Full-Time

Associate Director

Scientific & Competitive Analysis, Global Oncology

Updated on 9/3/2026

Takeda

Takeda

10,001+ employees

Global biopharmaceutical firm; R&D-driven NMEs

Compensation Overview

$154.4k - $242.6k/yr

+ Short-term incentives + Long-term incentives + 401(k) match

Boston, MA, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid work arrangement; required on-site schedule is not specified.

Bachelor's, Master's, MBA, PhD

Category
Growth & Marketing
Required Skills
Forecasting
Word/Pages/Docs
Excel/Numbers/Sheets
Microsoft Outlook

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Requirements
  • A Bachelor of Science degree in a life science plus a Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Philosophy, or equivalent qualification.
  • At least 7 years of experience in the healthcare industry with exposure to pharmaceutical product development.
  • Knowledge of primary and secondary research methodologies and information resources pertinent to the industry.
  • Knowledge of competitive intelligence techniques, including strong verbal presentation, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
  • An advanced understanding of competitive intelligence processes, methods, industry ethics, and compliance, with strong execution skills for strategic-to-tactical recommendations.
  • Advanced knowledge of specialty pharmaceutical commercial business operations and the use of competitive intelligence to drive commercial strategy and tactics.
  • Demonstrated leadership synthesizing primary and secondary competitive intelligence, forecasting impact, competitive intelligence, and data management to advise specialty pharmaceutical leadership status.
  • The ability to negotiate and influence in a consultative role.
  • The ability to monitor competitive activity, predict probable issues, and solve problems through scenario planning.
  • Consultative influence, organizational, written, verbal communication, and presentation skills.
  • Expertise in competitive intelligence research methods and their integration with specialty pharmaceutical data sources for strategic recommendations.
  • The ability to manage multiple tasks of varied complexity simultaneously.
  • The ability to delegate effectively.
  • Advanced proficiency with Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Word.
Responsibilities
  • Consult with Commercial and Research and Development teams as a strategic partner to achieve and maintain competitive leadership.
  • Lead, create, and deliver integrated insights across multiple sources.
  • Serve as a competitive intelligence function expert for Commercial and Research and Development organizations.
  • Provide competitive landscaping and analysis to inform brand strategies, clinical development strategies for pipeline, disease area strategies, and business development and external partnership opportunities.
  • Engage consultative influence; create cross-source insights, recommendations, and alignment for action; develop competitive landscape analysis; understand business needs; identify knowledge gaps; and conduct primary and/or secondary competitive intelligence to fill prioritized gaps.
  • Communicate integrated insights to relevant stakeholders across Takeda.
  • Leverage competitive intelligence external analysis with internal market planning, business development, and strategic or tactical workstreams for long-term and short-term impact.
  • Lead cross-functional teams in predicting and planning solutions for successful execution, driving clarity on issues and action.
  • Select critical strategic elements for executive decisions, collaborate on methods for studying strategic elements, prioritize competing strategic and tactical needs, and manage budgets, scopes, and programs.
  • Identify competitive strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
  • Proactively identify strategic and tactical competitive intelligence needs of brands and pipeline, establishing long-range and short-term business impact.
  • Collaboratively prioritize and build a competitive intelligence plan, including KITs and KIQs, integrated with primary market research, analytics, and cross-functional teams.
  • Lead the coordination, planning, and execution of competitive coverage at assigned conferences.
  • Provide brand partners with actionable intelligence about the competitive environment, focusing on opportunities and threats affecting Takeda's portfolio.
  • Contribute to developing and assessing new products and services offered by Scientific & Competitive Analysis.
  • Improve the business processes of the Scientific & Competitive Analysis team and key customer groups.
  • Ensure Global Competitive Intelligence assumptions are consistent across functions and regions; investigate differences and communicate their reasons clearly.
  • Work with United States and non-United States market insights and forecasting colleagues to ensure cohesive contributions to strategic decisions and planning.
  • Plan and facilitate Competitor Workshops, including War Games, Gap Analysis, and Scenario Planning, within the Oncology Business Unit.
  • Define and execute competitive intelligence activities that generate insights supporting global clinical development and commercialization of Takeda Oncology's current portfolio and future business development.
  • Create and communicate summaries of key competitor events affecting Takeda's business, competitive intelligence activities addressing competitor threats, and activities supporting the forecasting process and market research.
  • Develop and implement innovative solutions to meet business needs and resolve business issues.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain project management for competitive intelligence projects.
  • Build internal stakeholder relationships across Commercial, Medical Affairs, Patient Value and Patient Access, Research and Development, Corporate Communication, and Patient Advocacy.
  • Perform additional duties as assigned.

Takeda is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and delivering medicines and vaccines to improve patient health. It relies on extensive research and development to create new molecular entities (NMEs) and bring them to market, aiming for up to 15 product launches through FY2024 from a pipeline of 11 NMEs. Revenue comes mainly from selling pharmaceutical products, supported by about 41,000 third-party suppliers worldwide. The company differentiates itself through a deep history (over 240 years), a broad portfolio of global brands, and a patient-centric approach that places patients’ needs at the center of its operations while pursuing environmental sustainability. Takeda’s goal is to advance health globally by turning scientific innovations into accessible therapies, maintaining long-term growth through steady product innovation and responsible operations.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Tokyo, Japan

Founded

1781

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • August 2026 FDA approval of MIMRYLO opened a new U.S. polycythemia vera franchise.
  • ORZEYFUL won U.S., Japan, and China approvals in August 2026, accelerating commercialization.
  • Takeda maintained FY2026 guidance after Q1 2026, with 22.6% growth from new launches.

What critics are saying

  • The May 18, 2026 Amitiza verdict imposed $884.9 million damages, tripling on judgment.
  • Takeda's March 2026 restructuring cuts 4,500 jobs, signaling margin pressure and execution disruption.
  • If ORZEYFUL, MIMRYLO, and zasocitinib underperform, Takeda's mature-brands decline crushes growth.

What makes Takeda unique

  • Takeda’s 2026 launches target first-in-class mechanisms: MIMRYLO, ORZEYFUL, and zasocitinib.
  • Takeda built rare Japan-to-global R&D depth, with oveporexton approved in China, U.S., Japan.
  • Takeda paired discovery teams with Boltz in 2026, embedding AI across research.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Leave

Wellness Program

Tuition Reimbursement

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
Yahoo Finance
Aug 31st, 2026
Takeda wins FDA approval for first-in-class blood cancer drug, triggering $275M payment to Protagonist

The FDA approved Takeda Pharmaceutical's MIMRYLO (rusfertide) for polycythemia vera, a blood cancer causing red blood cell overproduction. The first-in-class drug functions as a hepcidin mimetic, regulating iron distribution to control hematocrit levels and prevent life-threatening complications like strokes and pulmonary embolisms. Approval was based on the Phase 3 VERIFY study involving 293 patients. Those receiving MIMRYLO alongside standard care achieved superior hematocrit control, reduced phlebotomy needs, and improved fatigue compared to placebo. Takeda commercialises MIMRYLO under a 2024 agreement with Protagonist Therapeutics, which discovered the drug. The approval triggers $275 million in payments to Protagonist—a $200 million opt-out fee plus $75 million milestone. Protagonist remains eligible for up to $875 million in additional milestones and tiered royalties of 14% to 29% on worldwide net sales.

Associated Press
Aug 28th, 2026
US FDA approves Takeda's Mimrylo for polycythemia vera treatment

Takeda has received US FDA approval for MIMRYLO (rusfertide), a first-in-class treatment for erythrocytosis in adults with polycythemia vera (PV), a blood cancer. The drug is a hepcidin mimetic that regulates iron distribution and red blood cell overproduction to control hematocrit levels. The approval was supported by the Phase 3 VERIFY study involving 293 PV patients. Results showed MIMRYLO plus standard care demonstrated higher response rates than placebo, including better hematocrit control, reduced phlebotomy needs, and improved fatigue scores. PV affects approximately 90,000 people in the US. An estimated 78% of patients experience uncontrolled hematocrit with current standard care. The most common adverse events were injection site reactions and anaemia. MIMRYLO is administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection. Takeda is working with regulators outside the US for potential global availability.

Associated Press
Aug 24th, 2026
Japan approves Orzeyful as first medicine targeting narcolepsy type 1's underlying cause

Takeda announced Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved ORZEYFUL (oveporexton) for treating narcolepsy type 1 in adults. The oral medication is the first to address the underlying orexin deficiency causing the disease, rather than just managing individual symptoms. Narcolepsy type 1 is a chronic neurological condition characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, disrupted sleep, and other symptoms that significantly impact patients' daily lives. Diagnostic delays average more than 10 years. The approval follows global Phase 3 trials showing statistically significant improvements across the full range of symptoms. Common side effects included insomnia, urinary urgency and frequency, and excessive saliva. ORZEYFUL is also approved in China and the United States. Takeda developed the first-in-class orexin receptor 2 agonist in its Japanese laboratories and plans to launch the treatment quickly.

Yahoo Finance
Aug 5th, 2026
FDA approves Takeda's Orzeyful, first medicine to treat underlying cause of narcolepsy type 1

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Takeda's ORZEYFUL (oveporexton) for treating narcolepsy type 1 in adults. The oral medication is the first orexin receptor 2 agonist approved to address the underlying cause of the disease rather than individual symptoms. Narcolepsy type 1 is a chronic neurological disease affecting approximately 120,000 people in the US. It is driven by orexin deficiency and causes excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, cognitive symptoms and disrupted sleep. Clinical trials showed adults taking ORZEYFUL experienced significant improvements across the full range of symptoms compared to placebo. Takeda is preparing for the US launch, which will proceed following completion of the Drug Enforcement Administration scheduling process. The company describes the approval as potentially redefining how narcolepsy type 1 is managed.

GeekWire
Jul 31st, 2026
AI drug developer Accipiter Bio quietly tops up seed round with $10.5M

Seattle-based biotech startup Accipiter Biosciences has raised an additional $10.5 million, less than a year after emerging from stealth with $12.7 million. The funding, from existing investors including Flying Fish Partners and Takeda, will accelerate the company's drug development programmes. The startup uses AI tools developed at the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design to engineer proteins that can bind multiple cellular targets simultaneously. The company has expanded to 22 employees, including researchers who worked under Nobel laureate David Baker. Accipiter Bio has partnerships with Pfizer and Gilead Sciences-owned Kite Pharma, with potential milestone payments exceeding $330 million. The additional funding will enable the company to advance three or four drug candidates into clinical trials, focusing on immunology and oncology.