Head of Business Operations, Safety and Quality

About Woven by Toyota

Woven by Toyota is enabling Toyota’s once-in-a-century transformation into a mobility company. Inspired by a legacy of innovating for the benefit of others, our mission is to challenge the current state of mobility through human-centric innovation — expanding what “mobility” means and how it serves society.

Our work centers on four pillars: AD/ADAS, our autonomous driving and advanced driver assist technologies; Arene, our software development platform for software-defined vehicles; Woven City, a test course for mobility; and Cloud & AI, the digital infrastructure powering our collaborative foundation. Business-critical functions empower these teams to execute, and together, we’re working toward one bold goal: a world with zero accidents and enhanced well-being for all.

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TEAM

Woven by Toyota is building a new mobility society that integrates Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs), mobility services, and smart cities.

To realize this vision, it is essential to ensure Safety, Security, and Quality across all products and services holistically and in an integrated manner.

The Safety & Quality Line of Business (LoB) leads the establishment and continuous improvement of governance frameworks for safety, security, and quality across Woven by Toyota’s businesses and technology development activities. We are responsible for building the foundation of trust for customers, society, and partners while enabling innovation and sustainable business growth.

The Business Operations Head serves as the strategic arm of the Head of Safety & Quality, driving organizational strategy, governance, operational excellence, and transformation initiatives across the LoB.

This team also plays a unique role in bridging Woven by Toyota’s global engineering culture with Toyota’s long-standing customer-first approach to safety and quality. We strive to leverage the strengths of both perspectives to build a world-class culture that supports innovation without compromising trust.

As a strategic partner to the Head of Safety & Quality, this role connects executives and practitioners, global and Japanese stakeholders, and strategy and execution to accelerate the growth and transformation of the Safety & Quality organization.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

A strategic thinker who can connect executive priorities with operational realities

Able to break down complex challenges into actionable plans and measurable outcomes

Skilled at influencing and aligning diverse stakeholders across functions and regions

Comfortable providing constructive challenge when needed to improve decisions and outcomes

Respectful of both Japanese and global perspectives and capable of leveraging the strengths of each

Passionate about safety, security, and quality as drivers of customer trust and business success

Inspired by Woven by Toyota’s mission and motivated to help shape the future of mobility and society

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Organizational Management
Support the development and execution of the Safety & Quality LoB’s mid- and long-term strategy
Facilitate annual planning, organizational objectives, and KPI management
Prepare and coordinate executive reviews, LoB reviews, and Board-level communications
Serve as a trusted advisor to the Head of Safety & Quality on strategic and operational matters
Identify organizational challenges and drive improvement initiatives across the LoB
Governance & Risk Management
Develop and continuously improve governance frameworks covering Safety, Security, and Quality
Drive risk identification, monitoring, escalation, and reporting processes
Partner with first-line and second-line organizations to strengthen risk management practices
Track and facilitate remediation activities resulting from audits and assessments
Provide executive-level reporting and insights on key risks and organizational health
Transformation & Continuous Improvement
Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives and transformation programs
Drive process standardization, operational excellence, and organizational effectiveness
Foster a strong culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement
Promote the adoption of AI and digital technologies to improve organizational performance
Strengthen alignment and collaboration across global teams and functions

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partner closely with executives, including CTOs, VPs, and LoB leaders
• Collaborate with engineering, product, legal, procurement, compliance, and governance functions
• Facilitate communication and coordination across Japan and global locations
• Drive alignment and consensus-building on complex and high-impact topics

Bridging Global and Japanese Perspectives

Help scale Toyota’s customer-first approach to safety, quality, and trust across a global organization
Represent Japanese market, customer, and cultural perspectives in global decision-making
Foster mutual understanding and collaboration across diverse cultural and organizational backgrounds
Balance global standards with local market expectations and customer needs
Act as a cultural translator, helping stakeholders navigate differences in communication styles, decision-making processes, and organizational values

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience

10+ years of experience in software development, quality assurance, functional safety, cybersecurity, risk management, corporate strategy, business operations, or related fields

Experience leading cross organizational projects or transformation projects

Experience preparing executive-level communications, presentations, and decision-making materials

Demonstrated ability to build alignment and drive collaboration across diverse cultural and organizational contexts (Japanese and global environments)

Business-level fluency in both Japanese and English, including written and verbal communication

Deep understanding of Japanese business culture, quality culture, and customer-centric values. Ability to articulate Japanese perspectives to global leadership while effectively communicating global viewpoints back to Japanese stakeholders

NICE TO HAVES

• Experience in the automotive, mobility, or technology industries
• Experience in Safety, Quality, Cybersecurity, Compliance, or related governance functions
• Knowledge of industry standards such as ASPICE, ISO 26262, ISO/SAE 21434, and IATF 16949
• Experience with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), internal controls, audit, or compliance programs
• Previous experience as a Chief of Staff, Strategy Lead, Business Operations Leader, or PMO Leader
• Experience leading global teams or operating within multinational organizations
• Experience supporting large-scale organizational transformations or post-merger integrations
• Experience driving AI adoption, digital transformation, or operational excellence initiatives
• MBA or other advanced degree
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Important Points

・All interviews will be arranged via Google Meet, unless otherwise stated.

・The same job descriptions are available in both English and Japanese; therefore, we kindly ask that you apply to only one version.

・We kindly request that you submit your resume in English, if possible. However, Japanese resumes are also acceptable. Please note that, depending on the English proficiency requirements of the role, we may request an English version of your resume later in the process.

WHAT WE OFFER

・Competitive Salary - Based on experience
・Work Hours - Flexible working time
・Paid Holiday - 20 days per year (prorated)
・Sick Leave - 6 days per year (prorated)
・Holiday - Sat & Sun, Japanese National Holidays, and other days defined by our company
・Japanese Social Insurance - Health Insurance, Pension, Workers’ Comp, and Unemployment Insurance, Long-term care insurance
・Housing Allowance
・Retirement Benefits
・Rental Cars Support
・In-house Training Program (software study/language study)

Our Commitment

・We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity.

・Any information we receive