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Head of Medical Affairs, EUCAN, Oncology Business Unit

Zurich, Canton of Zurich
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At Takeda Oncology, we aspire to cure cancer, with inspiration from patients and innovation from everywhere. We value employees with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. As a member of our team, you would bring your unique perspective to help us achieve our aspiration and help us demonstrate our commitment to patients on a daily basis.

We ensure a tight connection from research to development to commercialization to rapidly meet the needs of the cancer community, optimizing our ability to bring transformative medicines to patients. Our demonstrated leadership in the treatment of hematologic cancers and solid tumors, combined with cutting-edge science through multiple platforms, partnerships and therapeutic approaches, enable us to bring novel medicines to patients worldwide.

At Takeda, you will have access to the resources of a company with over 200 years of heritage, a diverse and robust pipeline, a values-driven culture and career development opportunities.

Job ID R0175171 Date posted 02/27/2026 Location Zurich, Canton of Zurich

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

The Head of Medical Affairs, EUCAN OBU is a senior leadership role acting as the medical thought partner for regional executive teams, delivering a unified regional perspective on priorities and portfolio optimization. This leader will oversee strategic medical activities across the Europe and Canada (EUCAN) region and guide a team of Regional Medical Leads to ensure seamless alignment with global medical strategies. Additionally, the Head will provide scientific and clinical expertise to shape and execute the medical strategy for assigned products, driving key initiatives such as data generation, analysis, scientific communications, training, medical information, congress planning, and thought leader engagement to advance the organization’s strategic objectives.  

ACCOUNTABILITIES

  • Act as a medical thought partner for the Head of EUCAN Oncology and drive strategic priorities for the EUCAN OBU region e.g., launch excellence.
  • Provide leadership and mentorship to Regional Medical Leads to drive clinical and scientific excellence in medical affairs.
  • Drive medical insights and intelligence gathering to inform global and regional strategies.
  • Provide leadership to Oncology Local Operating Country Medical Heads and facilitate alignment and support of LOCs to ensure the success of regional commercial and medical affairs activities.
  • Provide scientific/clinical expertise and lead development of the medical strategy and deliverables for assigned products, including data generation, analysis, scientific communications, training, medical information, congress planning, and thought leader engagement.
  • Represent Medical Affairs at the Global Product Team (GPT) and Global Brand Team (GBT), as assigned, to provide medical input and insights from practicing clinicians into clinical development to enable more customer and patient-centric clinical and brand planning.
  • Identify and engage appropriate clinical trial sites and research partners in EUCAN region to advance oncology clinical development.
  • Partner with Country Heads in identification, acquisition, development, performance management and retention of EUCAN OBU LOC Medical Heads
  • Provide medical and scientific input to EUCAN Oncology strategy and priorities.
  • Ensure delivery of high-impact external engagement initiatives, such as scientific events, advisory boards, and KOL partnerships
  • Be an integral part of the Global Medical Affairs Oncology (GMAO) leadership team ensuring alignment between GM and the EUCAN Oncology region and represent the regional perspective.
  • Incumbent will be a member of EUCAN Leadership Team representing Oncology Global Medical Affairs
  • Foster a culture of talent development by coaching and mentoring direct reports and team members to support their career growth and leadership potential.
  • Anticipate or identify changes in the marketplace that may provide scientific, medical, regulatory and/or commercial opportunities for Takeda.
  • Partner with Head, Affiliate Support, Compliance and GMA operations to design and implement Global Standard Operating procedures that are aligned with the regional needs.  Oversee communication and implementation of these SOPs within their region.
  • Participate in select regional medical and scientific forums, conferences and meetings.

DIMENSIONS AND ASPECTS

  • Comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and Medical Affairs.
  • Experience working with national and international regulatory agencies, such as EMEA.
  • Good knowledge of the Regional healthcare market, able to identify healthcare trends and the related commercial opportunities within the Region.

Leadership

  • Excellent communicator, able to persuasively convey both ideas and data, verbally and in writing.
  • Ability to advance clinical trial recruitment in a complex oncology therapeutic development program
  • Proven skills as an effective team player who can engender credibility and confidence within and outside the company.
  • Ability to distil complex issues and ideas down to simple comprehensible terms.
  • Executive leadership presence and confidence.
  • Embraces and demonstrates a diversity and inclusion mindset and role model these behaviors for the organization.

Decision-making and Autonomy

  • Ability to make highly complex decisions that impact the enterprise
  • Ability to seek diverse input from multiple constituents and stakeholders to drive innovative solutions.
  • Ability to incorporate feedback and ensure decisions are made swiftly to yield flawless execution.
  • Ability for enterprise partnership with Global Medical Affairs, R&D, and Global Pricing & Access to establish robust development strategies

Interaction

  • Effectively represent Takeda in High-level negotiations with the ability to resolve conflict in a constructive manner.
  • Ability to build strong partnerships and drive role clarity with other interfacing Takeda functions

Innovation

  • Forward thinking with the ability to influence and effectively drive organizational change and continuous innovation.
  • . Willingness to learn and adapt technology tools including artificial intelligence
  • Ability to take risks implementing innovative solutions, accelerating time to market.

Complexity

  • Ability to work in a global ecosystem (internal and external) with a high degree of complexity.
  • Breadth of knowledge required across therapeutic areas, indications, and/or modalities.
  • Experience operating in a multi-disciplinary drug development environment including international experience and exposure to a variety of therapeutic areas.

External representation

  • Strong focus on external engagement; ability to build and maintain relationships with KOLs.
  • Ability to represent the Region in Medical thought leadership activities and bring external perspectives into the Region to enhance Takeda’s strategic initiatives.

EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

  • PhD, PharmD or MD with 10+ years combined experience in pharmaceutical industry, and academic research, or healthcare management.
  • Understands and delivers critical capabilities of a modern global specialty medicine medical affairs organization: clinical research, evidence generation, value demonstration, medical communication, medical information, publication activities, congress presentations, interaction with Medical Science Liaison networks, compliance, and public speaking.
  • Additionally, a solid familiarity with the commercialization process and the marketplace dynamics that impact organizational decisions and deliverables.
  • Management experience in Global Medical Affairs or related field, leading a medium to large organization and influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders
  • Proven track record of leading and driving business process transformation and organizational culture change as well as delivering on programs with complex business deliverables.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop, coach, and mentor talent to build high-performing teams.
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively influence and lead in a complex matrix environment with minimal direct/indirect reports.
  • Proven track record of navigating and managing relationships with a diverse and extensive range of stakeholders, ensuring alignment and collaboration across multiple teams and functions.
  • Expertise in leveraging interpersonal skills to drive initiatives and achieve organizational goals in a multifaceted setting.
  • Health care business acumen with a comprehensive understanding of the pharmaceutical industry.

Locations

Zurich, Switzerland

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time
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