Head of Talent Acquisition Japan

About us

We’re hiring: Head of Talent Acquisition Japan.

At DHL Supply Chain, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As we continue to grow and transform, we are looking for a dynamic Head of Talent Acquisition with the ability to shape how we attract, engage, and hire top talent.

This is an opportunity to build and elevate a high-performing TA function, partner with senior leadership to drive business growth and champion innovative, data-driven hiring strategies.

At DHL Supply Chain, we don’t just move goods, we move careers forward.

Apply now!

Role overview

HR General Manager (Talent Acquisition Lead) serves as the overall leader of the Talent Acquisition (TA) function at DHL Supply Chain Japan, responsible for securing a stable and strategic talent pipeline to support the company’s rapid business expansion.

This position oversees the following two Talent Acquisition teams:

■ Full-Time Hiring Team (4 members)

Responsible for a broad range of roles including HR, IT, Finance & Accounting, Operational Excellence (OE), Sustainability (SD), Sales (New Business & Account Management), and Warehouse Operations.

■ Contract & Temporary Hiring Team (3-4 members)

Responsible primarily for hiring warehouse frontline staff, with hiring volumes fluctuating significantly depending on project demands.

Although the majority of hiring is concentrated in the Greater Tokyo Area, this role supports recruitment needs across all sites nationwide.

Given the accelerated growth of DSC Japan, this position is tasked with building and driving a next‑generation recruitment model that optimally combines maximized Direct Sourcing (LinkedIn, job boards, social media) with strategic use of agencies for hard‑to‑fill roles.

This role requires not only HR expertise but also a marketing-oriented mindset—including digital, branding, and user‑centric thinking—positioning recruitment as a strategic lever that elevates corporate value.

It also offers future potential to transition into a Business Partner role and gain deeper business aligned HR experience.

Responsibilities

1. Leadership of the Talent Acquisition Function

-Lead and develop the full-time hiring team (4 members) and the contract/temporary hiring team (3–4 members).
-Define recruitment policies and strategies, and provide clear direction to both teams.
-Strengthen TA organizational capabilities and professional skills.
-Drive process improvement and standardization based on hiring KPIs.
-Enhance candidate experience and ensure consistent employer brand messaging.
-Build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders (Business Unit Heads, Site Managers, Corporate Function Leaders).
-Optimize hiring plans, manpower budgets, and resource allocation to meet rapidly increasing headcount needs.
-Collaborate closely with relevant HRBPs.

2. Full-Time Hiring (Mid-Career & New Graduate) Management

-Design and execute recruitment strategies for a wide variety of specialized roles, including IT, Finance, HR, Business Development, Operational Excellence, Solution Design, Warehouse Operations, and Transport Supervisors/Drivers.
-Maximize Direct Sourcing initiatives (LinkedIn, Indeed, job boards, social media, etc.).
-Build and nurture talent pools and talent communities.
-Establish strategic partnerships with recruitment agencies for niche and high-difficulty roles.
Design, optimize, and deliver interview processes and interviewer capability training.
-Integrate and optimize mid‑career and new graduate hiring (branding, channels, processes).

3. Contract & Temporary Staffing Management

-Lead hiring and short-term staffing plans centered around warehouse operations.
-Manage vendors (staffing agencies) and maintain service quality.
-Build scalable hiring models that can support sudden increases in project-based hiring demand.
-Manage recruitment costs (advertising, staffing markups) and improve hiring efficiency.
-Improve forecasting accuracy through close communication with site and operations management.

4. Recruitment Strategy & Innovation

-Plan and execute digital marketing–driven recruitment strategies that go beyond traditional hiring methods, including: Use of social media / Content marketing / Branding videos / Employee interview articles

-Continuously analyze, review, and optimize channels and tools.
-Leverage ATS, BI, and analytics data for data-driven decision making.
-Strengthen employer branding across the organization.
-Lead recruitment transformation initiatives, including TA digitalization, AI tools, and process automation.

Requirements

Desired Competencies / Success Profile

-Ability to perform effectively in a fast‑changing, high‑growth environment
-Strong marketing mindset (persona thinking, channel strategy, branding awareness)
-Data‑driven mindset with the ability to interpret and leverage recruitment analytics
-Capability to design and execute innovative, non‑traditional recruitment strategies
-Team management and coaching skills to develop high‑performing recruiters
-Strong communication, negotiation, and coordination skills
-Leadership that engages and influences stakeholders across functions and levels

Required Qualifications

-7–10 years of experience in Talent Acquisition or broader HR roles
-Proven leadership or management experience within a TA team
-Experience in mid‑career recruitment for specialized, corporate, sales, or operations roles
-Hands‑on experience with Direct Sourcing (LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards, etc.)
-Business‑level proficiency in both Japanese and English
-Demonstrated ability to collaborate and negotiate with a diverse range of stakeholders (corporate functions, frontline operations, senior leadership)

Preferred Qualifications

-Experience in recruitment within the logistics or supply chain industry
-Experience managing large‑scale or rapid hiring initiatives associated with new project launches
-Experience in recruitment marketing or employer branding
-Experience implementing or enhancing ATS / BI tools
-Background in recruitment agencies or search firms is also welcome