Head of Total Rewards

Location

Tokyo, Japan

Reports To

Senior Human Resources Leadership

About the Company

Our client is a leading global organization with a substantial and long-standing presence in Japan. Operating within a complex, multi-entity international structure, the business is focused on strengthening governance, commercial alignment, and strategic capability across its people functions.

The Japan business represents a significant part of the broader organization and offers an established platform for a senior HR leader to influence enterprise-wide people strategy.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Head of Total Rewards to lead and elevate the Total Rewards strategy for the Japan business.

The successful candidate will be responsible for modernizing compensation and benefits frameworks, strengthening reward analytics, and ensuring that reward programs support business performance, market competitiveness, and effective governance.

This is a highly visible leadership role, partnering closely with senior executives, Finance, HR, and global stakeholders. The role will combine strategic reward leadership with hands-on ownership of compensation, incentives, benefits, analytics, and broader Total Rewards transformation.

Key Responsibilities

Total Rewards Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive Total Rewards strategy aligned with business and global objectives

• Modernize reward frameworks to strengthen competitiveness, consistency, and business alignment

• Partner with senior leadership to align reward philosophy and programs with organizational priorities

• Provide strategic advice on complex compensation and reward matters

Compensation & Incentives

• Lead compensation design across base pay, variable compensation, executive rewards, and incentive programs

• Design and optimize sales incentive and commission-based compensation structures

• Conduct market benchmarking and ensure reward programs remain externally competitive

• Support executive compensation decisions and broader reward governance

Benefits & Vendor Management

• Oversee the Japan benefits strategy and ensure programs remain competitive and fit for purpose

• Manage external reward and benefits vendors

• Drive effective vendor governance, cost management, and service delivery

Reward Analytics & Financial Management

• Lead reward analytics and financial modeling to support strategic decision-making

• Oversee reward budgeting, forecasting, and cost analysis

• Translate compensation and workforce data into actionable business insights

• Strengthen the use of data and analytics across Total Rewards decision-making

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure compensation and benefits programs comply with relevant regulatory and internal requirements

• Strengthen governance, policies, and controls across Total Rewards

• Partner with HR, Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders on reward-related risk and governance matters

Organizational Partnership

• Partner with senior business and HR leaders on organizational transformation and effectiveness initiatives

• Collaborate with global Total Rewards and HR stakeholders to align local priorities with broader organizational frameworks

• Act as a trusted strategic advisor on compensation, incentives, and broader reward matters

Qualifications

Required

• Extensive Total Rewards leadership experience within a multinational or complex matrix organization

• Deep expertise in compensation design, including sales and commission-based incentive structures

• Strong financial acumen and advanced analytical capability

• Proven experience partnering with and influencing senior executives

• Strong understanding of Japanese compensation and benefits practices

• Native-level Japanese and fluent English

• Demonstrated ability to operate strategically while maintaining strong execution capability

Preferred

• Experience within financial services, insurance, or another regulated industry

• Exposure to job architecture, grading, or HR systems transformation

• Experience building, developing, or leading Total Rewards teams

• Experience managing complex, multi-entity reward environments

• Exposure to broader HR transformation and organizational effectiveness initiatives

Why Join?

• Strategic Total Rewards leadership opportunity within a significant Japan business

• Opportunity to modernize and shape reward frameworks across multiple entities

• Direct engagement with senior executives, Finance, HR, and global stakeholders

• Broad ownership across compensation, incentives, benefits, analytics, and governance

• Opportunity to elevate the Total Rewards function and build long-term organizational capability

• High-visibility role within a complex international environment

• Competitive senior leadership compensation and benefits package

• Strong platform for continued career development within a global organization