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Director, AI/ML Strategy and Technology Enablement

Boston, Massachusetts
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  • Job Level: Senior
  • Travel: 5-10%

The Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharm Sci) organization is an integral part of global R&D at Takeda, translating science into therapeutic products for patients. When you join Pharm Sci, you become part of a team dedicated to bringing our products to life for our patients through innovation, dedication and talent while minimizing environmental impact.

We work as a member of Takeda’s Global Program Team (GPT) and take full ownership of Chemistry, Manufacturing & Control (CMC) activities — driving product development from bench to bedside.

The Pharm Sci team focuses on executing and enhancing business processes and partnering with key stakeholders and industry leaders to boldly deliver an increasingly complex portfolio. Always looking through a sustainability lens to protect our planet, we are embracing new ways of working, excelling in our data and digital transformation, building differentiated capabilities (CMC Acceleration), delivering innovative medical devices, and advancing an inclusive, innovative culture.

It is an exciting time to be in Pharm Sci. Join our journey and change the lives of patients!

Job ID R0172443 Date posted 01/15/2026 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’s 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.

Job Description

Role Summary

Lead the strategy, platform build-out, and adoption of AI/ML across Research for global digital transformation effort, making AI agents, models, and tools a daily, accessible part of wet‑lab and dry‑lab scientists’ workflows. Translate AF priorities into a practical, compliant AI services layer—data foundations, MLOps, agentic assistants, model governance, and change enablement—that shortens time from experiment to insight and elevates decision quality across discovery programs.

Objectives / Purpose

  • Define and execute a multi‑year AI/ML roadmap aligned to Research use cases and KPIs.
  • Establish an AI‑ready data foundation (FAIR-by-design) and scientist‑facing AI tools embedded in ELN/LIMS/instrument workflows.
  • Institutionalize Responsible AI & GxP-aware governance for production models.
  • Drive adoption through super-user networks, training, and change management to achieve measurable value and ROI.

Scope / Impact

Global Research scope with cross‑site collaboration (US/EU/JP). Direct impact on data-to-decision latency, assay/analysis reproducibility, and portfolio productivity. Partner with operations, Computational Sciences & Data Strategy, IT, function leads, and platform teams to deliver outcomes at scale.

Accountabilities

Strategy & Roadmap

  • Own Research’s AI/ML strategy and sequencing (MVP → scale) across wet‑lab ↔ dry‑lab integration and self‑service tools.
  • Align priorities with Research’s KPIs and portfolio goals; establish and monitor achievement of success criteria and milestones.

Platform, Data & Integration

  • Guide the development of AI‑ready data foundations (provenance, metadata/ontologies, harmonization) across ELN/LIMS, instruments, imaging, and omics.
  • Integrate platforms (e.g., ELN, SDMS & AI Cloud) to liberate, contextualize, and operationalize lab data for AI/ML.
  • Stand up modern MLOps (CI/CD, registries, experiment tracking, monitoring) and secure service/APIs embedded in workflows.

Agentic AI & Productization

  • Design self-service and user-friendly processes for deployment of AI agents for scientists (literature triage, protocol assist, data QC, analysis pipelines, code helpers).
  • Guide engineering efforts to deliver production models (e.g., sequence/structure prediction, assay QC, outlier detection, multimodal analytics).

Adoption & Change Enablement

  • Lead adoption via super‑user networks, training, and communications; co‑own readiness plans with NCSP.
  • Work with Change Management leads to publish playbooks and guardrails enabling self‑service AI workflows for scientists.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

  • Define and Implement Responsible AI and risk‑based governance (ALCOA+, validation mindset, audit trails, XAI, privacy/PII controls).

Impact & Reporting

  • Own measurable impact (adoption, latency, reproducibility, ROI) and provide transparent reporting to R&D leadership and key stakeholders.

Qualifications

Required

  • Advanced degree in Computer Science, AI/ML, Computational Biology/Chemistry, Bioinformatics, or related; or equivalent industry experience.
  • 10+ years in AI/ML for life sciences; 5+ years strategic leadership delivering production AI in scientific environments.
  • Proven MLOps platform build and delivery of scientist‑facing AI tools embedded in ELN/LIMS/instrument workflows.
  • Expertise in FAIR data, scientific data models/ontologies, and integration across wet‑lab instruments, imaging, and omics.
  • Experience with Responsible AI and GxP‑adjacent validation/governance in pharma/biotech R&D.
  • Strong stakeholder management; ability to translate complex science/data into usable AI for end users.

Preferred

  • Experience working in wet-labs and knowledge of Research and Development workflows and processes in either the biologics and/or small molecule fields
  • Agentic AI systems and LLMs for scientific contexts; multimodal ML (text/images/sequences/numerical).
  • Knowledge of Research/Pharma Sci common data models and cloud analytics/HPC integrations.

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:

$174,500.00 - $274,230.00


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-term incentives. 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

Our teams are experienced in medicinal chemistry, multi-step synthesis, multimodal genetics, genomics datasets, pharmacokinetics and more. So wherever your expertise and passion lie, your work will have tangible outcomes, advancing an innovative pipeline that serves unmet needs.

We're delving deeper than ever inside the human body and its microbiome, implementing innovative approaches to deliver high-quality products that treat a range of illnesses, including IBD and cancer.

In our diverse, forward-thinking culture, we're constantly embracing new ways of working:

  • Partnering with research teams, GPTs, business development and our commercial partners in GMS/GQ
  • Supporting all stages of pre-clinical and clinical development
  • Providing enabling technologies, including formulation and delivery strategies, analytical expertise and IP
  • Developing processes to manufacture high-quality Clinical Trial Material and other
  • Focusing on broad therapeutic areas on multiple device platforms: Advanced Delivery Devices, Home & Point-Of-Care Diagnostics, Software & Connectivity for eHealth devices and state-of-the-art Medical Devices & Combination Products

On our team in Pharmaceutical Sciences, you’ll notice a big difference in your own life, too. You’ll be supported to develop your career. You'll connect with brilliant minds and be recognized for your accomplishments. Your curiosity, skills and dedication will have a place and a purpose. So even when you’re exploring the smallest of details, your world will be bigger than ever.

  • Perform cell processing operations

  • Support clean room activities

  • Ensure equipment maintenance

  • Support investigations in deviations

Along with incredibly passionate colleagues, there’s a clear commitment to invest in the best facilities and the right equipment needed to successfully perform world-class science.
christina alves headshot

Christina Alves - Head of Biotherapeutics Process Development

Within Takeda, there’s a lot of room for disruption and challenging how things have been done before.
headshot of briana rawson

Briana Rawson - Lead, Human Factors Engineer

I love that I get to connect smaller, newer ventures with Takeda’s reputation and resources so that we can develop innovative ways of diagnosing and managing the conditions of patients with unmet needs.
headshot of rachel whitaker

Rachel Whitaker - Principal Engineer, Diagnostic Devices

The heart of our work

Leading with innovation

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.
  • Great Place to Work

    Recognized for our culture and ways of working, we’re proud to be Certified as a Great Place to Work® in 25 countries and regions.
  • 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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