Associate Scientific Fellow, Oral Drug Product, Pharmaceutical Science, R&D
Takeda · Fujisawa
Job Description
About Takeda
”Better Health for People, Brighter Future for the World” is the purpose of a company. We aim to create a diverse and inclusive organization where people can thrive, grow and realize their own potential while enabling our purpose. We continue to innovate and drive changes that will transform the lives of patients. We’re looking for like-minded professionals to join us.
Takeda is a global values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader. We are guided by our values of Takeda-ism, which has been passed down since the company’s founding. Takeda-ism incorporates Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, with Integrity at the core. They are brought to life through actions based on Patient-Trust-Reputation-Business, in this order.
OBJECTIVES/PURPOSE
- Leads formulation support activities for discovery-stage programs, ensuring timely alignment of formulation strategies, material supply, and experimental needs with project objectives.
- Serves as the primary interface between internal stakeholders and external partners/CROs, coordinating formulation requirements, priorities, timelines, and deliverables to enable efficient execution.
- Oversees planning and delivery of formulation development activities required to support preclinical studies, candidate selection, and early development decisions, ensuring scientific quality and operational readiness.
- Drives effective cross-functional collaboration and communication across discovery, DMPK, analytical, pharmaceutical sciences, and external providers to ensure formulation solutions are fit for purpose and aligned with program needs
ACCOUNTABILITIES
- Lead the design and development of discovery-stage formulations, including solubilization approaches, enabling technologies (e.g., suspension, nano-milling, amorphous dispersions), and specialized formulations to support PK, efficacy, and toxicology studies.
- Define and execute formulation strategies for discovery programs, ensuring alignment with program objectives, material properties, and intended preclinical study requirements.
- Provide scientific leadership and expert consultation to cross-functional teams (e.g., Research, DMPK, Analytical Development), advising on developability risks, excipient selection, and formulation approaches to enable decision-making.
- Manage and oversee external CRO/CMO partnerships, including technical direction, contract oversight, troubleshooting, data review, and ensuring high-quality and timely delivery of formulation activities.
- Ensure execution of study-enabling formulation activities, including preparation and availability of dosing formulations and instructions for internal or external preclinical studies.
- Drive integration of formulation, analytical, and material science data to assess developability, stability, and manufacturability risks early and guide program progression.
- Develop and maintain high-quality technical documentation, including formulation protocols, experimental data summaries, and CMC-relevant content to support internal governance and future development stages.
- Coordinate cross-functional planning and communication, serving as a key interface across global stakeholders and ensuring alignment of priorities, timelines, and deliverables.
- Continuously improve discovery formulation capabilities and workflows, identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, scientific quality, and collaboration across internal teams and external partners.
DIMENSIONS AND ASPECTS
Technical/Functional (Line) Expertise
- Deep expertise in (discovery) formulation development, including solubility enhancement, enabling technologies, and developability assessment.
- Strong understanding of physicochemical properties, material science, and their impact on formulation performance and in vivo exposure.
- Ability to apply scientific principles to design fit-for-purpose formulations supporting PK, efficacy, and toxicology studies.
- Working knowledge of early CMC considerations and alignment toward GLP and early clinical development expectations
Leadership
- Provides scientific leadership in discovery formulation, shaping formulation strategies across multiple programs.
- Influences cross-functional teams without formal line management, ensuring alignment of formulation approaches with program objectives.
- Drives prioritization and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, balancing speed, quality, and scientific rigor.
- Contributes to capability building by mentoring team members and strengthening formulation expertise across the organization.
Decision-making and Autonomy
- Provide input to highly complex decisions that impact the functional area.
- Accountable for decision making for designated function.
- Ability to seek diverse input from multiple constituents and stakeholders to drive innovative solutions.
- Ability to incorporate feedback and ensure decisions are implemented swiftly to yield flawless execution
- Accountable for providing input to and implementing vision and strategy for designated scope
Interaction
- Communicates complex scientific concepts clearly to diverse stakeholders, including Research, DMPK, and external partners.
- Acts as a key interface between internal teams and CRO/CMO partners to align expectations, timelines, and deliverables.
- Adapts communication style to technical and non-technical audiences to facilitate effective decision-making.
- Contributes to scientific reports, presentations, and documentation for internal governance and knowledge sharing.
- Operates effectively within a global, matrixed R&D environment across discovery and pharmaceutical sciences functions.
- Builds strong partnerships with Research, Analytical Development, DMPK, and external CROs to enable seamless execution of formulation activities.
- Coordinates cross-functional inputs to ensure integrated and efficient delivery of study-enabling formulations.
Innovation
- Identifies and resolves complex formulation and developability challenges using data-driven and hypothesis-based approaches.
- Applies innovative formulation technologies and external solutions (e.g., CRO capabilities) to address solubility and exposure limitations.
- Anticipates risks related to formulation feasibility, stability, and scalability, and proactively develops mitigation strategies.
Complexity
- Works across multiple early-stage programs with varying levels of uncertainty, limited data, and evolving priorities.
- Navigates a complex external ecosystem of CROs/CMOs and internal stakeholders across geographies.
- Balances scientific depth with operational agility to support fast-paced discovery timelines.
- Ability to proactively engage the key stakeholder across functions/organizations for the interest of functional and enterprise goal
EDUCATION, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:
- PhD in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related discipline with 5+ years of relevant industry experience,
OR - Master’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline with 10+ years of relevant industry experience,
OR - Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline with 15+ years of relevant industry experience.
- Demonstrated experience in drug product development, discovery formulation, or related CMC disciplines, including application in preclinical or early development settings.
- Expertise in discovery formulation development, including solubility enhancement approaches (e.g., enabling formulations, nano-milling, solid dispersions).
- Strong understanding of physicochemical properties, material science, and developability assessment and their impact on in vivo performance.
- Ability to design and interpret formulation experiments, including screening, optimization, and stability evaluation.
- Strategic Thinking & Scientific Leadership – Ability to shape formulation strategies across programs and influence decisions in a complex, evolving discovery environment.
- Collaboration & Matrix Leadership – Demonstrated ability to work effectively across global, cross-functional teams and external partners, building strong and productive relationships.
- Communication & Influence – Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly convey complex scientific concepts and influence stakeholders at multiple levels.
- Innovation & Continuous Improvement – Challenges the status quo, proactively identifies opportunities, and drives innovative solutions to improve formulation approaches, workflows, and capabilities.
- Decision-Making & Accountability – Makes sound, timely decisions under uncertainty, balancing scientific rigor, operational constraints, and program timelines. (Aligned with decision/autonomy expectations in templates)
- Inclusive Mindset (DE&I) – Demonstrates an inclusive, collaborative approach that values diverse perspectives and fosters a respectful, high-performing team environment.
Takeda Compensation and Benefits Summary:
Allowances: Commutation, Housing, Overtime Work etc.
Salary Increase: Annually, Bonus Payment: Twice a year
Working Hours: Headquarters (Osaka/ Tokyo) 9:00-17:30, Production Sites (Osaka/ Yamaguchi) 8:00-16:45, (Narita) 8:30-17:15, Research Site (Kanagawa) 9:00-17:45
Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, May Day, Year-End Holidays etc. (approx. 123 days in a year)
Paid Leaves: Annual Paid Leave, Special Paid Leave, Sick Leave, Family Support Leave, Maternity Leave, Childcare Leave, Family Nursing Leave.
Flexible Work Styles: Flextime, Telework
Benefits: Social Insurance, Retirement and Corporate Pension, Employee Stock Ownership Program, etc.
Important Notice concerning working conditions:
It is possible the job scope may change at the company’s discretion.
It is possible the department and workplace may change at the company’s discretion.