Senior Manager, Human Resources

Senior Manager, Human Resource Operations, Japan

Location: Japan
Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role:

We are seeking a highly capable and hands-on Senior Manager, HR Operations to lead HR operations across five legal entities in Japan. This role supports a dynamic, fast-paced organization with a diverse workforce, including approximately 25% non-local employees.

This position is critical to ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and seamless HR service delivery, covering payroll, benefits administration, employee life-cycle management, and HR systems. The ideal candidate brings deep knowledge of Japanese labor law, strong prioritization skills, and a global mindset to thrive in a multinational environment.

Key Responsibilities:

1. HR Operations & Compliance

• Oversee end-to-end HR operations for five legal entities, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and efficiency

• Ensure compliance with Japanese labor laws and internal policies, including employment contracts, working conditions, and working hours

• Lead statutory and government reporting (labor standards, social insurance, employment filings, annual labor reports, etc.)

• Act as the primary contact for labor authorities and external auditors as needed

Outcome: Fully compliant, efficient, and well-governed HR operations across all entities

2. Payroll & Benefits

• Manage payroll operations in partnership with external payroll vendors, ensuring timely and accurate processing

• Oversee benefits administration, including defined contribution (DC) pension schemes, health and welfare programs

• Partner closely with Finance on payroll reconciliation, tax reporting, and budgeting

Outcome: Accurate, compliant payroll and benefits delivery with strong financial alignment

3. Employee Lifecycle & HR Systems

• Manage onboarding, offboarding, and employment changes to ensure a smooth employee experience

• Maintain accurate HR data within HRIS and personnel records

• Continuously review and improve HR processes for scalability and efficiency

Outcome: Reliable HR data, streamlined processes, and positive employee experience

4. Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Collaborate with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and Regional/Global HR teams

• Act as a trusted advisor to management on HR policies, procedures, and compliance topics

• Provide clear guidance and support to employees on HR operations, payroll, and benefits

Outcome: Strong partnership, trusted HR guidance, and responsive employee support

5. Continuous Improvement

• Identify operational gaps and drive process and system improvements

• Monitor labor law changes and translate them into internal policy and practice updates

Outcome: Future-ready HR operations that adapt to regulatory and business changes

Pre-requisites:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field

• Native-level Japanese and business-level English

• Minimum 8 years of HR experience in Japan, with at least 4 years in HR Operations Management within a multinational organization

• Expert knowledge of Japanese labor law and statutory requirements

• Strong payroll and benefits management experience, including DC pension schemes and social insurance

• Proven vendor management experience (payroll, benefits providers, etc.)

• Strong prioritization and organizational skills

• High attention to detail and analytical mindset

• Agility and resilience in a fast-moving environment

• Cultural awareness and experience working with diverse, global teams

• Proactive problem-solving mindset

Are you ready to engineer a greener future?