AIRx, Sr. Director, Nonclinical Safety Lead (BOSTON)

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Job Description

Takeda Research is constructing a Lab of Tomorrow built on AI, automation, new ways of working, and talent with the singular vision of delivering differentiated medicines to the clinic at speed and cost. To catalyze these efforts, Takeda is creating two complementary units: AI Research Accelerator (AIRx) and Discovery Automation & Robotics (DAR).

AIRx will have a group of a dedicated group of experienced biologic drug hunters with the autonomy of a biotech and the resources of a leading pharmaceutical company. It is designed to incubate the future AI-powered operating models for large molecule discovery and deliver candidates to the clinic at industry leading speed and success rates.

Purpose

In AIRx, every go/no-go decision carries real cost, and the safety call is the one that stops a program or sends it forward. As Nonclinical Safety Lead, you own the safety strategy that supports every candidate in the AIRx portfolio: designing the nonclinical safety package, directing CRO execution with precision, and ensuring that the data generated at CROs is interpretable, AI-ready, and decisive.

It is a scientific strategy role combined with a hands-on project toxicologist function in a unit that moves at biotech speed. You will be embedded in the DMTA cycle from early hit assessment through IND-enabling studies, working alongside medicinal chemists, computational scientists, and biologists to flag liabilities early, design around them fast, and build the nonclinical dossier that gives programs the best possible chance in the clinic.

The right person for this role is a seasoned nonclinical safety expert who is as comfortable directing and critically interpreting study packages as they are challenging a SAR hypothesis on the basis of a structural alert; and who sees AI-enabled data integration not as a future concept but as how they want to work today.

AIRx Leadership Capabilities

• Thrive in an environment with laser focus on delivery of differentiated candidates to the clinic
• Accountable leaders who act with decisive judgment; they show agency, move work forward without waiting to be told, and make sound decisions with urgency
• Builders of momentum, not bureaucracy; they advance programs through expertise, surface the best thinking quickly, and create conditions for decisions
• Generative thinkers with a learning orientation — curious, constructive, truth-seeking. They embody learn-it-all vs know-it-all, fail fast and learn faster, and create inclusive environments with the psychological safety to surface all contributions
• Systems thinkers who look forward — they see the whole R&D system, anticipate inflection points, and lead through cross-disciplinary integration
• Values-led under pressure — they act in the best interests of patients and Takeda and are always team players
• Change leaders who challenge norms and empower others — they are role models for the culture AIRx is creating; challenging when the norm reduces impact and staying ready for rapid shifts
• Fluent in the hybrid biopharma reality — comfortable at the wet/dry interface of lab science and AI/data/engineering; instinctive about where value inflects across the discovery-to-development continuum
• Externally oriented — they tap into external KOL networks, contribute meaningfully to business development, and monitor the competitive and regulatory landscape to inform decisions
• Deep experts in their domain — with in-depth, current knowledge of their discipline and a restless drive to advance it
• Impactful communicators who create alignment — confident in high-stakes, ambiguous settings; bridging across boundaries and keeping colleagues anchored to the mission

Nonclinical Safety Lead Accountabilities

• Own the nonclinical safety strategy across the AIRx portfolio, including small molecule and biologics projects, from early screening through IND-enabling studies; ensure every program has a clear, risk-proportionate toxicology plan aligned to its clinical hypothesis and regulatory pathway
• Design and oversee CRO- or in-house executed in vitro and in vivo safety studies; write and review study protocols, critically interpret data packages, and determine their implications for program progression
• Integrate safety data into AI-enabled DMTA cycles; partner with Medicinal and Computational Chemists to flag structural liabilities early, interpret ADME-tox outputs, and feed clean, standardized safety data into AIRx data systems (TetraScience, SAIL) for AI/ML use
• Lead early safety screening cascade design including: in silico toxicity prediction, off-target liability assessment, geno- and organ-toxicity screening, and reactive metabolite assessment — to inform design decisions before significant synthesis investment
• Oversee repeat-dose, genetic toxicology, safety pharmacology studies as programs progress; ensure GLP studies are scoped correctly and delivered on time and to quality
• Author and review nonclinical sections of INDs, CTAs, and key regulatory briefing documents; serve as Takeda's scientific representative in regulatory interactions concerning non-clinical safety
• Collaborate closely with DMPK to integrate PK/TK, metabolite profiling, and safety margin calculations into program decision frameworks; ensure PK-PD-toxicity relationships are clearly articulated and expressed in safety margins to clinically meaningful doses
• Stay current with evolving regulatory guidance (FDA, EMA, ICH) on nonclinical safety requirements; proactively assess and communicate implications for AIRx program timelines and study designs
• Contribute to the scientific rigor and AI-readiness of AIRx safety data — ensuring assay outputs are standardized, annotated, and structured for downstream model training and insights generation
• Shape how nonclinical safety is practiced in the AIRx model — your approach to early liability identification and CRO direction will become part of the template Takeda Research scales across its future AI-enabled operating model

Qualifications & Competencies

• Expected Requirements:
• PhD in toxicology, pharmacology, biochemistry, or closely related discipline; board certification or fellowship in toxicology (DABT, ERT, or equivalent) strongly preferred
• 12–15+ years of pharmaceutical drug discovery experience with a strong, hands-on track record in nonclinical safety strategy and IND-enabling toxicology for small molecule and biologics projects
• Strong ability to work and make safety-related decisions independently; readiness to seek external expert advice when necessary
• Expert knowledge of ICH guidelines, FDA and EMA non-clinical expectations, and the regulatory context governing non-clinical safety for first-in-human studies
• Deep expertise in genetic toxicology, repeat-dose toxicology, safety pharmacology (core battery and supplemental), immunotoxicology; working knowledge of phototoxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicology
• Proficiency in early safety screening: in silico structural alert tools, in vitro hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and genotoxicity assays, off-target liability and reactive metabolite assessment, immunogenicity assessment and ADME-tox profiling
• Track record designing, directing, and critically interpreting externalized CRO GLP and non-GLP safety study packages
• Ability to succinctly and effectively summarize the content and safety implications from nonclinical studies for regulatory submissions, including components for IBs and clinical protocols
• Experience working at the DMPK/toxicology interface: TK analysis, metabolite profiling, safety margin assessment, and species selection rationale
• AI/ML data literacy; comfortable working with large multi-source safety datasets and integrating in silico predictions with experimental outputs in a DMTA context
• Deep experience in at least one of Takeda's priority therapeutic areas (oncology, neuroscience, gastroenterology/immune/inflammation)
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration and scientific communication skills; able to translate complex toxicology findings into clear program implications for non-specialist audiences and governance forums

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• The position will be based in Cambridge, MA. This position is currently classified as “hybrid” by Takeda’s Hybrid and Remote Work policy

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.  

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