Operational Excellence Manager

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Job Description

About the role:
You will report to the Head of Portfolio Strategy & Operational Excellence.

The Data, Digital and Technology Senior Manager is responsible for leading and performing work across multiple areas of the organization’s information technology platform and infrastructure. This role focuses on strengthening financial, vendor, workforce, and operational management across Data, Digital and Technology, while helping shape new products, processes, and standards that support business results. Through leadership and consultative expertise, you will support Takeda’s priorities by improving how we plan, track, and report technology operations.

How you will contribute:
• Set and maintain operational plans for the area, including priorities, milestones, and delivery cadence.

• Lead financial management for Data, Digital and Technology, including budgeting, forecasting, accruals, cost center tracking, and the balance between run and change spend.

• Manage vendor and contract activities, including statement of work and master service agreement reviews, renewals, performance reviews, quarterly business reviews, compliance, and vendor risk tracking.

• Track resources and headcount, support requisition tracking, onboarding and offboarding, and contribute to workforce planning.

• Build and maintain key performance indicator frameworks and performance reporting using goals and measurable results, productivity measures, and service or portfolio dashboards.

• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement through process mapping, waste reduction, standard work, and Lean basics.

• Support project and program management fundamentals, including planning, risk, issue and dependency tracking, and executive updates.

• Communicate across functions to align teams, support decision-making, and manage change adoption through clear communications, training, and operating rhythms.

• Use tools for operations tracking and reporting, including Excel, Power BI, project and portfolio management tools such as Jira, procurement tools such as Ariba, and low-code automation tools.

• Conduct cost and benefit analysis for proposed technology work and recommend improvements based on data and business need.

• Help maintain risk, compliance, and audit readiness through strong controls, documentation, and timely issue follow-up.

• Lead functional teams or projects, provide guidance in complex situations, and solve problems that affect operations and other business areas.

Skills and qualifications:
• Minimum 7 years of experience in Data, Digital and Technology, information technology, operations, finance, or related field.

• Strong background in financial management for information technology or Data, Digital and Technology, including budgeting, forecasting, accruals, and cost center tracking.

• Experience with vendor and contract management, including statement of work and master service agreement oversight, renewals, performance management, and compliance.

• Experience with resource and headcount management, requisition tracking, and workforce planning.

• Strong knowledge of key performance indicator frameworks, performance reporting, and service or portfolio dashboards.

• Experience with operational excellence and continuous improvement methods, including Lean basics and process mapping.

• Project and program management experience, including planning, dependency tracking, risk and issue management, and executive communication.

• Experience with cross-functional communication across teams and levels.

• Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Microsoft PowerPoint, Power Apps, and Power Automate.

• Experience supporting controls, documentation, audit readiness, and vendor risk or assurance activities.

• Knowledgeable of AI capabilities and their benefits in automating business processes and being the evangelist of adopting such technologies in driving productivity within the DD&T organization.

• Active and advanced user of Agentic AI tools to drive productivity.

• Experience with project and portfolio management tools such as Jira and with procurement tools such as Ariba.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, information technology, or a related field; advanced degree is an advantage.

As a recognized expert within your business or function, you possess comprehensive expertise in your discipline and broad knowledge across related areas. You excel at anticipating internal/external challenges, recommending improvements, and providing leadership and consultative expertise for a specific business, region or function. Your role involves shaping company policies, solving unique, far-reaching problems affecting operations, disciplines, or other business units/functional areas/regions. You frequently interact with equivalent-level managers and customer representatives, conducting briefings and technical meetings. Operating independently, you provide guidance in the most complex situations, lead functional teams or projects, and serve as a best practice/quality resource.

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