【Head of Legal】Leading Home Appliance Manufacturer

Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Company

Our client is a well-established Japan-based manufacturer operating in the consumer products sector, with a strong domestic footprint and increasing involvement in cross-border business activities. The company combines a stable operating base in Japan with international group connectivity and is currently strengthening its corporate and legal foundations to support long-term growth and governance excellence.

The organization values practical expertise, collaboration, and leadership, and is seeking a senior legal professional to take ownership of legal matters for its Japan operations while acting as a key counterpart to overseas stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

This is a senior leadership role with broad responsibility for legal matters across the Japan business.

• Act as the senior legal representative for the Japan entity, reporting into an overseas legal leadership structure
• Oversee all legal matters in Japan, including:
• Commercial and contract law
• Labor law and employee relations
• Corporate governance and compliance
• Regulatory and risk-related matters
• Lead complex legal discussions with overseas stakeholders, balancing cultural sensitivity with firm legal judgment
• Advise senior management on strategic legal issues, particularly those involving cross-border structures and transactions
• Provide legal guidance on:
• Transfer pricing matters
• Permanent establishment (PE) considerations
• Cross-border and intercompany arrangements
• Manage, mentor, and develop a small in-house legal team
• Strengthen and standardize legal frameworks, policies, and processes within the Japan organization

Required Qualifications

• Fluency in Japanese and business-level English (both required)
• Strong grounding in Japanese law, gained through in-house and/or relevant professional experience
• Proven experience working with overseas headquarters or international stakeholders
• Ability to manage complex, high-level discussions with senior management
• Demonstrated leadership capability and strong interpersonal skills
• Experience in a multinational or cross-border corporate environment

Preferred

• Additional Asian language capability (e.g., Chinese)
• Experience within manufacturing, industrial, or consumer product companies