VP, People

Looking for a chance to make a meaningful difference in the oncology space? Taiho Oncology is on a mission: to improve the lives of patients with cancer, their families, and caregivers. Our “People first” approach means we also highly value our employees, who work relentlessly to help execute our mission. Taiho’s success is founded on ensuring we always act with accountability, collaboration, and trust. By following these guiding principles, we earn and maintain the confidence of patients, the global healthcare community, collaborators and partners, and each other. Together, we are working on cutting-edge science and growing our portfolio and pipeline across a range of tumor types to address the ongoing and evolving needs of patients. Advanced technology, a world-class clinical development organization, and state-of-the-art facilities empower us to innovate and touch the lives of more and more patients.

About the role

The VP, People is the most senior People leader at Taiho Oncology, Inc. (TOI) and reports to the SVP, Finance. This executive is responsible for defining and executing People strategies aligned with the company’s business priorities and growth objectives. The role oversees the full spectrum of People functions, including talent acquisition, organizational design, workforce planning, total rewards, employee relations, leadership development, and culture. As a strategic partner and trusted advisor to executive leadership, the VP, People supports TOI’s U.S. and Canadian organizations while collaborating closely with Japan headquarters and the European entity.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the People strategy in support of TOI’s corporate goals, ensuring the function operates as a strategic partner to the business and executive leadership.
• Lead the People organization, setting direction, priorities, and standards for the team.
• Partner with the CEO, SVP Finance, and other senior leaders on talent strategy, recruitment, leadership development, succession planning, organizational design, and culture.
• Shape internal communications strategy and collaborate with Corporate Communications to ensure clear and effective messaging.
• Build and sustain a strong People governance framework that promotes transparency, consistency, compliance, and accountability across programs, policies, and processes.
• Ensure People practices comply with applicable federal, state, provincial, and local laws and regulations, proactively mitigating organizational risk.
• Partner with legal counsel as needed to confirm that People policies, practices, and employment decisions align with current legal and regulatory requirements.
• Lead enterprise-level workforce planning, organizational design, and headcount management in partnership with Finance and business leaders.
• Oversee the full talent lifecycle, including attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, engagement, retention, and succession planning.
• Design and oversee performance management processes, including merit cycles, short and long-term incentive compensation, and market benchmarking.
• Build and implement employee engagement and retention strategies that foster a high performance, values-driven and patient-focused culture.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, and total rewards strategy to ensure programs are competitive, equitable, and aligned with market data and company philosophy.
• Interpret benefits surveys and market intelligence to guide informed compensation and benefits decisions.
• Provide strategic direction for total rewards programs, partnering with external advisors and vendors as appropriate.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on employee relations matters, including performance management, workplace conduct, investigations, and conflict resolution.
• Lead organizational change, restructuring, and related People implications as business needs evolve.
• Collaborate with IT to oversee People systems and technology (e.g., HRIS) to ensure accurate data, reporting, and decision support.
• Evaluate and advance the strategic use of AI-enabled People technologies to enhance decision support and streamline operations, while ensuring appropriate governance, data integrity, and risk management.
• Leverage data and analytics to inform workforce decisions, identify trends, and measure program effectiveness.
• Drive continuous improvement across People processes, policies, and service delivery.
• Lead the People-related aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and integration activities as needed.
• Partner with TPC and other Otsuka affiliates on People-related initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related discipline required.
• MBA, master’s degree in Human Resources Management, or a comparable advanced degree preferred.
• SHRM SCP, SPHR, or equivalent professional certification preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive human resources leadership experience, including 7+ years leading a People / HR function at an organization of comparable scale and complexity.
• Demonstrated success serving as a strategic partner to C-suite and senior executive leaders.
• Hands-on experience across a broad range of HR disciplines, including talent acquisition, total rewards, compensation, benefits, employee relations, talent management, organizational development, and operations, with the ability to integrate these functions into a cohesive People strategy.
• Proven ability to lead organizational design, workforce planning, and change management in a dynamic, growth-oriented environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build credibility and engage effectively at all levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and insights to drive sound decisions.
• Working knowledge of AI-enabled People technologies and analytics, including the ability to assess practical use cases, apply appropriate governance, and leverage insights to improve workforce decisions and operational efficiency.
• Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and a strong commitment to transparency, governance, and ethical leadership.

Pay

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $299,200 - $352,000 annually. This range is based on the market for positions of this type. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include annual bonus/incentive comp plans, potential long-term incentive plans, and discretionary awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave).