Senior Labor & HR Operations Specialist

About this role

The Senior Labor & HR Operations Specialist owns the labor operations function at Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based startup focused on foundational AI research and applied development. The role supports a rapidly growing organization and helps establish reliable processes for a team with diverse backgrounds.

Day-to-day responsibilities include running and verifying payroll, bonus calculations, and year-end tax adjustments. The specialist handles social and labor insurance procedures for onboarding and offboarding, standard remuneration, monthly revisions, and benefit claims. The role also operates attendance management and reviews working hours, leave, and overtime for appropriate follow-up.

The specialist maintains employment contracts and other work-related documents for joiners and leavers. Responsibilities include supporting the application of work rules and internal policies, proposing revisions in response to legal changes, and administering the discretionary work system and highly professional work system correctly. The role improves efficiency by introducing and refining labor-related attendance, payroll, and HR systems, responds to employee questions about labor and social insurance, and collaborates with HR, Finance, and external specialists such as labor and social security attorneys.

Required qualifications include at least three years of hands-on labor operations experience at a company or a labor and social security attorney’s office. Practical experience with payroll and social or labor insurance procedures is required, as is hands-on experience running labor-management committees and related administration involving Article 36 agreements, the discretionary work system, and the highly professional work system. Working knowledge of Japanese labor law and related regulations is also required.

Preferred qualifications include labor operations experience at a growth-stage startup; experience introducing or improving attendance, payroll, or HR systems; a labor and social security attorney certification or related knowledge; experience designing or revising work rules and labor policies; and English communication skills for work, including reading, writing, and conversation. The role calls for accuracy, accountability, proactive identification of inefficiencies and risks, the ability to lead improvements, and clear communication with employees and external specialists.

This is a full-time position based primarily in the Tokyo office. Fluent spoken and written Japanese is required. Basic English communication is expected for working with international team members and handling related documentation.