Job Description

About the role:

The Associate Director, Enterprise Supplier Partnership Manager is responsible for managing and strengthening a defined portfolio of strategically important supplier relationships. Working across Global Procurement and the Business, the role translates enterprise priorities and supplier capabilities into practical partnership plans, effective governance and measurable joint initiatives. The Associate Director coordinates internal and supplier stakeholders, supports executive engagement and advances opportunities that improve innovation, resilience, quality, sustainability, operational performance and commercial value. The role helps Takeda present a coordinated position to assigned suppliers and strengthens Takeda’s position as a customer of choice, enabling improved access to supplier expertise, capabilities and investment.

How you will contribute:

• Manage a defined portfolio of strategically important supplier relationships and develop them into effective partnerships aligned with Takeda priorities and long-term value creation.
• Implement fit-for-purpose relationship governance and coordinate internal and supplier stakeholders around shared outcomes, accountability and timely decisions.
• Develop and execute joint value plans that deliver measurable innovation, resilience, quality, sustainability, operational and commercial outcomes.
• Strengthen Takeda’s position as a customer of choice with assigned suppliers and improve access to relevant expertise, capabilities, market insight and investment.

Accountabilities:

• Manage the relationship strategy for an assigned portfolio of enterprise suppliers, translating Takeda priorities and supplier capabilities into tailored partnership plans and joint value roadmaps.
• Implement and maintain fit-for-purpose governance for assigned relationships, including executive sponsorship, relationship ownership, decision rights, meeting cadence, escalation paths and cross-functional participation.
• Build trusted working relationships with senior supplier stakeholders and support executive-to-executive engagement; prepare and facilitate strategic business reviews focused on future opportunities, shared priorities and mutual value.
• Coordinate stakeholders across Procurement, Finance, Quality, Legal, Ethics & Compliance, Sustainability, Operations, DD&T, R&D and relevant business functions to establish a consistent Takeda position and deliver agreed actions.
• Identify, assess and advance supplier-enabled opportunities spanning innovation, new technologies, speed to market, process improvement, demand shaping, total cost of ownership, resilience, growth enablement and sustainability.
• Analyze strategic dependencies, supplier economics and the value Takeda brings to the relationship, using these insights to develop recommendations and strengthen supplier commitment and mutual value.
• Develop value cases, targets and benefit-tracking approaches for assigned initiatives; maintain a transparent opportunity pipeline and report outcomes, barriers and decisions to relevant Procurement and business stakeholders.
• Maintain balanced relationship scorecards covering service, quality, cost, innovation, collaboration, risk, compliance and strategic contribution, and coordinate accountable improvement plans based on the insights.
• Integrate supplier performance, relationship health and risk intelligence to support continuity, capacity, resilience and compliance, while distinguishing relationship-management actions from formal risk and performance-management accountabilities.
• Coordinate resolution of significant relationship or performance issues by aligning internal owners, engaging appropriate supplier leaders, escalating barriers and tracking corrective actions through completion.
• Contribute insights on assigned suppliers to the enterprise portfolio view, including value opportunities, relationship health, dependencies, risks, resource needs and potential executive interventions.
• Support continuous improvement of Takeda’s supplier-partnership approach by applying established methods, maintaining accurate relationship data and tools, documenting lessons learned and promoting consistent ways of working within the assigned portfolio.

Education, Behaviors, Competencies, Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Life Sciences or a related discipline required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Typically 10+ years of progressive experience in procurement, supplier relationship management, strategic sourcing, business partnership or a related discipline, including responsibility for complex supplier relationships in a global or matrixed environment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and align diverse cross-functional teams without relying on direct authority.
• Experience implementing supplier-governance models, joint business plans, strategic business reviews, supplier scorecards and structured escalation mechanisms.
• Strong commercial judgment and working knowledge of contracts, total cost of ownership, value realization, negotiation, supplier economics and risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to convert supplier relationships into measurable outcomes such as innovation, resilience, quality improvement, cost optimization, sustainability or growth enablement.
• Strong relationship-building, facilitation and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to challenge constructively and build shared accountability.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to translate performance, risk and opportunity data into clear recommendations and decisions.
• Enterprise mindset and sound judgment, with the ability to balance longer-term partnership opportunities with immediate operational, risk and compliance requirements.
• Ability to manage several complex relationships and initiatives, work through ambiguity and sustain momentum in an international environment.
• Business-level fluency in English required; additional languages are an advantage.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

Professional procurement, supply management or supplier relationship-management certification (e.g., CIPS, CPSM or equivalent) is desirable but not required.

Takeda Compensation and Benefits Summary

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. We are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices.

For Location:

Boston, MA

U.S. Base Salary Range:

$154,400.00 - $242,550.00

The estimated salary range reflects an anticipated range for this position. The actual base salary offered may depend on a variety of factors, including the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. The actual base salary offered will be in accordance with state or local minimum wage requirements for the job location.

For information about our benefits, please click here.

EEO Statement

Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.

Locations

Boston, MA

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

Job Exempt

Yes

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.