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About the Role

The Counsel, International Employment serves as a senior legal advisor, providing strategic and pragmatic employment law counsel to Takeda's business units and functions outside the United States, with a focus on Japan and Asia Pacific. This role partners with Global HR, Regional HR leadership, Compliance, and senior business stakeholders to manage complex employment law matters, support organizational change, and mitigate legal and reputational risk in a highly regulated global environment. The role demands deep expertise in employment law, strong judgment, and the ability to influence senior levels while ensuring consistent application of Takeda’s values, policies, and risk appetite across diverse legal systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary legal advisor on international employment law matters across JAPAC (including Japan and China), and support other regions including EMEA, LATAM, and other non-US jurisdictions, providing timely, commercially-focused advice to HR and business leaders.
Advise on complex workforce matters, including restructurings, reductions in force, site closures, reorganisations, works council and union engagement, collective consultations, and employee transfers.
Lead employment law aspects of M&A, divestitures, and strategic transactions outside the US, including due diligence, transaction negotiations and integration planning, and post-transaction workforce issues.
Provide strategic guidance on senior executive employment matters, including hiring, terminations, investigations, disputes, and settlements in non-US jurisdictions.
Oversee and manage employment litigation, claims, and government investigations outside the US, including coordination with and supervision of external counsel.
Partner with Global HR and Centres of Excellence to develop, review, and implement global and regional employment policies, frameworks, and playbooks, ensuring legal compliance and practical applicability across jurisdictions.
Advise on employee relations issues, disciplinary actions, performance management, whistleblowing, and internal investigations, ensuring consistency with Takeda’s ethics and compliance standards.
Monitor and interpret legislative and regulatory developments in employment law across multiple jurisdictions, proactively assessing impact and advising on risk mitigation strategies.
Support global initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, flexible working, data privacy (as it relates to employment), compensation and reward, and workforce transformation, ensuring alignment with local legal requirements.
Build strong, trusted relationships with HR leadership, Compliance, and the broader Legal function, and other stakeholders acting as a thought partner on people-related risk.
Contribute to the development of international employment law strategy, including identifying opportunities for efficiency, standardisation, and risk reduction across regions.
Provide legal and functional guidance to other employment or HR-supporting lawyers, where applicable, and collaborate effectively within a global legal team.
Provide support for global business units and functions on non-US employment law matters.
Provide support for various corporate initiatives and strategic projects requiring international employment law expertise as assigned by the Head Counsel, Employment.

Requirements

Qualified lawyer with significant post-qualification experience in employment law, including substantial international or cross-border experience.
Minimum of 7 years post-qualification experience, although other levels of PQE will be considered.
Maintained legal practice certificate.
Fluent English speaker required.
Professional training/experience in an international law firm.
Demonstrated expertise and practical experience in international employment law, including collective labour issues, restructurings, and employee relations across multiple jurisdictions.
Experience supporting a large, multinational organisation, preferably in a regulated industry such as life sciences, pharmaceuticals, or healthcare.
Proven ability to advise on high-risk, high-complexity matters and to exercise sound judgment under pressure.
Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and advise senior leaders in a global environment.
Experience managing and coordinating external counsel across multiple jurisdictions.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance.
High degree of integrity, discretion, and professionalism, with a strong alignment to Takeda’s values.

Skills

International employment law
Collective labour issues
Restructurings
Employee relations
M&A
Divestitures
Strategic transactions
Due diligence
Transaction negotiations
Integration planning
Workforce transformation
Stakeholder management
Legal advisory
Risk mitigation
Compliance
Cross-border experience

Location

Tokyo, Japan
Shanghai, China
Other APAC locations

Work Type

Employee
Regular
Full time

Experience Level

Senior legal advisor
Minimum of 7 years post-qualification experience

Education Level

Qualified lawyer

Benefits

Allowances: Commutation, Housing, Overtime Work etc.
Salary Increase: Annually
Bonus Payment: Twice a year
Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays, May Day, Year-End Holidays etc. (approx. 123 days in a year)
Paid Leaves: Annual Paid Leave, Special Paid Leave, Sick Leave, Family Support Leave, Maternity Leave, Childcare Leave, Family Nursing Leave.
Social Insurance
Retirement and Corporate Pension
Employee Stock Ownership Program

About the Company

"Better Health for People, Brighter Future for the World" is the purpose of the company.
Aims to create a diverse and inclusive organization where people can thrive, grow and realize their own potential.
Continues to innovate and drive changes that will transform the lives of patients.
A global values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader.
Guided by values of Takeda-ism: Integrity, Fairness, Honesty, and Perseverance, with Integrity at the core.
Actions are based on Patient-Trust-Reputation-Business, in this order.