Senior HR Business Partner, Japan & Korea
Straumann · Tokyo
COMPANY DESCRIPTION:
Straumann Group is a global leader in implant, restorative, orthodontic, and regenerative dentistry, providing innovative solutions that restore smiles and improve patients' quality of life. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (STMN), the Group operates in more than 100 countries, employs over 12,000 people globally, and generated approximately CHF 2.6 billion in revenue in 2025. Through a portfolio of leading brands, including Straumann, ClearCorrect, Neodent, Dental Wings, and Medentika, the company continues to advance digital dentistry through innovation, clinical education, and strategic partnerships. The organization is also recognized for its entrepreneurial "Player Learner" culture, fostering continuous learning, collaboration, and professional growth.
As a total solution provider, they take a holistic approach, offering training, support and a wide range of services to dental practitioners, clinics and laboratories all over the world. Their organisation is recognized as a leading innovator and works together with universities, clinics, research institutes, networks and communities to enhance the standard of patient care.
JAPAN BUSINESS
Japan is a strategic market for Straumann Group, supporting its mission to advance innovative oral healthcare solutions across one of the world's most sophisticated dental markets. Working closely with regional and global teams, the Japan business plays an important role in the Group's continued growth across the Asia-Pacific region while supporting its broader strategic priorities. The business enjoys a diverse portfolio of products and services through it’s numerous brands.
The role offers the opportunity to work within a collaborative environment that emphasizes innovation, digital transformation, and cross-functional partnership. Employees gain exposure to regional and global stakeholders while contributing to strategic initiatives that drive business growth and organizational success across Japan and the wider APAC region.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS:
- Primary Business Partnership: Country Manager Japan, COO Nihon Implant, Country Manager Korea; Japan and Korea Leadership Teams
- HR Partnership: Including HR COEs (Join, Grow, Contribute, Tech), HR Business Partners, Shared Services etc
- Specialist Support: Internal / External Legal Counsel (for complex employee relations matters)
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Senior HR Business Partner leads the HR agenda across Japan and Korea, supporting multiple business entities and the evolving needs of both markets. The role supports key business entities, including Straumann Japan, Etkon Japan, Straumann Korea, Nihon Implant, and ClearCorrect Japan.
As a key partner to the Country Manager and local leadership teams, the role provides advice, coaching and HR solutions at strategic, tactical and, where required, operational levels. The position plays an important role in enhancing organizational effectiveness, strengthening leadership capability, supporting business transformation, and ensuring alignment across businesses, geographies and stakeholders.
The Senior HR Business Partner brings broad knowledge across HR Centres of Expertise and HR Operations, and works closely with the APAC HR Head, Global and Regional HR teams, and HR Operations to implement and localize HR programs, policies and processes.
The role also represents the needs of the business within the wider HR community and advises leaders on organization design, organizational development, company culture, employee engagement and broader people priorities.
Primary Objectives
- Act as HR Advisor to the Business Leadership Team
- Act as a trusted HR advisor and expert to the Japan and Korea business leadership team.
- Drive HR processes at strategic, tactical and, where required, operational levels in strong collaboration with APAC HR Head, Global and Regional HR CoEs and HR Operations.
- Provide HR perspectives on Straumann strategy and the specific area’s business plans. Consult with business on HR implications of these and how to operationalize them into people activities.
- Collaborate closely with Global HR CoEs and HR Operations when implementing HR policies and programs.
- Use data and business insights to identify organizational needs and translate these into annual and long term HR priorities.
- Partner with the Business on Key People Processes
Key areas include:
- Annual and rolling workforce planning and budgeting
- Identification of future critical skills and follow-up on related action plans
- Talent Attraction and workforce resourcing
- Organization and Talent Review
- Learning and Development
- Performance Management and Total Rewards
- HR Operations and Governance
- Employee Relations and HR legal matters
- Culture and employee engagement
SCOPE OF THE ROLE
Key Responsibilities:
- Business & Transformation Leadership
- Act as strategic HR partner to Japan and Korea leadership
- Provide HR perspectives on business priorities, organizational opportunities and people-related risks
- Translate business strategy into relevant people and organizational priorities
- Support and contribute to transformation initiatives across entities
- Drive organization design and workforce planning aligned with business priorities
- Coach and support leaders through organizational and people-related change
- Multi-Entity HR Integration
- Oversee HR across multiple business entities with different business models
- Ensure appropriate balance between consistency and local flexibility
- Support prioritization of HR initiatives based on business needs and impact
- Organization & Workforce Planning
- Lead and follow up on annual and rolling workforce planning and budgeting
- Support organization design and organizational development based on business priorities
- Identify short-, medium- and long-term organizational needs
- Identify future critical skills and roles and support the development of appropriate action plans
- Use HR data and business insights to define organizational priorities and support decision-making
- Ensure agreed organizational development actions are implemented and monitored
- Talent Attraction
Act as strong contributor to the Talent Acquisition process in collaboration with the APAC Join Team.
- Coach business leaders in developing clear and well planned resource request
- Support the business in defining role requirements and selecting candidates who are the right fit for the position and the organization.
- Apply appropriate recruitment, interview and assessment techniques
- Support and Influence a multichannel and cost effective approach to recruitment
- Contribute to reducing hiring costs and time to hire while maintaining candidate and selection quality
- Talent Review
Act as strong contributor to the Talent Development process in collaboration with the APAC Grow Team.
- Lead and facilitate talent review, talent mapping and succession-planning activities for Japan and Korea.
- Identify short-, medium- and long-term talent-development needs.
- Support the creation and implementation of succession and development plans.
- Promote diversity and inclusion, transparency and fairness throughout talent processes, Challenge leaders to assess talent objectively and consistently.
- Coach and support leaders in defining suitable development opportunities for high-potential and critical talent
- Learning & Development
- Plan, organize, deliver or facilitate learning and development activities or initiatives in Japan and Korea, in collaboration with APAC Grow Team
- Support individual development, leadership development and team-effectiveness interventions
- Ensure learning and development activities are linked to identified business and organizational needs
- Strengthen the overall people-management capability of the organization
- Leadership & Capability Building
- Support the development of leadership pipeline across key functions
- Coach senior leaders and HRBPs on people and Leadership topics
- Strengthen overall people management capability and practices across the organization
- Performance Management, Compensation & Benefits
Act as a key contributor to the rewards and performance management process in collaboration with the APAC Contribute Team.
- Support the implementation of performance-management and reward processes
- Coach leaders on performance assessment, differentiation and related people decisions
- Apply an understanding of job architecture, compensation, benefits, policies, mobility and incentive programs
- Make appropriate recommendations to the Total Rewards team based on local business and market needs
- Support reward strategies, data insights and the implementation of agreed programs.
- HR Operations & Governance
- Ensure effective HR operations in partnership with HR Services, Shared Services and the relevant CoEs
- Navigate operational processes in line with corporate governance requirements
- Ensure effective execution of HR policies, processes and programs
- Drive the adoption of global HR operating model, incl. responsibilities and ways of working among HR Business Partners, HR Operations and Centres of Expertise, in respective markets
- Use data and operational insights to identify service or process improvements
- HR Legal & Employee Relations
- Maintain a sound understanding of employment law and employee-relations concepts and practices in Japan and Korea
- Ensure compliance with relevant local employment legislation and internal HR policies
- Advise leaders on employee-relations and employment matters within the role’s area of responsibility
- Manage straightforward employee-relations cases directly and coordinate more complex or high-risk matters with appropriate internal or external legal expertise
- Culture & Engagement
- Support the development of a high-performance and inclusive culture
- Drive employee engagement initiatives and follow-up actions
- Partner with leadership to reinforce company values and behavior
- Coach leaders on their role in building engagement, trust and accountability
Required Qualifications:
Experience & Education
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
- Minimum of 10 years of broad Human Resources experience, including experience as a Senior HR Business Partner, HR Lead, or in a comparable leadership role.
- Proven experience partnering with senior business leaders within an international, and matrix organization.
- Experience in the medical-device, healthcare or another regulated industry would be an advantage.
- Experience supporting Korea or working across multiple countries would also be an advantage.
Leadership & Business Acumen
- Experience leading or developing HR professionals is preferred.
- Strong business partnering capability with the ability to influence, coach, and advise senior stakeholders.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution in a dynamic business environment.
Skills & Competencies
- Professional fluency in Japanese and English.
- Data-driven, with the ability to analyze HR data, apply basic statistical understanding, and translate insights into meaningful business decisions.
- Strong project planning and management skills, with the ability to design and execute short- and long-term projects within the area of responsibility.
- Business savvy HR with a strong understanding of the company’s vision, strategy, culture, and business plans, both globally and within the local business.
SUCCESS PROFILE
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong stakeholder management skills across local, regional, and global teams, with the ability to balance strategic thinking with practical execution. They will possess strong business partnering and coaching capability, effectively influence, advise, and appropriately challenge senior leaders, while building capability in leaders, people managers, and HR team members.
Success in this role also requires the ability to work across multiple business entities, business models, and geographies, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in changing business conditions, sound judgment in managing sensitive people and organizational matters, and a strong commitment to transparency, fairness, and inclusion in people decisions.