Overview
We are seeking a strategic and experienced Senior HR Business Partner to join our Japan HR team, supporting Microsoft Customer and Partner Solutions (MCAPS). This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of work by driving HR strategies that empower our people and business through AI transformation. As a trusted advisor to business leaders, you will bring strong business acumen, systems thinking, and project leadership. **You’ll operate across organisational boundaries—not tied to a single business segment—delivering high-impact HR initiatives aligned with both **business priorities and HR strategies.
To thrive in this role, you’ll need:
- Deep experience in strategic HR partnership
- The ability to think big, act boldly, and connect HR with business outcomes
- A collaborative mindset to influence and align across diverse stakeholders
If you're ready to take your career to the next level and make a meaningful impact—this is your moment.
Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.
Responsibilities
Leadership
- Drives clarity and strategy execution by identifying gaps and partnering with experts to assess business models and organisational structures. Guides leaders in aligning strategies with business outcomes across clients, teams, or regions.
- Analyses data to provide insights on leadership and team performance. Coaches senior leaders to foster change and inclusivity, and facilitates planning discussions. Delivers updates and guidance to executive leadership.
- Translates strategy into people and organisational priorities, collaborating with HR and business leaders to align vision and execution.
- Identifies change needs and develops interventions to enhance leadership and team effectiveness. Influences investment in change management and leads capability planning.
- Evaluates internal and external drivers to support change adoption. Engages early in strategy development to assess feasibility and co-create change strategies and training.
Organizational System
- Partners with HR and business teams to diagnose talent structures, interpret data, and build actionable recommendations. Designs and implements assessments to improve organisational effectiveness using insights from employee listening systems.
- Leads structural change initiatives, including reorganisations and clarifying roles and decision rights. Develops change management and communication plans in collaboration with business and communications teams.
- Analyses organisational culture through listening systems, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. Drives cultural change initiatives aligned with strategy, integrating them into HR processes like Talent Planning and Leadership Development.
- Collaborates with leaders to define people priorities and shape holistic people plans covering talent, structure, culture, and processes. Executes communication strategies and evolves plans based on business feedback.
- Interprets key people data (e.g., attrition, movement, compensation) to identify talent risks and trends. Frames insights in business context and leads implementation of data-driven strategies.
Talent
- Leads succession planning by identifying potential successors, assessing readiness, and partnering with HR and Talent Managers to close development gaps. Creates skilling plans and readiness strategies to prepare talent for key roles, while evaluating risks such as role availability.
- Drives strategic talent planning by aligning current and future business needs with talent development. Collaborates with business leaders and HR to grow the talent pool using resources like coaching, mentoring, and learning programmes.
- Executes holistic people plans—including leadership, culture, and inclusion—by identifying gaps and tailoring solutions to meet business needs. Partners with Talent Management to translate business priorities into talent outcomes and guide decisions on internal development versus external hiring.
- Develops and implements talent programmes by analysing business and people needs, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and sustainable growth.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Business, Human Resources, or related field AND 7+ years work experience in HR Business Partnership or in other relevant HR roles.
- OR Master's Degree in Business, Human Resources, or related field AND 4+ years work experience in HR Business Partnership or in other relevant HR roles.
- OR equivalent experience.
Deep expertise in HR domains such as Talent Management, Leadership & Team Effectiveness, Org Design, etc.
Strong skills in business acumen, data analysis, strategic consulting, and engagement with senior leaders/ stakeholders.
**Preferred Qualifications **
- Ideally with 10+ years of HRBP experience in delivering effective HR strategies and solutions to enable business growth/priorities.
- Preferably with exposure to Technology sector and/or familiarity navigating highly-matrix organisations with a dynamic fast-paced environment.
- Good communication skills with strong fluency in Japanese and with business-level English (or higher).
This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about **requesting accommodations.**