Compliance Director – Business Partnering & Advisory, Japan

Job Purpose:

Serve as the senior Compliance business partner and trusted advisor to GSK Japan’s Business Units (BUs) and promoted-brand teams, enabling fast, risk-informed decisions at the point of business need while safeguarding the integrity of the enterprise. The role embeds Compliance early into brand planning, launches, HCP engagement and promotional/information-provision activities — providing real-time, pragmatic advice that accelerates performance without diluting independent challenge. It strengthens a values-based, Speak Up culture, translates MHLW, JPMA, PMD Act and GSK written standards into practical business guidance, and ensures that risks are anticipated and prevented rather than only detected — positioning Compliance as a strategic advisor.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary Compliance business partner and advisor to assigned Business Units and promoted brands, providing real-time, risk-informed guidance that enables faster launch, campaign and HCP-engagement decisions.

• Embed Compliance early into brand strategy, business planning, speaker programs and promotional/information-provision activities, framing risk at the point of decision rather than after the fact.

• Interpret and translate MHLW Guidelines, PMD Act advertising requirements, JPMA standards and GSK written standards into clear, practical business solutions and “how-to-comply” advice.

• Partner with BU Heads, Marketing, Sales and Medical to evaluate risk appetite, identify proactive and pragmatic mitigations, and support well-documented, defensible business decisions.

• Own and drive the local Risk Management & Compliance Board (RMCB) agenda for assigned areas, ensuring visibility, escalation and remediation of significant compliance risks to the Head of Japan Compliance and JLT.

• Design, embed and continuously improve the Internal Control Framework for assigned BUs, emphasizing prevention — early-warning indicators, controls and capability-building over detection alone.

• Lead root-cause analysis and CAPA for compliance issues in the business, ensuring accountable owners, due dates, evidence-based closure and effectiveness checks that withstand inspection.

• Deliver targeted training, coaching and communications on the GSK Code of Conduct and key risks, building compliance capability and confident decision-making within the business.

• Foster high ethical standards, Speak Up culture; promote transparency and psychological safety so employees raise concerns early, and handle sensitive matters with appropriate confidentiality.

• Partner with Independent Business Monitoring, the Supervisory Division, Legal, HR and Investigations to align monitoring insights, feed lessons learned back into the business.

Breadth/ Scope of Accountability:

• Japan-wide advisory accountability for assigned Business Units and promoted brands across the end-to-end commercial and information-provision lifecycle.

• Works across Commercial, Medical, Material Excellence, Legal, HR, the Speaker Program CoE and enabling functions, while preserving Compliance’s independent challenge role.

• Advises and influences without direct commercial ownership; business and functional leaders retain accountability for their activities, risks and controls.

• Accountable for the quality, timeliness and defensibility of Compliance advice, RMCB inputs and CAPA discipline for the assigned portfolio.

• Trusted with highly confidential and sensitive matters; expected to escalate significant risk without delay.

*Future scope of job and working location will be determined by company.

Knowledge/ Education/ Previous Experience Required:

A. Educational Background

• Minimum Level of Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience
• Area of Specialization: Law, Compliance, Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Business, Risk Management, or related discipline
• Why is this level required: The role must interpret complex requirements, advise senior business leaders and translate regulation into practical, risk-based decisions.
• Preferred Level of Education: Postgraduate qualification or relevant professional certification
• Preferred Area of Specialization: Compliance, Legal, Regulatory, Business Administration, or Risk Management
• Why preferred: Additional depth supports strategic business partnering, independent challenge and senior-level influence.

B. Job-Related Experience

• Typically 8 or more years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical/healthcare compliance, ethics, legal, regulatory or risk management, including a track record of value-added business partnering. Equivalent depth may be considered.

• Demonstrated ability to advise and influence senior commercial and medical leaders, balancing enablement of business performance with independent challenge.

• Practical experience embedding internal control frameworks, running RMCB/governance processes and driving evidence-based CAPA and remediation.

• People-management or team-leadership experience preferred; experience operating in a highly matrixed, multicultural organisation across geographies.

C. Other Job-Related Skills/ Background

• Strong working knowledge of Japan pharmaceutical compliance expectations — MHLW Guideline for Product Information Provision Activities, PMD Act advertising requirements, JPMA standards and applicable GSK written standards.

• Excellent business acumen and the ability to differentiate significant from less-significant risks and offer pragmatic, proactive mitigations.

• Clear written and verbal communication in Japanese (native level) and English (business level); able to influence, coach and facilitate cross-functional discussions.

• Strong problem-solving and conflict-management skills, learning agility, and the ability to maintain confidentiality, trust and independence.

• Comfort with data, monitoring analytics and the responsible use of approved AI/digital tools to anticipate and prevent risk.

• High integrity, sound judgement, courage to escalate, and a preventive mindset focused on effective controls rather than administrative burden.

*Legal right to work in Japan.

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Selection Process

• Application Screening
• Two to Three Interviews
• Background Check

Work Location:
GlaxoSmithKline K.K.
Akasaka Intercity AIR, 1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Employment Type: Full-time (Permanent)

Bonus: Eligible (once per year)

Salary Review: Eligible (once per year)

Commuting Allowance: Provided

Insurance Coverage: Eligible for social insurance benefits

Annual Paid Leave: Eligible

Probation Period: 3 months

Working Arrangement: Flexible working hours (Flextime system)

Remote Work: Available (up to 2 days per week)

Skills

Business Acumen, Internal Control Reviews, Problem Solving, Project Management, Risk Management

 

 

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

 

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines. We focus on four therapeutic areas: respiratory, immunology and inflammation; oncology; HIV; and infectious diseases – to impact health at scale.

 

People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we’re committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and providing equal opportunities for all applicants. We embrace an agile working culture across our roles, so if flexibility is important to you please discuss opportunities with our hiring team. If you need any adjustments to the recruitment process to help you demonstrate your strengths and capabilities, contact [email protected]. Please note this email is for adjustment requests only; for other enquiries please use our standard contact channels.

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