Associate Veterinary Director, Animal Welfare - Military Veterans

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Job Description

About the role:

At Takeda, we are a forward-looking, world-class R&D organization that unlocks innovation and delivers transformative therapies to patients. By focusing R&D efforts on three therapeutic areas and other targeted investments, we push the boundaries of what is possible in order to bring life-changing therapies to patients worldwide.

Join Takeda as an Associate Veterinary Director, Animal Welfare where you will have direct responsibility for comparative medicine veterinary care at the Takeda Boston site. You will provide subject matter expertise in regulatory support and collaborate across sites and functions for the delivery of in vivo portfolio and animal welfare at Takeda. This role will contribute to the veterinary and animal care teams day to day hands-on clinical care for animal colonies, direct veterinary medical, diagnostic, surgical and/or treatment services, assist investigators with IACUC protocol development and review, and assure compliance with applicable laws and regulations and AAALAC International accreditation. 

You will maintain regular and clear communication with the IACUC, Attending Veterinarian, and Institutional Official to ensure animal health, proper approval and conduct of in vivo discovery research.  You will lead assessment of and oversight for internal and external contracted animal research globally, including the animal welfare audit program. As part of the Comparative Medicine Veterinary Care team, you will report to the Attending Veterinarian and Head of Comparative Medicine North America and you will also be a member of the Comparative Medicine North America Leadership Team.

How you will contribute:                                                                                                                                                          ​

• Contribute veterinary and senior leadership for veterinary and animal care, veterinary medicine and surgery, animal health monitoring and quarantine, developing and expanding core in vivo technical services support, IACUC collaboration, and training and educational programs for staff and scientists. 


• Knowledgeable in clinical conditions and pathogens of laboratory rodents, and appropriate preventive medicine, treatment plans and colony surveillance techniques to maintain health status fit for research utilizing immune-deficient and complex models. 


• Rotates on-call coverage weekends and holidays with veterinary staff and other vivarium personnel as appropriate. 


• Member of the IACUC: Protocol development and veterinary pre-review with the IACUC electronic system, working closely with researchers to develop understanding and high quality submissions. 


• Works with the IACUC Program Manager to ensure streamlined IACUC policies, processes, inspections/ program reviews, investigations, and overall animal welfare compliance. 


• Partner with scientists based on 3Rs philosophy for in vivo model and study design development through post-approval monitoring, in support of the translational research portfolio. 


• Provide training and continuing education for colleagues in principles and skills for the conduct of high quality in vivo research. 


• Develop and lead the post-approval monitoring program, including coordination and scheduling, reports, and follow-through on all relevant activities. 


• As a subject matter expert, take responsibility for site inspection, audit, and accreditation events to ensure inspection readiness, compliance, and follow through on findings and suggestions for improvement. 


• Apply Operational Excellence (OpEx) principles to veterinary care, regulatory and operations to advance the culture of continuous improvement. 


• Interact with CM Operations and support functions (EHS, Occupational Health, Safety and others) to ensure overall excellence in the program of animal care. 


• Demonstrated leadership ability to develop new policies and procedures, plan for continuous improvement, and foster an inclusive, collaborative work environment.  


• Supports the portfolio by serving as subject expert in laboratory animal and comparative medicine; collaborates with research scientists on animal model development, experimental design and data interpretation.


• Aligns with Discovery and Toxicologic Pathology to ensure consistent and high-quality necropsy, tissue collection and trimming; ensures compliance with all relevant federal, state and local animal welfare regulations, policies, guidelines and ordinances. 


• Advocates for animal welfare and the 3 Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) focused on continuous improvement while maximizing efficient use of resources and ensuring that scientific objectives are met to advance the pipeline. 


• Ensures successful maintenance of AAALAC accreditation at the Cambridge site. 


• Ensures compliance with controlled substances regulations. 


• Supports vivarium design, construction, renovation, repair and relocation projects. 


• Promotes teamwork, mentoring, coaching and empowering others to further develop and be successful in their careers. 


• Establishes individual and functional Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and performance management. 


• Serves as key veterinary medical provider for the TBOS Comparative Medicine site, works with research management teams, drug discovery units, platform groups, facilities engineering, and EH&S to include IBC and occupational health programs, and conducts virtual and in-person animal welfare audits at external CROs and partners. 

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree (DVM/ VMD) from veterinary school accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), or equivalent degree with certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG).  


• American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) Board certification or Board-eligible. 


• Must be licensed to practice veterinary licensure in at least one state in the U.S; ability to obtain licensure in MA and to obtain CS registration for DEA and MA; veterinary accreditation with the USDA (or within 12 months of hire). 

• Must be available to work occasional evenings, weekends and holidays, to cover on call duty including veterinary medical support and emergencies.  


• 4+ years of experience providing veterinary medical care to laboratory animals in biomedical research, preferably biopharmaceutical R&D and/or at a Contract Research Organization (CRO) with knowledge of the drug discovery and development process and the practice of laboratory animal/comparative medicine in industry. 


• In-depth knowledge of regulatory (OLAW, PHS Policy) and AAALAC requirements in working with research animals.


• Proven knowledge and experience in laboratory animal/comparative medicine and its applications in the conduct of humane animal research and testing.


• CPIA certification or regulatory experience working with the IACUC desirable. 


• Lean/Six Sigma belt certification preferred; required within 6 months of hire. 


• Capable of acting as a Thought-Partner for senior leadership and key stakeholders and as a mentor for new leaders. 


• Ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment across key stakeholders, including executive level. 


• Demonstrated ability to work across functions, regions and cultures. 


• Excellent communicator, able to persuasively convey both ideas and data, verbally and in writing. 


• Builds teams across functions and geographies with individuals who have the right skills and experience to deliver on key organizational initiatives. 


• Able to support key strategic vision and implementation of portfolio-wide approach. 


• Proven leadership capabilities; able to develop and lead 3Rs principles for animal health, welfare and compliance. 

More about us:

At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.

Certified as a Global Top Employer, Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

This position is onsite in Cambridge, MA.

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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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.

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