Senior HR & Procurement Specialist

Senior HR & Procurement Specialist
Location: Tokyo, Japan (Hybrid/Parttime Permanent)

Lonza Japan is seeking a Senior HR & Procurement Specialist to provide broad HR generalist support and manage day-to-day HR and indirect procurement operations and services. This role is ideal for an experienced, hands-on HR professional who enjoys operational responsibilities, supporting employees and managers, and collaborating with both local and global teams in a highly regulated environment.

What you will get:

• An agile career and dynamic working culture. 

• An inclusive and ethical workplace. 

• Compensation programs that recognize high performance. 

Our full list of global benefits can be found here: https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits

What you will do:

HR Generalist & Operations Support (Primary Focus)

• Provide HR generalist and administrative support across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding/offboarding, contract preparation, and employee data management.

• Manage Japan payroll and attendance operations, including monthly payroll inputs, yearend tax adjustments, and social insurance procedures.

• Handle benefits and leave administration, including employee enrollments, changes, and inquiries related to health insurance, pension, leave/time off requests, and other statutory programs.

• Act as the key contact for the RPO partner, HR vendors, payroll provider, and global/regional HR teams.

• Ensure compliance with Japanese labor laws, maintain updated work rules, and prepare statutory submissions to government authorities.

• Support employee relations and performance management processes, including documentation and workflow coordination.

• Maintain accurate HR data and workflows in Workday and the attendance system.

Indirect Procurement Support (Secondary Focus)

• Execute PR/PO processing in SAP and ensure purchasing activities comply with procurement guidelines.

• Support RFx coordination, obtain quotations, and follow up with suppliers.

• Collaborate with Strategic Buyers and Category Managers on low value contracts and preferred supplier usage.

• Address supplier issues—including delivery delays, nonconformances, and returns—and coordinate with Accounts Payable on invoice discrepancies.

• Promote use of approved buying channels and e-catalogue (Ariba). 

What we are looking for:

• 5–7 years of HR operations, HR generalist, or payroll experience in Japan

• Strong understanding of Japanese labor laws, HR compliance, and social insurance requirements

• Experience in PR/PO processing or supplier management is an advantage

• Experience with Workday, payroll/attendance systems, SAP (Procurement), Ariba, and Microsoft Office

• Strong organizational skills, accuracy, and ability to manage multiple priorities

• Excellent communication skills and a customer focused mindset

• Native level Japanese and business fluent English 

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of. 

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board. 

Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.