Project Manager, Japan

Position Overview

The International Project Manager, Japan oversees a portfolio of complex transformation projects, coordinating multiple workstreams and applying best practices to ensure their projects meet business objectives and are accomplished on time, within budget and meet quality standards.

The holder of this role is responsible for developing and maintaining project timelines, leading project coordination meetings, tracking risks and action items, conducting in-depth analysis with teams, generating technical reports, and conducting project retrospectives. The International Project Manager is further responsible for promoting and embedding best practice methodologies within the organization of ESKK Japan.

The International Project Manager position will facilitate and manage projects within the ESKK Japan office and report to the Associate Director, Project Management and Transformation Office.

Essential Duties

Include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead the planning, execution, and monitoring of international projects from initiation to closure, ensuring alignment with LRP goals and objectives.

• Develop comprehensive project plans, including scope, objectives, deliverable, timelines, budgets, resources allocation, risk management, and other aspects as needed.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders across the organization to define requirements, milestones, governance, and responsibilities.

• Establish clear communication channels to ensure that the progress, risks, and issues are effectively communicated to all related.

• Monitor performance, build, and track key metrics, ensuring projects are on track and meeting quality standards.

• Identify potential risks and issues, develop mitigation strategies, and execute contingency plans to minimize project disruptions.

• Conduct regular projects status meetings, reporting on progress, risks, and issues to senior management and stakeholders.

• Supports the Transformation and Project Management Office in ESKK by planning, preparing and execution of business reviews for the International Leadership team in Japan or virtual.

• Ensure compliance with all regulations and standards as required.

• Foster a collaborative and cohesive project team environment, promoting teamwork, motivation, and effective communication.

• Develop best practices and lessons learned to facilitate overall project management quality in the organization.

• Provide mentorship to project team members as needed.

• Contribute to the building and development of a high-performing international transformation and project management team.

• Excited and contribute to the building of the organization from startup-like to a fully-fledged one.

• Identify gaps to be met and opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.

• Support and comply with the company’s Quality Management System policies and procedures.

• Ability to navigate through ambiguous and changing business landscape.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in business administration or related field as outlined in the essential duties; or high school degree/ 4th level vocational qualification in project management and 7 years of relevant experience related to the essential duties of the position in lieu of bachelor’s degree.

• Fluency in the English language (C1 or above per CEFR framework).

• Fluency in the Japanese language (N1 or above, or native level).

• 5+ years of proven experience as a Project Manager in an international or global context.

• 5+ years of experience deploying project management methodologies, tools, and techniques.

• 5+ years of demonstrated ability to manage complex, muti-country projects with diverse teams.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

• Proficiency in project management software and Microsoft office suite.

• High cultural sensitivity. Collaborate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and excel in fostering innovation through synergy.

• Ability to travel internationally as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP or PRINCE2 certification; or equivalent qualification.

• Experience in driving complex, transformative, organizational, strategic and/or operational initiatives.

• Consulting experience, either at professional services firms or in-house consulting department.

• Able to strategize a concept and transform it to concrete project proposal, planning and execution.

• Experience in molecular biology, genomics, translational science, and/or personalized medicine.

• Superior technical communication skills.

• Knowledge of other European languages (French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish).