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Head of HR, South Korea

Seoul, Seoul
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  • Job Type: Full Time
  • Job Level: Senior
  • Travel: Minimal (if any)

Takeda has been translating science into breakthrough medicines for 240 years. Every step of the way, our teams have worked together to tackle some of the most challenging problems in drug discovery and development. Today, we’re a driving force behind innovative therapies that make a lasting difference to millions of patients around the world.

In R&D, all of our history and potential comes together in an environment that welcomes diversity of thought and amplifies every voice. Working closely with colleagues, you’ll play a key role in bringing our rich pipeline of products forward to help patients. Come join a team that’s earned trust for more than two centuries, and find out how advancing transformative therapies at Takeda will shape your bright future.

Job ID R0158754 Date posted 07/22/2025 Location Seoul, Seoul

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Job Description

Job Title:  Head of HR, South Korea

Location:  Seoul, Korea

About the role: 

The HR Director is responsible for aligning HR strategies with business objectives to enhance organizational performance. This role supports the dynamic needs of the business and promotes a culture of inclusion, learning, and growth.

As a leader of a sizable (functional) area, serving as the primary contact for internal and external stakeholders and operations, your responsibilities include conducting high-level briefings and technical meetings, interacting with managers of equivalent status, and crafting corporate and organizational policies. You will provide strategic direction and oversight to managers across various functional areas, prioritizing the successful execution of major initiatives and ensuring that budgets, schedules, and performance standards are both realistically established and achieved. This is a people management role with a team of 1 employee and this role requires good balance of strategic thinking with a longer-term planning as well as  hands on execution of tasks and projects at the local level through collaboration with above country Centers of Excellence & Innovation (COEI) teams.

How you will contribute:

  • Develop local HR strategy and long-term planning that aligns with local business needs and  global/BU HR vision and strategy, encouraging employee engagement and fostering a diverse, inclusive, and life-long learning culture

  • Identify HR opportunities and challenges within the organization, providing insights, guidance, and solutions to foster a workforce that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  • Pioneer talent management initiatives including workforce planning, talent acquisition, talent development, and succession planning.

  • Partner with HR Centers of Excellence (COEs) to deliver HR programs, policies, and processes tailored to the needs of the local organization

  • Promote a culture and environment that embraces change, fosters continuous improvement, and encourages life-long learning for employees

  • Guide leadership and people managers on multiple HR matters, including employee relations, performance management, and organizational development

  • Facilitate the development of best practice Employee Listening strategies focused on technology utilization to understand what matters to our employees and drives superior People Experiences.

  • Use a wide range of Employee Experience data and leverage advanced technologies to diagnose underlying causes of key business issues. (Employee Engagement Survey results, Visier, etc)

  • Partner on culture, values and ways of working initiatives that align with broader organizational development and talent programs.

  • Act as the Culture and Values Lead in South Korea, generating ideas, developing plans, leading global programs, and engaging with Communications, to build our desired culture across the organization. 

  • Use data and research to understand work environment evolution trends and leverage those insights to inform recommendations on how to improve our workplace experience and anticipate our evolving employee needs (focus on new generations).

  • Identify a clear strategy in managing labor union relations in collaboration with the Employee and Labor Relations above country COEI. Lead labor union negotiations at the local level.

Skills And Leadership Capabilities

Critical Skills and Competencies

  • Applies strategic planning techniques to align HR and business strategies, enhancing organizational performance.

  • Provides expert HR consulting services on various employee issues and strategic business initiatives.

  •  Lead and support change management initiatives to enhance organizational agility and resilience in a dynamic and evolving business environment.

  • Builds close and collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including global HR teams and business/functional leaders, ensuring strategic alignment and effective communication.

  •  Manages succession planning processes, identifying and developing future leadership within the organization.

  • Conducts workforce planning, ensuring alignment with business needs and operational goals.

  • Utilizes organizational development strategies to improve business functioning and employee satisfaction.

  • Enhances employee engagement through innovative strategies and effective communication.

  • Oversees performance management systems to ensure they drive desired outcomes in line with business objectives.

  • Ensures compliance with legal and regulatory employment requirements to mitigate risks.

  • Leverages HR analytics to make data-driven decisions and improve HR interventions.

  • Demonstrates advanced decision-making skills, providing guidance and recommendations on complex issues.

What you bring to Takeda: 

  • Bachelor's / Master’s degree in HR, business and / or psychology

  • 10+ years’ experience in large, matrixed, organizations with hands-on experience developing and implementing HR and operational excellence strategies

  • Experience in managing labor union relations

  • Demonstrated experience in Change Management and ability to lead others through change 

  • Demonstrated behaviors of growth mindset and agile ways of working  

  • Track record of successfully implementing initiatives across multiple stakeholder groups 

More about us:

At Takeda, we are transforming patient care through the development of novel specialty pharmaceuticals and best in class patient support programs. Takeda is a patient-focused company that will inspire and empower you to grow through life-changing work.

Certified as a Global Top Employer, Takeda offers stimulating careers, encourages innovation, and strives for excellence in everything we do. We foster an inclusive, collaborative workplace, in which our teams are united by an unwavering commitment to deliver Better Health and a Brighter Future to people around the world.

Empowering our people to shine:

Takeda is proud in its commitment to creating a diverse workforce and providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, national origin, age, disability, citizenship status, genetic information or characteristics, marital status, status as a Vietnam era veteran, special disabled veteran, or other protected veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and any other characteristic protected by law.

Locations

Seoul, Korea

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time
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During my 20-year journey here, I’ve been fully supported by my colleagues, and I can’t say enough about our rich internal talent and the long-standing values that drive our decisions as we work to develop important medicines for the patients we serve.

Doug Coffman - Head, R&D Asset Transition & Integration Office, R&D Regional & Business Operations

When making any type of decision, the first thing we ask is 'how will this impact patients?’ Ultimately, we’re laser focused on the best interests of the patient, and I truly believe we follow through on that.

Meredith Culp - VP, Head of Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Strategy & Operations and Head of Global Development Integration Office

Our culture and shared values make us like a family here at Takeda. It doesn't feel like work when you're doing something you love with people you love, and when your outcome is really fantastic.

Alison Handley, Head, Center for External Innovation

The heart of our work

Shining a light on new perspectives

What we believe in

Our values of Takeda-ism are Integrity, Fairness, Honesty and Perseverance, with Integrity as the core. These are brought to life through actions based on Patient, Trust, Reputation and Business, in that order.

Our belief in putting people first extends beyond our patients — it includes their families and communities, as well as our Takeda colleagues and their families.

We are committed to embracing our differences, valuing different perspectives, and fostering a culture of respect, inclusiveness and empowerment.

Our embedded Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy enables us to attract and retain exceptional talent, drives innovation, and helps address systemic inequalities in our communities.

  • Integrity

  • Fairness

  • Honesty

  • Perseverance

Working at Takeda

  • Inclusion

    Here, you will feel welcomed, respected, and valued as a vital contributor to our global team.
  • Collaboration

    A strong, borderless team, we strive together towards our priorities and inspiring mission.
  • Innovation

    Bold initiatives, continuous improvement, and creativity are at the heart of how we bring scientific breakthroughs from the lab to patients.
  • Top Workplace

    Recognized for our culture and way of working, we’re one of only 17 companies to receive Top Global Employer® status for 2024.
  • Work-Life

    Our people-first mission extends beyond patients to include their families, communities, and our own Takeda family.
  • Empowerment

    Through trust and respect, you will have genuine support from leaders, managers, and colleagues to do your best work.

We're Steadfast In Our Commitment to Four Key Imperatives

Patient


Responsibly translate science into highly innovative medicines and accelerate access to improve lives worldwide.

People


Create an exceptional people experience.

Planet


Protect our planet.

Data & Digital


Transform Takeda into the most trusted, data-driven, outcomes-based biopharmaceutical company.

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