Finance Operations Senior Manager (Chiyoda, Tokyo, JP)

Finance Operations Senior Manager (Accounting & Tax) 

Tokyo, Japan

Step into a leadership role at a defining moment for our Finance & Operations Division in Japan – where strategic thinking, optimisation and fresh ideas matter more than ever.

Your new role

As Finance Operations Senior Manager, you will join our newly shaped F&O Leadership Team and play a central role in elevating how we approach accounting, reporting and tax in one of our most important markets. This is not a role focused on transactional execution. Instead, you will lead a small, highly experienced team and shape how finance operations evolve in response to new business challenges.

Your responsibilities will include:

Leading and developing a team of four experienced, independent and collaborative finance professionals

Driving accounting, reporting and tax activities in line with IFRS and J-GAAP, while ensuring full compliance with Japanese tax regulations

Acting as the primary lead on tax audits, partnering closely with internal stakeholders and external authorities

Identifying and delivering optimisation and automation opportunities across finance operations

Contributing to F&O Leadership Team decisions and helping shape the strategic direction of the function

Partnering with stakeholders across the affiliate and globally to find new and better ways of working in a fast-changing business environment

Your new department

As part of International Operations, you will join our largest operational unit. Covering 194 countries and 95% of the world’s population, more than 18,000 of us work passionately to serve 35 million patients each day. With a promise to outperform the competition, we continue to be the growth driver for Novo Nordisk, and to improve health at scale across the globe.

Within our Japan affiliate, the Finance & Operations (F&O) organisation has recently been refreshed with a new Leadership Team, of which this role is a key member. You will lead a team of four experienced specialists who bring strong technical knowledge and a collaborative mindset – freeing you to focus on strategy, transformation and leadership rather than day-to-day transactional work.

Your skills & qualifications

We are looking for an experienced finance leader who is energised by the opportunity to combine technical excellence with strategic thinking. To succeed in this role, you will bring:

10+ years’ experience in accounting, reporting and tax, gained in large multinational companies and/or a Big 4 accounting firm

Strong working knowledge of IFRS, J-GAAP and Japanese tax regulations

Demonstrable experience leading tax audits (essential)

Proven people management experience – years are open, but a track record of developing experienced professionals is essential

Fluency in both English and Japanese, written and spoken

A mindset oriented towards optimisation, automation and continuous improvement

Working at Novo Nordisk Every day we seek the solutions that defeat serious chronic diseases. To do this, we approach our work with determination, constant curiosity and a commitment to finding better ways forward. For over 100 years, this dedication has driven us to build a company focused on lasting change for long-term health. One where diverse thinking, shared purpose and mutual respect come together to create extraordinary results. When you join us, you’re not just starting a job – you’re becoming part of a story that spans generations.

What we offer There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary results we produce. Being part of a global healthcare company means opportunities to learn and develop are all around us, while our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and preventing diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

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