- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Senior
- Department
- Human Resources, People & Culture
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- Oct 7, 2026
About Breitling
Founded in 1884 by Léon Breitling, Breitling is a Swiss watchmaker renowned for its precision chronographs and enduring ties to aviation. Headquartered in Grenchen, the brand combines a distinctive technical heritage with a contemporary approach to luxury, design and responsible business. As an employer, Breitling offers a professional environment spanning watchmaking, engineering, product development, marketing and international retail. Its global presence connects specialist expertise with diverse markets, while its identity remains rooted in Swiss craftsmanship and innovation. For professionals drawn to both mechanical excellence and brand transformation, Breitling represents an opportunity to contribute to the continuing evolution of an established watchmaking house.
Breitling is hiring a People and Talent Business Partner in Tokyo to support three brands through recruitment, talent development, organization design, performance and employee relations. The role reports to the Finance Director, works closely with the Management Team and requires fluent Japanese and English; Finance retains HR operations and administration.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end talent acquisition, focusing on retail and other business-critical positions, including agency partnerships, direct sourcing, referrals, job boards, candidate screening, interviews and offer recommendations.
- Partner with the Finance Director, Management Team, department heads and boutique managers on organization design, team structure, workforce planning and other people matters.
- Participate in management discussions and advise on talent, performance, promotion, succession and organizational matters, exercising independent judgment within delegated authority.
- Drive talent development and succession planning, including identifying and developing future leaders.
- Coordinate performance management, OKR, MBO, promotion and salary review processes with Finance and business leaders.
- Support job descriptions, title consistency, grading preparation and people data required for organization and compensation decisions.
- Serve as a point of contact for employees and managers on people-related matters; contribute to employee relations, culture and engagement initiatives, escalating complex cases where appropriate.
- Support employee integration and probation follow-up from a people perspective in coordination with hiring managers; administrative onboarding and offboarding remain with Finance.
- Support employer branding, career site content and other initiatives that strengthen the company’s attractiveness as an employer.
- Identify development needs with business leaders and coordinate relevant local, regional and global learning initiatives.
- Coordinate with Finance and external advisors on HR policy and compliance matters where required, and maintain appropriate People & Talent trackers, timelines and KPIs.
- Manage work priorities and schedule autonomously, subject to business needs and applicable company policies.
Qualifications
- At least 5 years of experience in HR, talent acquisition, HR business partnering, people operations, retail HR or a related people-focused role.
- Hands-on recruitment experience, ideally in retail, luxury, hospitality, consumer goods or another service-driven environment.
- Experience working directly with business leaders, department heads or store managers on people-related topics.
- Fluent written and spoken Japanese and English.
- Strong practical judgment, ownership, follow-through and communication skills.
- Hands-on, proactive and pragmatic working style, with the ability to drive execution and solve problems.
- Good instinct for talent, culture fit, motivation and potential.
- A university degree is preferred but not required; practical experience, business judgment and execution ability are valued more highly than formal qualifications.
Skills
Experience
At least 5 years in HR, talent acquisition, HR business partnering, people operations, retail HR or a related people-focused role.
Education
University degree preferred but not required.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Explore jobs in Japan.
Culture
Breitling’s workplace culture draws on its Swiss watchmaking heritage and close ties to aviation, placing precision, technical expertise and a pioneering spirit at the heart of its professional environment. The brand brings together craftsmanship and contemporary design, offering a distinctive setting for professionals who value both tradition and innovation in luxury watchmaking.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Breitling, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Human Resources Business Partner», «Talent Partner», «People Operations Partner», «Talent Acquisition and Development Partner», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.