight has the power to impact the lives of patients — today and for generations to come. Working here, you’ll understand that our people-first perspective extends beyond patients to include our Takeda team, our families and the communities where we all work and live.

  • Work with various data sources

  • Apply a breadth of methodologies

  • Develop analysis pipelines

  • Design studies

We’re using the newest technology and methods, like wearable devices and machine learning, to better understand the health of patients participating in our trials.
headshot of ariel dowing

Ariel Dowling - Head, Sensing & Measurement, Digital Health Sciences

The energy, professionalism and commitment that I experienced in every encounter, starting from the interview process, to meeting with the hiring manager, through to receiving an offer, left me feeling a certain level of consistency and thoughtfulness. That made me really feel enthusiastic.
headshot of brian johnson

Brian Johnson - Head, R&D Technology, Data Sciences Institute

Being able to predictably deliver on our portfolio priorities is where we have laser-focus each and every day. By doing this, we keep our eye on the prize of bringing new medicines to patients, and show the value that these treatments can bring to their lives.
headshot of simon davies

Simon Davies - Head of R&D Data & Quantitative Sciences

How you'll shine

Many talents one goal

Our pipeline

Our internal research capabilities and external partnerships contribute to an R&D engine that has produced exciting new molecular entities (NMEs) across our core Therapeutic Areas. Check out our pipeline and see how we’ll continue delivering a steady stream of next-generation therapies.

Learn more

What we believe in

Our values of Takeda-ism are Integrity, Fairness, Honesty and Perseverance, with Integrity as the core. These are brought to life through actions based on Patient, Trust, Reputation and Business, in that order.

Our belief in putting people first extends beyond our patients — it includes their families and communities, as well as our Takeda colleagues and their families.

We are committed to embracing our differences, valuing different perspectives, and fostering a culture of respect, inclusiveness and empowerment.

Our embedded Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy enables us to attract and retain exceptional talent, drives innovation, and helps address systemic inequalities in our communities.

  • Integrity

  • Fairness

  • Honesty

  • Perseverance

Working at Takeda

  • Inclusion

    Here, you will feel welcomed, respected, and valued as a vital contributor to our global team.
  • Collaboration

    A strong, borderless team, we strive together towards our priorities and inspiring mission.
  • Innovation

    Bold initiatives, continuous improvement, and creativity are at the heart of how we bring scientific breakthroughs from the lab to patients.
  • Top Workplace

    Recognized for our culture and way of working, we’re one of only 17 companies to receive Top Global Employer® status for 2025.
  • Work-Life

    Our people-first mission extends beyond patients to include their families, communities, and our own Takeda family.
  • Empowerment

    Through trust and respect, you will have genuine support from leaders, managers, and colleagues to do your best work.

We're Steadfast In Our Commitment to Four Key Imperatives

Patient


Responsibly translate science into highly innovative medicines and accelerate access to improve lives worldwide.

People


Create an exceptional people experience.

Planet


Protect our planet.

Data & Digital


Transform Takeda into the most trusted, data-driven, outcomes-based biopharmaceutical company.

Exterior of Takeda Building

About our location

Boston, Massachusetts


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