Managing Director, Head Of Global HR Business Advisory

Head Of Global HR Business Advisory

Do you want your voice heard and your actions to count? Discover your opportunity with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world's leading financial groups. Across the globe, we're 150,000 colleagues, striving to make a difference for every client, organization, and community we serve. We stand for our values, building long-term relationships, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world.

With a vision to be the world's most trusted financial group, it's part of our culture to put people first, listen to new and diverse ideas and collaborate toward greater innovation, speed and agility. This means investing in talent, technologies, and tools that empower you to own your career.

Join MUFG, where being inspired is expected and making a meaningful impact is rewarded.

The position works globally, and scheduling flexibility is required to allow for regular meetings and connectivity with colleagues in the Americas, APAC, and EMEA time zones.

All Global Human Resources roles must comply with the location strategy of that region.

Number Of Direct Reports

The successful candidate will lead a global HR Advisory team of approx. 40, with 9 Global HR Business Partner direct reports (including the EMEA interim Co-Leads of Regional HR Advisory).

Main Purpose Of The Role

As the Head of Global HR Business Advisory, you will lead a high-impact, globally distributed team of HR Business Partners, driving strategic human capital initiatives across all regions and business units of a leading Japanese global bank. This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of our HR transformation, responsible for shaping and executing a future-ready HR advisory model that aligns with business strategy, accelerates performance, and enables talent growth at scale.

You will serve as a key member of the Global HR Leadership Team (GHRLT) and will act as trusted advisor to senior executives, regional HR leaders, and global HR functions, championing a client-centric, data-driven, and agile HR approach. This role demands a visionary leader with deep expertise in strategic HR, global workforce dynamics, and change leadership—someone who can inspire teams, influence stakeholders, and deliver measurable impact.

Upon hire, the role will initially focus on finalising and implementing the agreed Global HR Business Advisory Teams to ensure a smooth transition to the future-state Target Operating Model delivered through GHR's global transformation initiative, collaborating with the Regional Chief Human Resource Officers (RCHRO) for Americas, APAC, and EMEA to continue to build out the HR Business Advisory regionally-based teams as required.

Working closely with the GHR Transformation team over the FY24-26 Medium Term Business Plan to ensure effective structures, process documentation, infrastructure, and RACIs are in place for the future-state TOM while ensuring continuity of service though the transformation.

To achieve the above, the role will work closely with other GHRLT members, the GHR Transformation Lead and core team, other members of GHR, and key partners across the MUFG community.

In this capacity, the role will focus on:

• Continuing to define and refine the expected behaviours and outcomes needed to drive the new HR Business Advisory practice and ensure it is embedded with clients and within GHR.
• Building a high-quality team with the necessary expertise, capability, and skills to deliver on client needs across businesses and functions.
• Develop and implement communities of practices within the Global HR Business Advisory team to enhance the ability to operate effectively on a global scale, improving knowledge transfer and fostering a culture of continuous improvement through collaboration.
• Working collaboratively with Regional CHROs to ensure consistent application of standards and approaches across the global HR Business Advisor community and successful delivery to ensure a consistent client experience.
• Continuing to build out the GBG-aligned HR Business Advisory model as remaining functions globalise, ensuring a client-aligned GHR operating model.

Key Responsibilities

This role will take ownership and responsibility for the following:

1. Strategic Leadership And Transformation

• Architect and lead the global HR Business Advisory function, aligning it with the bank's transformation agenda and future-state Target Operating Model (TOM).
• Build and scale a high-performing global HRBA team, ensuring seamless regional integration and consistent delivery across Global Business Group (GBG) and non-GBG functions.
• Partner with Regional CHROs (Americas, EMEA, APAC) to establish regionally aligned HRBA teams and ensure continuity of service through transformation milestones.
• Drive the evolution of HRBA practices, embedding strategic advisory capabilities, commercial acumen, and client-centricity across the global team.

2. Executive Partnership And Influence

• Act as a key member of the GHRLT, representing the voice of internal clients and advocating for impactful, simplified HR solutions.
• Provide strategic counsel to business leaders on workforce planning, talent strategy, performance management, and organizational design.
• Shape and influence enterprise-wide people strategies by partnering with senior executives to embed HR advisory into core business decision-making, ensuring alignment with long-term growth and transformation goals.
• Support management of complex employee relations (ER) issues involving senior colleagues, high-profile matters, and/or significant litigation risk in partnership with the dedicated regional ER teams.
• Ensuring the HR Business Advisory team members are actively anticipating, identifying, managing, mitigating, and resolving people risk across the organization.
• Ensuring sufficient controls are in place to support safety and soundness.

3. Operations Excellence And Global Consistency

• Define and embed global standards, methodologies, and success metrics for HR Business Advisory, ensuring consistency and adaptability across geographies to address local, cultural and regulatory variances as required.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through communities of practice, knowledge sharing, and innovation.
• Ensure HRBA teams proactively manage people risk, support complex employee relations, and uphold safety and soundness across all regions.

4. Talent And Culture Leadership

• Ensure high-quality HR Business Advisory contributions and delivery of human capital plans and priorities that satisfy current and future requirements of the business, including detailed annual and Medium-Term Business Plan talent strategies.
• Champion 'know your talent' initiatives, ensuring visibility and development of high-potential individuals across the organization.
• Drive strategic performance and compensation reviews, leveraging data and aligning with human capital plans and market benchmarks.
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through advisory practices and talent strategies that reflect our global values and local realities.

5. EMEA Regional Duties

The Head of Global HR Business Advisory will take on a critical role to support the EMEA region’s transformation journey. Working closely with the EMEA CHRO and the EMEA Executive Committee (EXCO), the role will:

• Provide hands-on leadership to upskill and strengthen local HR capabilities.
• Support the execution of both HR and broader business transformation initiatives.
• Act as a strategic advisor to the Regional Executive and MUSE CEO, ensuring alignment between global HR strategies and regional business priorities. Supporting the EMEA business to drive business transformation initiatives including; proactive guidance and advisory support on restructuring, key talent acquisition/exit strategies, managing critical people decisions and collaborative business partnering with senior leadership (RE, CEO, ExCo, INEDs etc.) to drive organizational effectiveness.

Work Experience

Essential:

• Senior HR business advisory / business partner leadership and line management with proven ability to build, develop, and sustain both global and local teams and budgets, in a global matrixed, and virtual team environment.
• Direct experience of influencing, coaching and supporting C-Suite and Board stakeholders
• Experience leading HR initiatives that drive organization success, growth and innovation.
• Financial services industry experience, familiarity with corporate and investment banking and global markets environments strongly preferred.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate business strategies into people initiatives. Understanding of financial drivers and organizational performance metrics.
• Proven track record in talent acquisition, development, retention and succession planning.
• History of delivering results for internal clients in a high pressured, fast-paced, heavily matrixed corporate environment.
• Experience working across multiple countries and regions, with an understanding of global HR practices, labor laws and cultural nuances.
• Subject matter expertise across several HR sub-functions, including performance, compensation and employee relations.
• Proven