Head of Finance Japan

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 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 leaders while maintaining the highest standards of governance and compliance.
• You will thrive in a dynamic environment, translating financial information into actionable business insights and helping shape the future of Ipsen in Japan.
• We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace “The Real Us”.
• The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities.
• When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions.
• Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve.
• This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us.
• If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know.
• This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application.