Title:
Head of Corporate AffairsCompany:
IPSEN K.K.
About Ipsen:
Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.
Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!
For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/ and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Job Description:
Overview
We are seeking a Head of Corporate Affairs to join our Japan leadership team. Reporting to the General Manager, Japan, this is a senior leadership role with broad responsibility across public affairs, patient advocacy, and internal and external communications, playing a critical role in shaping Ipsen’s reputation and external environment in Japan.
Key responsibilities
Lead Corporate Affairs for Ipsen Japan, covering Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy, and Communications.
Define and execute a robust external engagement and public affairs strategy, supporting sustainable patient access and favourable policy outcomes.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with key external stakeholders including MHLW, PMDA, industry associations, media, and patient organisations.
Partner closely with Market Access to support pricing, reimbursement, and policy positioning, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
Strengthen Ipsen’s corporate reputation through media engagement, thought leadership, and issues & crisis management.
Drive impactful patient advocacy initiatives, ensuring the patient voice is embedded across Ipsen’s external and internal activities.
Lead internal communications and employee engagement, working closely with the Japan GM and Japan Leadership Team.
Act as an active member of the Global Corporate Affairs community, contributing local insights to global strategy and deploying global initiatives locally (Ipsen’s “Glocal” approach).
Candidate profile
Significant senior‑level experience in Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs and/or Communications within the Japanese pharmaceutical or healthcare environment.
Strong understanding of Japan’s healthcare system, regulatory environment and policy landscape.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex external stakeholder environments and sensitive reputational topics.
A credible and trusted advisor to senior leaders, able to operate effectively within a global, matrix organisation.
Collaborative, thoughtful and strategic leadership style, with high personal integrity and sound judgement.
Fluent Japanese and business‑level English are essential.
Why join Ipsen
At Ipsen, we are driven by a shared ambition: to make a meaningful difference for patients while building long‑term value for society. You will join an organisation that values trust, integrity and respectful collaboration, with the opportunity to shape the external environment in one of Ipsen’s most strategically important markets, while working closely with both local and global leaders.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace “The Real Us”. The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know. This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application.Skills Required
- Significant senior-level experience in Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs and/or Communications
- Strong understanding of Japan's healthcare system
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex external stakeholder environments
- Credible advisor to senior leaders in a global matrix organization
- Fluent Japanese and business-level English
Ipsen Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ipsen and has not been reviewed or approved by Ipsen.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive, with broad medical, dental, and vision offerings. Company materials emphasize a wide-ranging package that supports overall wellbeing.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are highlighted with a competitive 401(k) match and access to an employee stock purchase plan. These elements are frequently cited as strengths in the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Family support includes paid parental leave and company-provided backup child and elder care. These programs complement core benefits and add practical day-to-day value.
Ipsen Insights
What We Do
Ipsen is a French leading global mid-size biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France focusing its efforts where unmet medical needs are greatest. Ipsen develops and commercializes innovative medicines in three key therapeutic areas - Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. We have over 5000 employees worldwide and our medicines are registered in more than 100 countries, with direct commercial presence in over 30 countries. Ipsen has 4 global R&D hubs and 3 pharmaceutical development centers around the world
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