Senior Recruiter (Recruitment Experience Partner)

Job Description Summary

The Recruitment Experience Partner will be responsible for managing end-to-end recruitment activities for the Novartis Japan Commercial portfolio. Based in Tokyo, this role will partner closely with hiring managers, business leaders, People & Organization colleagues, and regional or global Talent Acquisition teams to deliver effective hiring outcomes.
The successful candidate will act as a trusted talent advisor, providing recruitment strategy, market insights, sourcing expertise, and candidate management throughout the hiring lifecycle. This role requires strong bilingual capability in Japanese and English, senior-level recruitment experience, and the ability to work effectively in a matrixed, international environment.
This is a hybrid role based in Tokyo, with office attendance required 12 days per month.

 

Job Description

Major Accountabilities

• Manage end-to-end recruitment for positions across the Novartis Japan Commercial portfolio.
• Partner with hiring managers and business leaders to understand business priorities, workforce needs, role requirements, and hiring timelines.
• Lead recruitment strategy discussions, intake meetings, sourcing planning, interview process alignment, offer management, and candidate closing.
• Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders by providing talent market insights, competitor intelligence, sourcing recommendations, and hiring best practices.
• Develop and execute proactive sourcing strategies to attract qualified talent for current and future hiring needs.
• Build and maintain talent pipelines for commercial functions such as sales, marketing, market access, business excellence, strategy, and related roles.
• Ensure a high-quality recruitment experience for candidates, hiring managers, and internal stakeholders.
• Drive inclusive hiring practices and support diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives throughout the recruitment process.
• Collaborate with People & Organization, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition colleagues, and external partners where required.
• Maintain accurate recruitment data and activity tracking in relevant systems.
• Ensure compliance with Novartis recruitment policies, local labor requirements, and global Talent Acquisition standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives related to recruitment processes, tools, employer branding, and candidate engagement.

KPI

• Delivery of hiring targets for assigned commercial portfolio roles.
• Time-to-fill and time-to-offer performance in line with business expectations.
• Quality of hire and hiring manager satisfaction.
• Candidate experience feedback and engagement levels.
• Strength and quality of talent pipelines for priority roles.
• Offer acceptance rate.
• Diversity of candidate slates and support for inclusive hiring outcomes.
• Accuracy and timeliness of recruitment data and system updates.
• Compliance with internal recruitment processes and local requirements.
• Stakeholder satisfaction with recruitment advisory support and market insights.

Minimum Requirements: Work Experience

• Significant experience in talent acquisition, recruitment, or executive search, preferably at senior recruiter level.
• Proven experience managing end-to-end recruitment processes for complex or business-critical roles.
• Experience partnering with senior hiring managers and business leaders in a consultative capacity.
• Strong understanding of the Japan talent market.
• Experience recruiting for commercial roles such as sales, marketing, market access, product management, business excellence, strategy, or related functions.
• Experience working in a multinational, matrixed, or fast-paced business environment.
• Pharmaceutical, healthcare, life sciences, or medical device industry experience is welcome.
• Experience using applicant tracking systems, LinkedIn Recruiter, sourcing tools, and recruitment reporting platforms.

Skills

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Excellent consulting and advisory capability.
• Strong direct sourcing, talent mapping, and pipeline development skills.
• Ability to manage multiple requisitions and priorities independently.
• Strong understanding of recruitment lifecycle management.
• Candidate assessment and interview process management skills.
• Market intelligence and competitor talent mapping capability.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• High attention to detail and strong process discipline.
• Ability to work independently as an individual contributor.
• Strong collaboration skills in a cross-functional and international environment.
• High level of professionalism, confidentiality, and ownership.
• Growth mindset and continuous improvement orientation.
• Commitment to inclusive hiring and candidate experience excellence.

Languages

• Japanese: Fluent or native-level proficiency required.
• English: Business-level proficiency required.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both local Japanese stakeholders and regional or global colleagues.

 

Skills Desired