Corporate Chief Human Resources Officer

About the role

The Corporate Chief Human Resource Officer (Group CHRO) will provide strategic leadership and direction for Human Resources across Gakken and its affiliated companies, ensuring that people strategies, organizational capabilities, culture, policies, and HR governance are aligned with the Group’s overall business objectives and long-term growth plans.

The role will serve as the principal people advisor to the Group’s leadership team and Boards, establishing a cohesive HR framework across subsidiaries and operating units while recognizing the unique requirements of each business. The CHRO will lead enterprise-wide initiatives covering talent, leadership, organization development, workforce planning, employee engagement, performance management, succession, total rewards, and HR governance.

The position requires a strong strategic leader who can operate across multiple businesses, influence senior stakeholders, drive organizational transformation, and build a high-performing and sustainable people organization.

Key Responsibilities

1. Group People Strategy

• Develop and implement a comprehensive Group People Strategy aligned with Gakken’s business priorities, growth plans, ownership expectations, and organizational objectives.
• Establish common HR priorities, standards, and practices across Gakken and its affiliated companies while allowing appropriate flexibility for individual business requirements.
• Partner with senior executives and business leaders to ensure that people strategies directly support business performance and organizational growth.
• Translate corporate strategy into actionable workforce and talent initiatives across the Group.

2. Values, Culture and Employee Experience

• Establish and strengthen a Group-wide values and culture framework that serves as the foundation for leadership behaviors, HR policies, employee practices, and organizational decision-making.
• Promote a consistent culture of accountability, collaboration, integrity, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Lead initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, organizational commitment, and overall employee experience.
• Ensure that culture and leadership expectations are consistently communicated and demonstrated across Gakken and its affiliates.

3. Enterprise HR Architecture

• Design and oversee the Group’s overall HR architecture, policies, programs, standards, and tools.
• Establish consistent frameworks for recruitment and talent acquisition, learning and development, performance management, employee engagement, succession planning, career development, and total rewards.
• Identify opportunities to standardize and improve HR processes across affiliated companies.
• Drive the adoption of effective HR systems, processes, and technology to improve operational efficiency and employee experience.

4. People Governance, Compliance and Risk Management

• Establish Group-wide HR governance, decision rights, policy standards, and accountability mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with applicable labor laws, regulations, corporate policies, and governance requirements across all relevant operating locations.
• Develop appropriate workforce risk controls covering critical talent, employee relations, compliance, succession, organizational changes, and workforce continuity.
• Establish a disciplined process for Board and executive-level people reporting, including key workforce risks, talent matters, organizational health, and strategic HR metrics.
• Provide guidance to affiliated companies on significant HR matters, policies, and organizational decisions.

5. Leadership and Organization Capability

• Lead enterprise-wide organization design, leadership development, talent reviews, succession planning, and critical-role pipeline development.
• Build leadership capability and succession depth for key positions across Gakken and its affiliated companies.
• Establish a structured talent review and succession management process for critical roles.
• Advise senior leaders on organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, team structures, and workforce productivity.
• Develop programs that strengthen the Group’s future leadership pipeline and organizational continuity.

6. Workforce Planning and People Analytics

• Develop an integrated Group workforce planning and people analytics framework.
• Establish common HR metrics, dashboards, reporting standards, and workforce indicators across Gakken and its affiliates.
• Analyze workforce trends, talent gaps, turnover, productivity, succession readiness, engagement, and organizational capability.