Head, Ethics and Compliance Risk & Assurance

About the role:

The Head of Compliance Risk & Assurance serves as the independent assurance leader for Takeda's Ethics & Compliance function. As a member of the Global Ethics & Compliance Leadership Team, this leader provides objective, data-driven insight into enterprise compliance risks and the effectiveness of the Ethics & Compliance program. Through independent assessment, modern assurance practices, and forward-looking risk intelligence, this role strengthens governance, informs executive decision-making, and drives continuous improvement across the enterprise.

How you will contribute:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to Ethics & Compliance leadership and enterprise stakeholders by providing objective insight into compliance risks, emerging trends, and program effectiveness.
• Partner with Enterprise Risk Management, Internal Audit, Legal, Procurement, Finance, Digital, and business leaders to strengthen enterprise governance and risk management.
• Translate complex risk information into practical, actionable insights that support executive decision-making and organizational improvement.
• Promote a forward-looking, risk-informed culture by helping leaders understand emerging compliance risks and their potential business impact.
• Lead Takeda's enterprise compliance risk assessment program, ensuring compliance risks are identified, assessed, prioritized, and aligned with the enterprise risk management framework.
• Design and execute a risk-based assurance program that evaluates the effectiveness of key compliance controls and the overall Ethics & Compliance program.
• Lead the compliance risk assessment and independent assurance strategy for third-party relationships, including distributors and other high-risk third parties, ensuring risks are appropriately identified, assessed, monitored, and reported in partnership with enterprise stakeholders.
• Conduct enterprise horizon scanning to identify emerging regulatory, enforcement, industry, technology, AI, and societal trends that may create new or evolving compliance risks, translating those insights into practical recommendations for leadership.
• Synthesize insights from risk assessments, monitoring, investigations, third-party oversight, audits, and external developments to identify systemic issues, emerging trends, root causes, and opportunities to strengthen the Ethics & Compliance program.
• Escalate significant or systemic compliance risks and control weaknesses to appropriate governance bodies, providing objective assessment and practical recommendations.
• Leverage AI, advanced analytics, automation, and continuous monitoring capabilities to strengthen enterprise risk visibility and independent assurance.
• Develop executive dashboards, key risk indicators, and reporting that provide meaningful insight into compliance risks, emerging trends, and program effectiveness.
• Continuously improve analytical capabilities and assurance methodologies to enhance predictive risk identification and executive decision support.
• Assess the compliance implications of emerging technologies, including AI, and ensure assurance methodologies evolve to address new and changing risks.
• Serve as an active member of the Global Ethics & Compliance Leadership Team, contributing to enterprise strategy, organizational effectiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Partner across Ethics & Compliance functions to strengthen connectivity between enterprise risk assessment, monitoring, investigations, operations, privacy, and business partnership activities.
• Maintain the independence and objectivity necessary to provide credible assurance while supporting enterprise-wide collaboration and organizational learning.
• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing team recognized for analytical excellence, objectivity, sound judgment, and strategic insight.
• Foster an inclusive culture grounded in curiosity, accountability, continuous learning, and professional excellence.
• Develop organizational capabilities in enterprise risk assessment, assurance, analytics, and strategic risk intelligence.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred (JD, MBA, Master's, CPA, CIA, or equivalent).
• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in Compliance Risk, Assurance, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management, Monitoring, or related governance functions within complex, global, and highly regulated organizations.
• Significant in-house leadership experience within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with deep expertise in enterprise compliance risk management and assurance.
• Demonstrated success designing and leading enterprise compliance risk assessment, monitoring, assurance, third-party risk management, and program effectiveness initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical regulations, governance frameworks, industry standards, and enterprise risk management principles.
• Experience evaluating Ethics & Compliance programs and advising executive leadership on governance, enterprise risk, and organizational effectiveness.
• Demonstrated success building enterprise risk intelligence capabilities that support executive decision-making and strategic risk management.
• Experience leveraging AI, automation, analytics, and digital technologies to enhance assurance capabilities, monitoring effectiveness, and organizational insight.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into meaningful executive reporting, strategic insights, and actionable recommendations.
• Proven ability to influence executive leaders and collaborate effectively across Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Digital, and business functions while maintaining independence and objectivity.
• Demonstrated success building and leading high-performing teams, developing future leaders, and strengthening organizational capability across global environments.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage senior stakeholders, challenge constructively, and drive alignment on enterprise risk and compliance priorities.