Head of Corporate Affairs

Title:

Head of Corporate Affairs

Company:

IPSEN K.K.

 

About Ipsen:

Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.

 Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!

For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/ and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Job Description:

Overview

We are seeking a Head of Corporate Affairs to join our Japan leadership team. Reporting to the General Manager, Japan, this is a senior leadership role with broad responsibility across public affairs, patient advocacy, and internal and external communications, playing a critical role in shaping Ipsen’s reputation and external environment in Japan.

Key responsibilities

• Lead Corporate Affairs for Ipsen Japan, covering Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy, and Communications.

• Define and execute a robust external engagement and public affairs strategy, supporting sustainable patient access and favourable policy outcomes.

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with key external stakeholders including MHLW, PMDA, industry associations, media, and patient organisations.

• Partner closely with Market Access to support pricing, reimbursement, and policy positioning, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

• Strengthen Ipsen’s corporate reputation through media engagement, thought leadership, and issues & crisis management.

• Drive impactful patient advocacy initiatives, ensuring the patient voice is embedded across Ipsen’s external and internal activities.

• Lead internal communications and employee engagement, working closely with the Japan GM and Japan Leadership Team.

• Act as an active member of the Global Corporate Affairs community, contributing local insights to global strategy and deploying global initiatives locally (Ipsen’s “Glocal” approach).

Candidate profile

• Significant senior‑level experience in Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs and/or Communications within the Japanese pharmaceutical or healthcare environment.

• Strong understanding of Japan’s healthcare system, regulatory environment and policy landscape.

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex external stakeholder environments and sensitive reputational topics.

• A credible and trusted advisor to senior leaders, able to operate effectively within a global, matrix organisation.

• Collaborative, thoughtful and strategic leadership style, with high personal integrity and sound judgement.

• Fluent Japanese and business‑level English are essential.

Why join Ipsen

At Ipsen, we are driven by a shared ambition: to make a meaningful difference for patients while building long‑term value for society. You will join an organisation that values trust, integrity and respectful collaboration, with the opportunity to shape the external environment in one of Ipsen’s most strategically important markets, while working closely with both local and global leaders.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace “The Real Us”. The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know. This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application.

Global specialty-driven biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology, rare disease, and neuroscience. Headquartered in Paris, France.

ipsen.com