WPP | HRBP (Head of Talent / Sr. Manager), Japan

Tokyo, Japan

WPP is the world’s leading creative transformation company. We bring together brilliant people to build better futures for our clients through an integrated offering of communications, experience, commerce, and technology. In Japan, we are strengthening how we support our specialized and production businesses by providing senior, high-impact people partnering—ensuring leaders have the organization, culture, and governance needed to deliver growth and build sustainable teams.

We are seeking a Head of Talent to serve as the senior HR Business Partner across one or several of our business units within WPP Japan. This role partners closely with business leadership and works in collaboration with WPP Japan People Centers of Excellence (COEs) (e.g., Talent Attraction, Learning & Development, Rewards, Operations) to deliver best-in-class people outcomes.

You are a senior HR business partner and trusted advisor who thrives in fast-paced, client-services environments. You balance strategic thinking with pragmatic execution, and you’re confident coaching leaders through complex people decisions.

You don’t try to do everything yourself—your strength is in diagnosing business needs, setting a clear people agenda, and partnering with COEs to deliver consistent, high-quality solutions. You bring strong judgment, high integrity, and the personal courage to address issues directly while leading with empathy.

• Partner with leadership teams across WPP operating companies to shape and execute people plans aligned to business priorities (growth, capability, delivery, culture, and risk).
• Act as a trusted advisor on organizational effectiveness, leadership, team dynamics, and employee engagement.
• Operate as the primary People point of contact for the three businesses—able to move from executive-level strategy conversations to hands-on issue resolution as required.

• Lead workforce planning conversations (capacity, capability, succession risk, critical roles) and translate outcomes into practical actions with leaders and COEs.
• Advise on org design (structures, roles, spans/layers, operating model) and support implementation planning (timelines, comms, manager enablement).
• Partner with leaders to plan and execute change initiatives (transformations, restructuring, team transitions), staying close to execution to ensure adoption and minimal disruption.

• Drive consistent performance management practices (goal setting, feedback rhythms, calibration support, development actions, performance improvement guidance).
• Partner with the Rewards COE on compensation processes (annual cycle, promotions, offer governance, internal equity) and provide hands-on support to leaders on decision-making, messaging, and documentation.
• Support talent reviews and succession planning by aligning leaders on expectations and actions; coordinate development solutions via the L&D COE and follow through on outcomes.

• Provide hands-on support on employee relations topics and manager capability (coaching, documentation, difficult conversations), escalating to specialists as needed.
• Ensure compliance with Japan employment laws, internal policies, and governance requirements across the three businesses, including practical guidance that leaders can apply.
• Identify people-related risks early (retention, workload, conduct, engagement) and drive mitigation plans—tracking actions through to completion.

• Partner with leaders to build inclusive, high-performing cultures aligned to WPP values.
• Support engagement planning and manager effectiveness; collaborate with DEI and L&D COEs to deliver targeted interventions, while reinforcing day-to-day leadership behaviors locally.

We’re looking for someone who embodies the following qualities:

• Zoom-Out / Zoom-In Operator: Comfortable shifting between strategy, advisory, and hands-on operational execution.
• Trusted Advisor & Coach: Strong executive presence; able to influence and challenge constructively.
• Business-First HRBP: Connects people decisions to commercial outcomes and delivery realities.
• Collaborative Driver: Works through COEs to deliver TA/L&D solutions, while staying close enough to execution to ensure quality and speed.
• Change-Oriented: Confident leading through ambiguity and transformation at pace.
• High Judgment & Integrity: Handles sensitive matters with discretion, fairness, and consistency.
• Data-Informed: Uses workforce and engagement insights to guide recommendations and priorities.

• Experience: 10+ years of HR experience, including 3+ years in a senior HRBP/People leadership role supporting professional, client-services organizations.
• Industry Background: Communications, marketing, consulting, PR, creative, production, or adjacent services industry experience strongly preferred.
• Functional Strength: Demonstrated capability across employee relations, org design, workforce planning, performance management, and rewards partnership—plus the ability to execute operationally when needed.
• Legal/Compliance: Solid knowledge of Japan employment law and HR best practices.
• Communication: Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills; effective with senior leaders and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Mindset: Accountable, proactive, resilient, growth-minded, and empathetic; able to operate strategically and execute consistently.
• Language Skills: Fluency in Japanese and English (written and spoken).