VP of Client Delivery

Position: VP of Client Delivery - Japan
Location: Tokyo, office based
Vacancy Type: Permanent, full time
Reporting to: President – Japan

Direct Reports: Operations Team

Inizio Ignite is the global advisory partner for health and life sciences, encompassing connected expertise across Research Partnership, Putnam, Vynamic, and STEM. Guided by purpose, passion, and precision, we collaborate with clients to ignite impact, accelerate performance, and deliver lasting change for patients. By uniting strategy, insights, and innovation with a unique depth and breadth of expertise, we drive transformation and shape the future of health.

Our STEM team uses benchmarking through AI-enabled and evidence-based approaches to drive alignment resulting in accelerated performance. Serving clients across brand & commercial, Medical Affairs & sales, our expertise includes data, research & insights (proprietary benchmarking data), strategic brand alignment, and sales & MSL performance benchmarking. Proudly part of Inizio – the market-leading commercialization partner for health and life sciences. From early-stage development to loss of exclusivity, we simplify complexity, unlock value, and make collaboration seamless at every pivotal moment – supporting confident, insight-driven decisions that move innovation forward.

Job purpose:

This position requires being a strategic partner as well as an operational driver with the President of Japan. As Japan has been evolving the quality of services and expanding the scope of services, this person will take the lead in operational excellence aligned with the global operation team. At the same time, this position requires improving the capability of team members for project delivery, which is crucial for STEM to advance to the next stage.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the President of Global Operations and the operations team to identify best practices and aligning on processes, standards, and systems to drive efficiency throughout the organisation and ensure that operational efficiency measures are implemented.
• Work closely with the Global Client Partnership team and alongside the project delivery teams to manage client relationships, specifically with respect to ensuring client satisfaction and operational quality of projects.
• Lead project delivery when Project Directors and Project Managers have their capacity challenges. Project delivery includes following items:
  • Brand Proforma Interrogation and Hypothesis generation
  • Workbook sense checking with client
  • Project Brief/Debrief – preparation before and refinement of the hypothesis afterwards
  • Final Presentation

• Provide operational leadership, direction and guidance to the Project Management, Analysis and Field operation teams.
• Contribute to P&L management with the President of Japan, attending quarterly business reviews and monthly Japan team meetings.
• Work closely with the President of Japan on the annual forecasting and business planning processes.

Essential Skills

• In house Pharma Sales Management, Marketing Management, Business Unit Head or management consultant with high level client facing interaction around sales and marketing capability.
• Detailed knowledge of STEM, its clients, its operations and how to develop business for STEM preferred but not essential.
• Senior level management and leadership experience, particularly experience of developing people and acting as a coach for colleagues/reports.
• Results-focused.
• Strong interpersonal skills to win business.
• Excellent Must be able to adapt communication style according to the situation and audience. Can ‘tell a story’ and close a deal.
• Ability to network at high levels and be credible when interacting with senior individuals within client companies.
• Ambitious, ability to work independently but a good team player with good leadership skills.
• Gravitas and interpersonal awareness to interact, challenge, advise and deliver solutions.

Ignite STEM Healthcare is a dynamic, fast paced global pharmaceutical and life sciences strategic benchmarking firm headquartered in the UK and present across six continents. STEM have developed an audit process and built a benchmarking database with more than 500,000 face-to-face observations completed across 52 countries. The benchmark provided is unique in the pharmaceutical industry consisting of over 100 KPIs, while focusing on 2-3 key priorities during formulation of action planning to help clients further accelerate performance.

STEM accelerates performance, improves strategic alignment, and facilitates excellence in marketing, medical, market access and account plans strategy execution. Due to the unique, specialised and highly targeted offering, STEM is experiencing a rapid growth phase, and recruiting heavily across the world. New employees will be joining at a time where rapid career development and growth opportunities are expected, as the organisation works towards their mid and long-term goals.

Find us here: STEM | Global Leader in Strategic Brand Alignment

Website: www.inizioignite.com.

Ignite STEM is an equal opportunity employer. STEM will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law. STEM Healthcare only employs individuals with the right to work in the country/ies where the role is advertised.