Associate Director, Product Manager

Role Summary

The Associate Director, Product Manager leads the definition and execution of product strategies within the DQS and Global Regions DDT team. He/she aligns business and technology stakeholders, manages product planning and backlog prioritization, and ensures a sustainable end-to-end customer experience globally. This role reports to the Head of Design & Delivery and supports Takeda’s mission by guiding product strategy from vision to delivery.

Responsibilities

• Develops and conveys product strategy and vision in collaboration with stakeholders, aligning with business goals and technology directions. Maintains and communicates the product roadmap and backlog to ensure team alignment and delivery of value.
• Communicates how the product meets the business priorities and goals of the organizations.
• Collaborates with product engineers and designers to support a modern product ecosystem and aligns with key stakeholders across business and technology to develop and convey product vision.
• Owns product planning, including short-term release plans and long-term roadmaps; drives backlog prioritization to keep the team unblocked and aligned.
• Works with peers across R&D DD&T to continuously improve service processes, optimize applications, and elevate user experiences; proactively oversees end-to-end customer and business experience for the product to enable successful releases.
• Solicits information from Technology Business Partners or Business Stakeholders to inform development of product strategies; collaborates with technology delivery teams to develop roadmaps and maintains the technical backlog.
• Continuously prioritizes work in the backlog to deliver the most significant value to product users; facilitates alignments among key stakeholders to support business strategy.
• Operates within the product budget established in consultation with stakeholders, balancing resources, vision development, and prototyping; sustains product teams to deliver and maintain the product.
• Maintains and communicates the product vision; monitors and refines the product and service management; optimizes user experience.
• Oversees allocation and utilization of internal and external resources (including contractors and vendors) to meet milestones and maintain quality standards; guides and mentors team members to foster a high-performance culture.
• Directs and coordinates the work of indirect reports, contractors, and external partners to ensure alignment with project goals and organizational standards.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor Degree in a scientific discipline, computer science, or business administration.
• Required: 8+ years of professional experience in R&D business lines, IT service delivery, or related area.
• Required: Professional in-depth knowledge of product management in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Required: Experience in stakeholder relationship management; ability to influence key stakeholders and product teams to turn product vision into reality.
• Required: Excellent oral and written communication skills, business acumen, and enterprise knowledge.
• Required: Understanding of design thinking; strategic and critical thinking with strong problem-solving abilities.
• Required: Strong interpersonal and leadership skills to drive change and influence without authority; ability to set priorities and manage deadlines in a dynamic marketplace.
• Required: Experience working with virtual/agile teams across locations; ability to adapt to different work, culture, and communication styles.
• Required: GxP experience in validating regulated applications and managing computer system validation (CSV) deliverables.

• Preferred: Familiarity with lean and agile software delivery; proven design thinking practitioner with deep customer insights.

Education

• Bachelor Degree in scientific discipline, computer science or business administration
• 8+ years or more professional experience in R&D business lines, IT service delivery or related area

Skills

• Design thinking
• Strategic and critical thinking; problem solving
• Stakeholder relationship management; ability to influence without authority
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with virtual/agile teams across locations