Associate Director - Talent Acquisition Lead

About the role

Eli Lilly Japan is looking for an Associate Director, Talent Acquisition Lead, based at the Kobe headquarters. The TA Lead owns end-to-end talent acquisition for Lilly Japan and leads its evolution from a transactional, requisition-driven function into a strategic, data-informed capability that shapes workforce planning, strengthens the employer brand and delivers a high-performing recruitment partnership. The role also carries the RPO/agency partnership.

Key responsibilities

• Talent acquisition strategy and workforce planning: run the strategy with the HR Business Partner, integrate external and internal hiring into a single talent supply plan, and manage the recruitment budget (RPO costs, agency fees, campus spending)
• Strategic sourcing and talent pipelines: direct sourcing for critical, hard-to-fill and leadership roles, and build long-term talent communities and pipelines
• RPO governance: oversee recruitment delivery, lead the RPO/agency relationship, set SLAs and scorecards, ensure compliance with Lilly policy and Japan labour regulations, and govern contingent workforce and staffing agencies
• Talent intelligence: build talent market intelligence, advise leaders on talent availability and hiring risks, and use data to optimise sourcing channels and RPO performance
• Candidate experience and employer brand: champion candidate experience, build hiring manager capabilities, strengthen the employer value proposition, adapt global TA practice to the Japanese market and represent Japan in the global TA programme

Required profile

• Over 10 years of HR experience with a strong background in talent acquisition
• Experience managing and developing a recruitment team, with the ability to lead a direct report
• Track record of building and executing a talent acquisition strategy linked to workforce planning
• Full recruitment lifecycle experience, including strategic sourcing, stakeholder advisory, employer branding and data-driven performance management, ideally across technical/professional and leadership hiring
• Ability to advise and influence senior business and HR leaders
• Proficiency in business-level Japanese and English
• Preferred: direct experience owning or managing an RPO or staffing agency, and working knowledge of the Japan talent market and employment regulations

What we offer

• Salary according to company rules, with housing allowance and commuting allowance
• Annual merit bonus based on individual and company results
• Flexible working hours (8:45-17:30) and flexible schedule, with a 4-hour minimum daily requirement
• Remote work arrangements and a fully smoke-free workplace
• Two days off per week (Saturday and Sunday), public holidays, Christmas, New Year and summer break, about 125 days of annual leave
• Health, pension and accident insurance, housing assistance and company housing
• 6-month probation with no pay difference during probation