Senior Director, Head of R&D Global Capability Centers (GCC) - India

Job description

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 About the Role The Senior Director, Head of R&D Global Capability Centers (GCC) — India is a senior R&D leadership role that shapes Takeda's global R&D GCC strategy and owns its execution in India. Based in Bengaluru, this leader is accountable for the India hub's operating model, talent agenda, and full integration into Takeda's global R&D organization, and represents Takeda R&D in India to enterprise partners and global R&D leadership through establishment and as the hub matures. Operating with enterprise-wide visibility and significant influence on organizational strategy, this leader partners closely with R&D functions, Therapeutic Areas, and enterprise stakeholders to ensure the India hub is successfully established, culturally embedded, and fully integrated into Takeda R&D, delivering sustainable capabilities, talent pipelines, and long-term value. Success depends on strong matrix leadership and the ability to lead through influence across a global organization. Beyond structure and strategy, this role is fundamentally about people: inspiring a diverse, ambitious talent base, building a high-performing culture rooted in Takeda's values, and creating a community where world-class R&D scientists and professionals choose to build their careers. We are looking for a visible, engaging leader with the credibility, authenticity, and vision to inspire teams, attract exceptional talent, and build a thriving R&D community. This leader does not start from a blank page. Takeda's Innovation Capability Center (ICC) in Bengaluru is already a vibrant, established presence, a proven foundation of talent, culture, and delivery excellence. Building on that momentum, this role will help shape a globally integrated R&D organization where colleagues in India contribute to scientific strategy, development execution, innovation, and enterprise transformation alongside their counterparts across Takeda's global hubs. This position reports to the VP, Head of R&D Global Capability Centers, and calls for a leader with 12+ years of leadership experience within life sciences R&D and a track record of working across multiple R&D functions. Strategic Context This role supports Takeda's evolution toward a globally integrated, multi-hub R&D model that: • Drives collaboration mechanisms and capability sharing across Cambridge, MA; Poland; and Bengaluru, India to create a truly integrated global R&D organization • Focuses on sustainable capability, community, and talent development • Enables hybrid Global Program Team (GPT) and sub-team execution across hubs • Operates through a network of hub leaders, each accountable for their location, connected by shared governance, integration, and change management • Partners with R&D hub leaders across all GCC locations to ensure consistency of operating principles, culture, governance, and talent development across Takeda's global R&D network Key Responsibilities R&D & Enterprise Partnership • Serve as the R&D GCC leader for India, accountable for the hub's strategy, execution, and continued evolution as it scales • Act as R&D partner to the Enterprise Transformation Office and R&D leadership; build trusted relationships with global stakeholders, serving as a strategic connector between Bengaluru and Takeda's global R&D network • Represent the R&D GCC in R&D and enterprise governance forums, shaping decisions that affect the global hub network GCC Strategy & Operating Model • Own the multi-year vision and roadmap for R&D in India, and contribute to the global R&D GCC strategy it sits within • Design, implement, and refine the India operating model within Takeda's multi-hub R&D framework • Ensure alignment with R&D functional strategies, governance, and ways of working Scaling the India Hub • Lead the R&D agenda for building and scaling the India hub, from capability design through to operational maturity • Partner with enterprise teams on infrastructure planning, talent strategy, and change management • Build R&D capabilities in India in deliberate phases, sequencing what the hub takes on and when Cross-Functional Leadership • Serve as the senior R&D leader in India across all functions and Therapeutic Areas, setting how the hub engages with each • Manage cross-functional dependencies and integration risks • Define roles, responsibilities, and decision rights for R&D work delivered from India Talent, Capability & Culture • Serve as a highly visible R&D leader in India, building engagement and community across the Takeda R&D ecosystem while representing Takeda within the external scientific, technology, and life sciences community • Build on the ICC's established culture, traditions, and ways of working to create a high-performing, inclusive environment where colleagues see themselves as integral members of Takeda's global R&D community, co