Senior Director Head of R&D Global Capability Centers - India

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](https://jobs.takeda.com/privacynotice) and [Terms of Use](https://www.takeda.com/terms-and-conditions/).  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, connected directly to the patient mission * Champion psychological safety, open dialogue, scientific curiosity, and accountability, so teams do their best work * Attract, retain, and grow R&D talent in a highly competitive market, building a reputation that makes Takeda a destination of choice * Shape leadership and talent models with HR and R&D leaders, creating career pathways that connect Bengaluru colleagues to global R&D work and building sustainable, diverse pipelines that strengthen capability across all hubs * Coach and develop leaders who carry Takeda's values and culture forward as the hub scales **Minimum Requirements / Qualifications** ========================================= _Required_ * 12+ years of leadership experience within life sciences R&D * Experience working across multiple R&D functions * Demonstrated leadership in large-scale transformation and change initiatives * Experience working with Global Capability Centers or globally distributed R&D organizations * Track record of engaging and inspiring diverse teams, with demonstrated ability to build culture, community, and talent * Strong matrix leadership and influencing skills across geographies and functions, with comfort operating in ambiguity as the organization scales _Preferred_ * Direct experience establishing or scaling global R&D hubs or GCCs * Experience with digital, data, or AI-enabled R&D transformation * Awareness of how local operating conditions, including regulatory, statutory, and business environment factors, influence the growth of global capability centers, with a track record of partnering effectively with Legal, Tax, Finance, and HR colleagues * Exposure to hybrid or matrix operating models * Advanced degree in a scientific, technical, or business discipline _Additional Information_ * Travel: Approximately 30% * Work arrangement: Hybrid, in accordance with Takeda's Hybrid and Remote Work policy **Locations** ------------- IND - Bengaluru **Worker Type** --------------- Employee **Worker Sub-Type** ------------------- Regular **Time Type** ------------- Full time