Director, Head of Biochemical Lead Profiling

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At Takeda, we are a forward-looking, world-class R&D organization that unlocks innovation and delivers transformative therapies to patients. By focusing R&D efforts on three therapeutic areas and other targeted investments, we push the boundaries of what is possible to bring life-changing therapies to patients worldwide.

Objective /

Purpose:

The Head of Biochemical Lead Profiling will play a critical leadership role in Takeda’s “Lab of the Future” initiative, driving implementation of highly efficient, AI-integrated DMTA (Design–Make–Test–Analyze) cycles for small and large-molecule discovery. In this leadership role, you will have additional responsibility for contributing to the implementation of innovative technologies across the DMTA cycle, ensuring smooth, fully automated operation. You will own the strategy, design, and execution of biochemical lead profiling assays on fully automated, robotic platforms, with a strong emphasis on assay miniaturization (down to 1,536-well formats) and end-to-end digitalization.

Partnering closely with disease biology, medicinal chemistry, DMPK, data science/AI, and automation engineering, you will ensure that biochemical testing becomes a fast, reliable, and insight-rich engine for decision-making across Takeda’s discovery portfolio.

Accountabilities:

• Strategic Leadership & Vision
  • Define and execute the global strategy for biochemical lead profiling in support of Takeda’s DMTA cycle, aligned with the Lab of the Future roadmap.
  • Champion the use of automation, robotics, and AI/ML to increase throughput, data quality, and decision speed across biochemical assays.
  • Contribute to the establishment of a fully automated and integrated DMTA cycle by partnering and influencing across teams that are responsible for all aspects of the process.
  • Establish and refine a vision for fully integrated workflows, from assay design through assay execution, data capture, analysis, and reporting.
• Biochemical Assay Development & Profiling
  • Partner with Drug Discovery scientists in Takeda’s Drug Discovery Units (DDUs) to drive the design, development, and validation of robust biochemical assays (e.g., enzyme, binding, target engagement assays) for primary, secondary, and mechanistic profiling.
  • As a leader of a core facility that supports all therapeutic areas for both small and large molecule modalities, ensure a seamless operation and that data delivery timelines consistently are met.
  • Drive assay miniaturization strategies (including 384-well and 1,536-well plate formats) without compromise on data quality, sensitivity, or reproducibility.
  • Implement best practices for assay performance monitoring, QC, and continuous improvement (e.g., Z’ factor, S/B, control strategies).
• Leadership, Collaboration & People Development
  • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team of scientists and research associates specializing in biochemical assay development, screening and automation.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, scientific rigor, operational excellence, and safety.
  • Represent lead profiling capabilities to internal stakeholders and external partners; influence global standards and best practices across Takeda.
  • Function as a key liaison to Takeda’s DDU scientists and leadership, setting the example for cross-functional collaboration and partnership.
• Automation, Robotics & Lab Operations
  • Oversee the deployment and optimization of fully automated, robotic platforms for high-throughput DMTA assays.
  • Partner with automation engineers to design scalable, modular workflows that support rapid reconfiguration for new targets and assay types.
  • Ensure rigorous integration of instruments, LIMS/ELN systems, scheduling software, and data pipelines to enable true end-to-end automation.
• AI-Integrated DMTA & Data Excellence
  • Collaborate with AI/ML, cheminformatics, and…