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Job DescriptionPlease note this job requires business level Japanese in speaking, writing, and reading.
OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE
- As a member of the Business Excellence (BE) team, lead the Operational Excellence (OE) team of OE Champions.
- Responsible for the development of the site AGILE* roadmap with the Business Excellence Lead in close collaboration with QS&I.
- Develop capabilities of OE Champions as the future leaders
- Lead AGILE Waves at the site.
- Collaborate across the Takeda network to adopt and share best practices
- Be a champion of change at site/function
- Involved in key initiatives as Site Leadership Team (SLT) member
*AGILE in GMSGQ (Global Manufacturing and Supply / Global Quality) is a continuous improvement approach used across global quality operations. It makes processes faster, reduces waste, and encourages teamwork. The goal is to adapt quickly and make small, steady improvements instead of big changes all at once
ACCOUNTABILITIES
A. Lead site AGILE program:
- Lead implementation of AGILE waves at the site.
- Build AGILE capabilities within the team and monitor the progress of OE Champions towards certification.
- Provide technical coaching and support for the OE team.
- Select new OE Champions to fill new vacancies within the team.
- Support BE Lead in building the strong engagement of SLT and all site colleagues with the AGILE program through site boot camps/workshops/coaching initiatives.
- Actively participate in the global AGILE program coordinated by the AGILE PMO
- Collaborate with the Technical Training and PMO teams to provide aligned AGILE support to the site
- Deliver the AGILE site roadmap through a series of waves, developing local capabilities at the site through each deployment.
- Develop own capabilities in AGILE to provide appropriate guidance to the local team.
B. Collaboration:
- Lead site AGILE team to be active contributors and adopters within the best practice network.
C. Site AGILE roadmap:
- Maintain a balanced site roadmap detailing AGILE activities which will be executed in the fiscal year.
- Ensure all AGILE workstreams are considered when creating roadmap and cross-workstream synergies are highlighted.
- Ensure the roadmap is aligned with GMSGQ Japan strategy.
- Ensure all OE Champions receive challenging assignments linked to their development within the AGILE wave deployments.
D. Coaching
- Create appropriate AGILE capabilities at the site to deliver the AGILE roadmap utilizing the support from AGILE workstream as necessary.
- Coach AGILE concepts and mindsets and behaviors across the organization, including Senior Leadership
- Coach the OE championes to develop technical and soft skill competencies within the team
DIMENSIONS AND ASPECTS
Technical/Functional (Line) Expertise
- Expertise in lean/six sigma to drive continuous improvement.
- Knowledge of pharmaceutical operations
- Strong Operational Excellence/Digital and Project Management capabilities
- Solid knowledge of Bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality, manufacturing operations, cGMPs, global regulatory or product development required
- Excellent coaching experience
- Proven record of delivery of results and colleague development
Leadership
- Excellent communication abilities
- Drives change and supports others in the change management process
- Experienced people manager
- Strong influencing skills
Decision-making and Autonomy
- Delivers AGILE roadmap for the site
- As a member of the BE team, communicates business decisions to AGILE team
- Lead and participate in cross-functional teams to create value for Takeda as needed
Interaction
- Interacts with all levels of the organization and collaborates strongly with the global OE team, QS&I, AGILE PMO, and other OE Leads
- Develops strong relationships with key stakeholders across the Takeda network.
Innovation
- Strong innovative mindset
- Passionate about digital technology and advances site digital program
- Identifies best practices, shares and adopts equally.
Complexity
- Capable of operating across company culture
EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:
- Experience in operational improvement activities at a manufacturing plant is required, along with expertise in Lean and Six Sigma.
- Bachelors degree in a technical field/business required, Advanced degree is preferred
- At least four years of experience in a Quality, Supply Chain, or Operations environment required, three years of experience in bio/pharmaceuticals, biotechnology or life sciences industry is desired
- Demonstrated passion for not accepting the status quo and self-driven to improve the business
- Courage of conviction and open to critical feedback
- A positive and resilient leader
- Program management capabilities
- Exceptional coaching, teaching, presentation (oral and written), and facilitation skills
- Courage/experience to provide coaching/feedback to all levels of the organization including superiors
- Excellent listening skills and emotional intelligence
- Flexible and learning agile, demonstrating the ability to assimilate new knowledge and standards quickly
- Business level of both English and Japanese skill and experience in verbal and written communications
Takeda Compensation and Benefits Summary:
Allowances: Commutation, Housing, Overtime Work etc.
Salary Increase: Annually, Bonus Payment: Twice a year
Working Hours: Headquarters (Osaka/ Tokyo) 9:00-17:30, Production Sites (Osaka/ Yamaguchi) 8:00-16:45, (Narita) 8:30-17:15, Research Site (Kanagawa) 9:00-17:45
Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, May Day, Year-End Holidays etc. (approx. 123 days in a year)
Paid Leaves: Annual Paid Leave, Special Paid Leave, Sick Leave, Family Support Leave, Maternity Leave, Childcare Leave, Family Nursing Leave.
Flexible Work Styles: Flextime, Telework
Benefits: Social Insurance, Retirement and Corporate Pension, Employee Stock Ownership Program, etc.
Important Notice concerning working conditions:
It is possible the job scope may change at the company’s discretion.
It is possible the department and workplace may change at the company’s discretion.
Skills Required
- Business-level Japanese proficiency in speaking, writing, and reading
- Business-level English proficiency in verbal and written communications
- Bachelor's degree in a technical field or business
- Experience in operational improvement activities at a manufacturing plant
- Expertise in Lean and Six Sigma
- At least four years of experience in Quality, Supply Chain, or Operations
- Knowledge of pharmaceutical operations
- Knowledge of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, quality, manufacturing operations, cGMPs, global regulatory requirements, or product development
- Operational Excellence, digital, and project management capabilities
- Excellent coaching, teaching, presentation, and facilitation skills
- Experience leading and developing people
- Strong communication, influencing, change management, and stakeholder collaboration skills
- Program management capabilities
- Three years of experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or life sciences
- Advanced degree
Takeda Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Takeda and has not been reviewed or approved by Takeda.
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Retirement Support — Employer-funded retirement is described as notably strong, combining a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match with an additional company contribution that scales with age and service. Access to an employee stock purchase plan further supports long-term wealth building.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid bonding leave for all parents, substantial adoption/surrogacy reimbursement, and robust caregiver resources (backup care and Maven family-forming support) are emphasized as core strengths. These offerings create a comprehensive safety net for a range of family situations.
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Healthcare Strength — Multiple medical plan options (nationwide PPO/HSA and regional HMOs), employer HSA funding, and integrated mental-health and well-being programs signal depth in coverage. Preventive care is covered in-network, and plan choices by state expand access.
Takeda Insights
What We Do
For over 240 years, Takeda’s propensity to evolve has driven the next generation of innovation, and as a future-focused organization, we’re continuing to drive forward with endurance in our steadfast pursuit to achieve the best outcomes for our patients in a rapidly changing world. We have been preparing for this period of value creation by investing in data, digital and technology, and we’re proud of our employees and their commitment to turning groundbreaking ideas into life-changing impacts. Since our founding in Japan, integrity and putting patients first have been at the heart of our identity, and we will emerge ready for our future as one of the most trusted and science-driven digital biopharmaceutical companies. Join a team where your innovation impacts lives. Together, we’ll realize improved outcomes by improving data quality, enhancing launch execution and improving the patient journey. You’ll play a critical role in accelerating data collection and increasing accuracy across all parts of the business. Patients across the globe will benefit from access to treatments afforded by greater opportunities and efficiency in our research and development.
Why Work With Us
We connect to our history and Japanese heritage through everything we do to bring our purpose, values, vision, and imperatives to life. We are committed to bringing better health and a brighter future to patients. Being a part of Takeda means having the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
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