Title:
Head of Finance Japan
Company:
IPSEN K.K.
About Ipsen:
Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.
Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!
For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/ and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram .
Job Description:
The Opportunity
The Head of Finance, Japan serves as the senior finance leader for the affiliate and a trusted strategic partner to the General Manager and Japan Leadership Team. In this highly visible role, you will provide financial leadership, governance and decision support across commercial finance, planning, performance management, statutory reporting, tax, cash flow and risk management.
As an individual contributor, you will play a critical role in driving business performance, ensuring robust financial controls, supporting strategic investment decisions and aligning local priorities with regional and global finance objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Business Partnering
Act as the primary finance adviser to the Japan General Manager and Leadership Team.
Partner with commercial, medical and market access leaders to support growth and business performance.
Provide financial insights, challenge and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
Drive value-based decision-making and resource allocation across the business.
Financial Planning & Performance Management
Lead budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning processes.
Monitor revenue, margin, operating expenses, headcount, working capital and business performance.
Conduct scenario modelling and sensitivity analyses to support decision-making.
Provide clear visibility of risks, opportunities and mitigation plans.
Controlling, Compliance & Governance
Ensure accurate and timely management, statutory and tax reporting.
Lead local financial close activities and coordinate internal and external audits.
Maintain strong internal controls, compliance standards and risk management frameworks.
Partner with regional and global finance teams including Tax, Treasury, Accounting and Internal Controls.
Commercial Finance Leadership
Support pricing, reimbursement, product launch and lifecycle management decisions.
Evaluate strategic investments and business cases.
Provide financial leadership on commercial and medical initiatives.
Identify productivity and cost optimisation opportunities.
What We're Looking For
Required
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting or a related field.
8+ years of progressive finance experience, ideally within pharmaceuticals, biotechnology or life sciences.
Strong experience in business partnering, financial planning and performance management.
Proven ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders.
Experience driving process improvements and systems enhancements.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Fluent Japanese and English, both written and spoken.
Preferred
MBA, CPA, CFA or equivalent professional qualification.
Experience operating within a multinational matrix organisation.
Knowledge of SAP, BPC, TM1 and advanced Excel capabilities.
Additional Asian language skills are advantageous.
Success in This Role
You will combine strong commercial acumen with financial rigour, bringing the confidence to influence senior…