Events and Operational Excellence Lead (People Management)

About the Company

A growing global pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative treatments and improving access to medicines for patients worldwide.

The company works across international markets and has a collaborative, fast-paced environment with opportunities to work with global and local teams.

About the Role

We are looking for an Events & Operational Excellence Lead to manage company events and support key commercial operations in Japan.

This is a hands-on leadership role. You will manage important events while also improving processes and ways of working across the organization.

You will work closely with Marketing, Sales, Medical, Compliance, Finance, and external vendors to make sure activities are delivered smoothly, efficiently, and in line with company and industry requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Event Management

• Plan and manage company events, including seminars, congresses, regional meetings, webinars, and company meetings.
  
• Manage event logistics, including venues, vendors, materials, budgets, and on-site operations.
  
• Take the lead on complex or high-priority events and resolve issues when they arise.
  
• Make sure events are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high standard.
  

Event Governance & Compliance

• Create and improve guidelines and processes for event management.
  
• Make sure events follow company policies, pharmaceutical industry rules, data protection requirements, and applicable laws.
  
• Review event plans, budgets, and operational processes.
  

Vendor & Budget Management

• Manage relationships with key event and service vendors.
  
• Monitor vendor performance and ensure high-quality delivery.
  
• Manage budgets, purchasing, contracts, and payments in cooperation with Finance and Procurement.
  
• Find ways to use resources more efficiently and control costs.
  

Commercial Operations

• Support Marketing and Sales with the operational planning and execution of key activities.
  
• Turn business requirements into clear and practical action plans.
  
• Coordinate activities across Marketing, Sales, Medical, Compliance, Finance, and external partners.
  

Operational Excellence

• Identify opportunities to improve processes and make day-to-day operations more efficient.
  
• Review event results, KPIs, and feedback to identify areas for improvement.
  
• Lead projects to standardize processes, introduce new tools, and improve ways of working.
  
• Support the organization in building more efficient and scalable operations.
  

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the Events & Operational Excellence function.
  
• Support team members through coaching, mentoring, and day-to-day guidance.
  
• Prioritize workloads and ensure the team can deliver key activities effectively.
  

Requirements

Required

• Bachelor's degree or above. A background in healthcare, life sciences, or a related field is preferred.
  
• 8–10+ years of experience in event management, commercial operations, or a related role within the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry.
  
• Hands-on experience managing pharmaceutical events such as seminars, congresses, lectures, and webinars.
  
• Experience leading a team or function while remaining hands-on with day-to-day work.
  
• Experience with event operations, vendor management, purchasing, contracts, and payments.
  
• Good understanding of pharmaceutical industry rules, compliance requirements, and data protection.
  
• Experience working with multiple departments, such as Marketing, Sales, Medical, Compliance, and Finance.
  
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills.
  
• Business-level English and Japanese, with the ability to communicate with global teams and external vendors.
  

Preferred

• Experience in Marketing or Sales, or working closely with commercial teams.
  
• Experience setting up or improving a new function, team, or operating model.
  
• Experience with SAP, Ariba, or other purchasing systems.
  
• Experience in Customer Excellence, Business Operations, or a similar function.
  
• Experience with Power BI, Smartsheet, or AI tools.
  

Benefits

Remote working available within Japan.

Bilingual working environment with English and Japanese used regularly.

Competitive salary and performance-based bonus.

Professional training and development opportunities.

An international and collaborative working environment.

The opportunity to work closely with global and local teams.

A key role in improving commercial operations and event management within a growing pharmaceutical organization.

Company Overview