Process Design Lead (Senior Manager)

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As Process Design Lead, you will support the Head of Process Optimization and Enablement in applying operational excellence and process design principles to evaluate, redesign, and continuously improve the processes that support Global Program Team ways of working and the broader Research and Development Operational Excellence line functions. In this hands-on role, you will diagnose current-state processes, lead structured redesign efforts, and deliver flexible, scalable processes in digital-first formats.

You will also look for opportunities where artificial intelligence and automation can reduce manual work or improve quality, and you will partner with technology teams to help bring those ideas to life. In addition, you will keep sight of upstream and downstream impacts so changes are designed proactively, and you will help steward a lean-based optimization framework that other Operational Excellence teams can use with consistency and rigor.

• Evaluate how processes within Global Program Team ways of working and Research and Development Operational Excellence functions run today by reviewing documentation and data sources to identify overlaps, redundancies, and gaps.

• Apply operational excellence and lean principles to focus on the most important process elements and turn findings into practical redesigns.

• Partner with the Head of Process Optimization and Enablement, the Operations and Digital Enablement Lead, and process owners to redesign prioritized processes and replace duplicate work with connected, harmonized processes.

• Work with others to define scope, roles and responsibilities, decision points, hand-offs, and success measures for future-state processes.

• Identify where artificial intelligence, automation, or digital tools can reduce manual effort or improve quality, and recommend what should be automated and what should remain human-reviewed.

• Identify and assess data sources and digital needs that are important for process improvement work, and partner with Digital, Data and Technology teams to surface practical options for review.

• Develop clear, user-friendly process documentation, including end-to-end flows, roles, and supporting materials, so cross-functional teams can use it in day-to-day work.

• Consolidate and harmonize different process documents into a single current source of truth that is designed for version control, maintenance, and easy finding.

• Apply a consistent information structure, including naming conventions, tagging, and cross-linking, so content is easy to navigate as well as accurate.

• Create process content in formats that fit the audience and use case, such as short job aids, walkthrough videos, and interactive guides, rather than relying only on static documents.

• Maintain a lightweight style guide so quality and tone stay consistent across authors.

• Own the content life cycle for documented processes by reviewing materials for staleness, retiring outdated content, and refreshing content as processes change.

• Use pilots and proof-of-concepts to capture lessons learned and refine solutions before broader rollout, and make sure post-implementation reviews capture value, return on investment, and further improvement opportunities.

• Follow established standards for how processes are documented, reviewed, and refreshed so quality stays consistent no matter who creates the material.

• Suggest and track simple leading and lagging indicators, such as cycle time, rework, adoption, and quality, to support regular process health reviews and guide the next round of improvements.

• Keep awareness of other workstreams moving across the business, including documenting them for reference as identified by the Head of Process Optimization and Enablement.

• Partner with enablement, communications, and training leads so process changes are adopted, not just published, and represent process design work in governance forums on behalf of the Head of Process Optimization and Enablement.

• Provide process design support across Research and Development Operational Excellence functions in line with the framework set by the Head of Process Optimization and Enablement.

• Curate a lightweight, accessible toolkit that other functional leads can use for their own processes, reflecting the standards and continuous improvement mindset of the Process Optimization and Enablement group.

• Partner with the Operations and Digital Enablement Lead to train peers and line function teams, building internal process design capability that does not depend on one individual.

• Build effective working relationships with Global Program Team Enablement, CAPTIVATE process leads, Research and Development line function leaders, transformation program leads, and Digital, Data and Technology partners so designs reflect real operating constraints and upstream and downstream dependencies.

• Bachelor’s degree in a science, engineering, or business-related field required; advanced degree preferred.

• Typically 4 to 6 or more years of relevant experience in lean process design, operational excellence, business transformation, or management consulting, ideally within a global pharmaceutical or similar regulated Research and Development environment.

• Strong hands-on experience with operational excellence and process improvement methods, such as value-stream mapping, metric development, root-cause analysis, responsibility assignment matrix design, and Kaizen-style improvement events; Lean or Six Sigma certification, Green Belt or Black Belt, preferred.

• 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 approach, with the ability to understand how a process fits within a wider operating model and to design for upstream and downstream impacts.

• Experience creating process documentation in user-friendly, adaptable formats that are visual, modular, and built for long-term maintenance; experience with technical writing, instructional writing, content taxonomies, or knowledge-base design, such as Confluence or SharePoint, is a plus.

• Working understanding of how artificial intelligence and automation can be applied to enterprise processes, with the ability to identify opportunities, frame clear recommendations, and partner with technology teams to deliver them; deep technical or platform expertise is not required.

• Experience building reusable frameworks, playbooks, and toolkits that others can adopt.

• Strong analytical skills, with comfort defining simple process indicators and using data to diagnose issues and measure improvement.

• Strong facilitation, workshop design, written communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across functions without direct authority and engage senior leaders.

• Preferred: familiarity with cross-functional drug development execution, Global Program Team ways of working, and portfolio, project, and resource management processes within Research and Development.

At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.

Certified as a Global Top Employer, Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

This position is currently classified as "hybrid" following Takeda's Hybrid and Remote Work policy.

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Locations

Lodz, Poland

Base Salary Range:

zł267,400.00 - zł367,730.00

For information about our benefits, please click here.