Head of Corporate Affairs / Head of Corporate Affairs

About the Role

The Head of Corporate Affairs role within the EUCAN region is responsible for Communications, Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy, and Sustainability. This pivotal position engages and aligns corporate strategy with both external and internal operating environments to address key challenges and opportunities. The Head of Corporate Affairs will drive strategic imperatives of external leadership and sustainable partnerships, shaping the environment for innovation, growth, and competitiveness. This role empowers agile and capable Corporate Affairs functions, ensuring alignment with the broader EUCAN Strategy Framework while focusing on patients, people, and the planet.

In this role, you will lead with excellence to shape the future, ensuring that all activities are anchored in Takeda’s overarching Purpose, Vision, Values (Patient-Trust-Reputation-Business), Imperatives, and strategic objectives. You will foster a culture of collaboration, skills enhancement, and showcase success, ultimately contributing to Takeda’s mission of bringing innovative medicines to patients around the world.

Corporate Affairs will strengthen Takeda’s position as a trusted, values-based leader in building sustainable policies and health systems for the benefit of patients, stakeholders, the planet, and the business. This role will leverage sustainable partnerships to enhance healthcare systems, benefit patients, and showcase Takeda’s environmental leadership.

How You Will Contribute

• Strategic Leadership:
  • Provide visionary leadership to the Corporate Affairs team, aligning initiatives with Takeda’s Global, GPD, and EUCAN Strategy Framework.
  • Lead efforts to shape the external environment and drive the EU competitiveness agenda to support Takeda’s innovation and market readiness for upcoming launches.
  • Champion strategic cross-functional collaboration among Global, GPD, and EUCAN teams to maximize impact and organizational cohesion.
• Partnerships:
  • Build and maintain empowering, long-term partnerships that strengthen Takeda’s position in strategically focused therapeutic areas.
  • Enhance Takeda’s external leadership by creating sustainable partnerships that benefit patients, healthcare systems, and business.
• Corporate Reputation:
  • Elevate Takeda’s corporate reputation by positioning the company as a global thought leader in innovation, digital health, and sustainability.
  • Drive executive visibility and thought leadership to influence key stakeholders and instill confidence in Takeda’s strategic direction.
  • Enhance employee engagement by showcasing the strength of Takeda’s pipeline and long-term commitment to transformative healthcare.
• Capabilities:
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and agility across teams to build future-ready capabilities.
  • Promote operational excellence through scalable models of content reuse, co-creation, and shared knowledge.
  • Drive the Corporate Affairs pathway initiative to upskill colleagues, demonstrating skills across communications, public affairs, patient advocacy, and sustainability.
  • Embed a mindset of collaboration, innovation, and efficiency within strategically focused therapeutic areas and key brands.
• Communications:
  • Advance executive thought leadership, positioning Takeda’s EUCAN leaders as influential voices across key platforms and audiences.
  • Oversee strategic product communications to prepare the external environment for upcoming launches.
  • Provide expert leadership in issues and crisis management while enhancing corporate reputation.
  • Strengthen internal communications and employee engagement by cultivating narratives that inspire confidence.
  • Manage EUCAN President communications to ensure strategic alignment and enhance leadership presence.
• Sustainability:
  • Drive clarity on Takeda’s global commitments and translate them into regionally relevant priorities.
  • Embed sustainability principles across business operations and decision-making strategies.
  • Ensure consistent and authentic storytelling on sustainability, reflecting our actions and ambitions.
  • Equip teams with aligned messaging to engage external stakeholders on Takeda’s sustainability commitments.
• Public Affairs:
  • Champion Takeda’s leadership in shaping the EU Competitiveness and Innovation Agendas.
  • Serve as a strategic staffer to senior EUCAN leaders participating in relevant industry forums.
  • Lead the Corporate Affairs partnership agenda by collaborating with Market Access and Public Policy teams.
  • Drive policy change to support Takeda’s priorities by engaging with EU institutions.
  • Maintain credible relationships with policymakers and stakeholders to reflect Takeda’s perspectives.
• Patient Advocacy:
  • Drive Therapeutic Policy & Patient Advocacy programs for best-in-class launches.
  • Strengthen relationships with key European patient organizations, ensuring a patient-centric approach.

Expected Skills

• University degree, preferably at the graduate level.
• 15+ years of pharmaceutical experience focused on public policy, communications, and patient advocacy.
• Significant leadership experience, including managing teams across multiple countries.
• Strong communicator, able to navigate complex external and internal landscapes.
• Collaborative mindset capable of driving impact through other stakeholders.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to envision a compelling future for the organization.
• High integrity, resilience, and adaptability; upholding Takeda’s values of Integrity.
• Preferably have experience and connections in external affairs, including with trade associations.
• Strong focus on technology, including the use of AI and data to inform strategies.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.