Senior, Expert
At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
Talent Acquisition (TA) Lead, Lilly Japan
Purpose
Own end-to-end talent acquisition for Lilly Japan and lead TA's evolution from a transactional, requisition-driven function into a strategic, data-informed capability that shapes workforce planning, strengthens Lilly's employer brand, and delivers a high-performing recruitment partnership. The TA Lead assumes full ownership of the recruitment operating model — including the RPO/agency partnership, carrying forward the new TA strategy into business-as-usual execution and driving continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Talent Acquisition Strategy & Workforce Planning
Execute Lilly Japan's talent acquisition strategy in partnership with HR Business Partner, aligning with business growth and capability plans integrating external and internal hiring strategies into a single, coherent talent supply plan
Partner with business and HR leaders to translate future workforce needs and hiring priorities into actionable plans by aligning stakeholders on success profiles, assessment criteria, and hiring strategies, and challenge assumptions to drive evidence-based decisions.
Support workforce planning discussions and influence hiring decisions through market intelligence and talent data
Manage end-to-end recruitment budget, including but not limited to RPO cost management, agency fee spend and campus related spending
Strategic Sourcing & Talent Pipeline Development
Direct sourcing strategy for critical, hard-to-fill, and leadership roles, whether executed directly or through the RPO
Build long-term talent communities and pipelines, expanding attraction beyond traditional pharma competitors
End-to-End Recruitment Delivery & RPO Governance
Own end-to-end recruitment delivery across the organization, ensuring hiring needs are met on time, at quality, and within process
Oversee Lilly Japan's university recruiting strategy and pipeline as part of the overall TA plan
Lead the RPO/agency partner relationship — assigning and prioritizing requisitions, managing day-to-day performance, and acting as primary escalation point
Run governance routines (SLAs, scorecards, regular reviews) to hold the RPO accountable for quality, speed, and compliance
Ensure RPO-delivered recruitment complies with Lilly policy and Japan labour regulations
Monitor recruitment effectiveness and pipeline health; analyse trends and recommend improvements
Use data to optimise sourcing channels, resourcing, and RPO performance
Govern contingent workforce and staffing agencies, including Haken labour programs, supplier management, and regulatory compliance
Talent Intelligence & Market Insights
Build and maintain talent market intelligence capability, including talent mapping, competitor analysis, and labour market research
Advise leaders on talent availability, hiring risks, and feasible talent strategies
Translate market insights into sourcing and workforce decisions
Candidate Experience, Employer Brand & Japan Market Expertise
Champion exceptional candidate experience across all stages of recruitment, including those managed by the RPO
Lead efforts for recruitment capability building for hiring managers and teams
Strengthen Lilly Japan's employer value proposition and build Lilly's reputation within key talent segments
Adapt global TA practices to the Japanese talent market — including bilingual and niche talent attraction — while maintaining global consistency. Represent Japan in Global TA landscape, contributing to the global program design
Qualifications
Basic Requirements
Over 10 years of HR experience with a strong background in talent acquisition
Demonstrated experience managing and developing a recruitment team, with the credibility and coaching skills to lead a direct report and grow the function's capability over time
Strong track record building and executing a talent acquisition strategy that connects to broader workforce planning, not just requisition fulfilment
Experience across the full recruitment lifecycle — strategic sourcing, stakeholder advisory, employer branding, and data-driven performance management — ideally spanning both technical/professional and leadership-level hiring
Well-developed stakeholder management skills, with the seniority and confidence to advise and influence senior business and HR leaders
Proficient in business level Japanese and English
Additional Preferences
Direct, hands-on experience owning or managing an RPO, staffing agency, or other outsourced recruitment partnership, including SLA design, governance routines, and performance/escalation management
Working knowledge of the Japan talent market and local employment regulations
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
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