- Location
- Tokyo
- Department
- Operations
- Seniority
- Senior
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Education
- Bachelor
Description
Please note that we will never request payment or bank account information at any stage of the recruitment process. As we continue to grow our teams, we urge you to be cautious of fraudulent job postings or recruitment activities that misuse our company name and information. Please protect your personal information during any recruitment process. While Monks may contact potential candidates via LinkedIn, all applications must be submitted through our official website (monks.com/careers).
About Monks
Monks is a global, digital-first marketing, technology, and creative consultancy operating at the intersection of creativity, media, data, and culture. In APAC, our 700-strong team spans 14 offices across 11 countries, connected by a single, unified operating model.
As pioneers in the AI digital media economy, we live an AI-first culture internally while helping enterprise clients shift from manual workflows to AI-native orchestration — scaling custom agent solutions (Monks.Flow), AI-driven campaigns, and next-gen AI search capabilities. By connecting brand strategy, media, data, and emerging technology around the consumer, we build intelligent platforms and content ecosystems for the world's leading brands. We foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where authentic collaboration fuels industry-changing work.
The Role
At Monks, we believe that a great employee experience starts with the people who support it. As Senior HR Generalist for our Tokyo office, you'll be the go-to person for all things HR and recruitment in the Japan market — helping make work life better for every colleague, from their first day through to their last. This is a hands-on, generalist role that spans the full employee lifecycle: onboarding and offboarding, employee relations, compliance and admin, performance and benefits programs, and local recruitment. You'll work closely with the Head of HR and the APAC Recruitment Director to deliver a seamless, well-supported experience for both employees and hiring managers in Tokyo.
What You'll Do
HR Operations & Employee Support
- Act as the first point of contact for employees across the full employee lifecycle — from onboarding to offboarding — handling questions and day-to-day administrative needs.
- Manage the onboarding and offboarding process end to end, ensuring Workday data accuracy for full-time employees, freelancers, and interns.
- Prepare and sign off on freelancer contracts and NDAs, and maintain accurate Workday records for freelancers as needed.
- Partner with immigration vendors to support expat employees with work permits, visas, bank account setup, and residence registration.
- Conduct exit interviews for employees.
Performance, Policy & Programs
- Manage the employee probation review process and support the Head of HR with the annual performance review and merit cycle.
- Support the Head of HR in creating and updating HR policies and benefits for the Tokyo office.
- Help sustain and implement global and regional HR programs locally (career plans, salary plans, etc.) under the guidance of the Head of HR.
- Support the annual training plan — coordinating onsite logistics (meeting rooms, facilities), and collecting training feedback from participants.
Recruitment
- Partner with the APAC Recruitment team to post open roles on local recruitment platforms and coordinate interviews between hiring managers and candidates.
- Perform initial screening and shortlisting of candidates for hiring managers.
- Work with external agencies to coordinate interviews between candidates and teams, ensuring the process is documented
- Own the recruitment process in Japan whilst ensuring the process is followed, data is tracked and stored correctly using Greenhouse (our ATS).
Culture & DEI
- Work with the Head of HR to implement DEI training and initiatives, and support the culture club in organizing employee events for the Tokyo office.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor degree or master’s in human resource management, Business Administration or related subject is preferred
- Minimum 5+ years experience as HR Generalist, preferable with a focus on advertising business.
- Previous experience in recruitment is highly desirable
- General HR knowledge and practice and understanding of local labor law is required.
- Communicate fluently in English and Japanese.
- Flexibly switch between tasks, taking ownership of your work.
- Experience driving cultural change with integration experience preferred.
- True team player who values and believes in effectiveness and efficiency.
#LI-CX1
About Monks
Monks is the global, digital-first, data-driven, unitary operating brand of S4Capital plc, where our culture centers on how we show up for the work and for one another. That begins with the commitment to strive for mastery—taking deep pride in our craft and creating work that sets the bar. In everyday execution, we drive momentum by choosing bold action rather than waiting for certainty. Above all, our teams are stronger together, bringing diverse perspectives into a unified team that communicates with clarity, trust, and mutual respect.
This commitment to craft and innovation translates directly into widespread industry acclaim: Monks was named a Contender in The Forrester Wave™: Global Marketing Services and a leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Global Digital Marketing Agencies. It ranks among Cannes Lions' Top 10 Creative Companies (2022-25) and remains the only partner featured in AdExchanger’s Programmatic Power Players list every year (2020-24). Named Adweek’s first AI Agency of the Year (2023) and The One Show’s inaugural AI Pioneer Organization (2025), Monks was also awarded Business Intelligence Group’s 2026 Excellence in Artificial Intelligence Award in the Human-Machine Interaction Team category. Additionally, Monks.Flow earned AI-based Marketing Solution of the Year at the 2026 AI Breakthrough Awards and a 2026 Global Generative AI Award in the Agentic Marketing Innovation category. Finally, Monks achieved a record-breaking number of FWAs and continues to hold the most of any partner.
We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a respectful and empowering work environment for all people to freely express themselves amongst colleagues who embrace diversity in all respects. Including fresh voices and unique points of view in all aspects of our business not only creates an environment where we can all grow and thrive but also increases our potential to produce work that better represents—and resonates with—the world around us.