Position Overview
The Chief of Staff is a trusted strategic partner to the President & CEO and a catalyst for enterprise-wide execution. This role sits at the center of strategy, transformation, and operations—translating vision into action and aligning the organization around a clear global operating model.
Operating as both strategist and operator, the Chief of Staff drives complex transformation initiatives, establishes scalable ways of working, and ensures disciplined execution across regions, functions, and the Japanese parent organization. This leader acts as the connective tissue between headquarters, global teams, and Japan, ensuring clarity, alignment, and momentum.
The ideal candidate brings intellectual curiosity, low ego, and strong ownership. Success in this role is defined by measurable transformation outcomes, a clearly adopted operating model, and an organization that executes consistently against strategic priorities.
Key Responsibilities
Enterprise Transformation & Global Operating Model (Core Accountability)
- Lead enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, including organizational structure, governance, decision rights, and operating rhythms.
- Partner closely with the Japanese parent organization to co-design and implement a future-state global operating model that balances global consistency with regional empowerment.
- Design and institutionalize scalable ways of working across the global business.
- Serve as overall program lead for major transformation and change initiatives.
Strategy, Planning & Execution
- Partner with the CEO to shape enterprise priorities and long-range strategy.
- Translate strategy into actionable roadmaps, milestones, and execution plans.
- Track progress against top global initiatives and ensure accountability.
- Prepare executive-level and board-ready materials.
Frameworks, Tools & Enterprise Enablement
- Develop enterprise-wide frameworks, templates, and toolkits to support planning, performance management, and execution.
- Establish standard approaches for business planning, reviews, and dashboards.
- Build executive-ready templates for strategy decks, operating reviews, and board materials.
Cross-Functional & Global Alignment
- Drive coordination and alignment across regions and functions.
- Facilitate executive operating forums and leadership cadences.
- Clarify ownership, roles, and decision rights across the organization.
- Act as a key liaison between headquarters, regional leaders, and the Japanese parent company.
Change Leadership & Communication
- Craft clear internal narratives to support transformation and change initiatives.
- Support global change management efforts, ensuring alignment and engagement across cultures.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree required
- MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred
Experience
- 10–15+ years of experience in strategy, transformation, operations, consulting, or general management
- Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional transformation initiatives
- Significant experience working in global, cross-cultural environments
- Direct experience working with or within Japanese organizations strongly preferred
Required Skills & Competencies
- Demonstrated success in organizational transformation and operating model design
- Strong strategic thinking combined with hands-on execution capability
- Expertise in building scalable frameworks, systems, and processes
- Exceptional communication, synthesis, and executive presence
- High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management skills
- Ability to bridge Western and Japanese business norms effectively
- Bias toward action with respect for process and governance
- Fluency in Japanese is required (business-level or higher)