Business Unit Manager, Front Line Care

Job description

This is where your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. Business: Front Line Care (FLC) is Baxter's patient monitoring, diagnostics, and respiratory health business, helping clinicians make faster, more informed decisions at the point of care. Through innovative technologies that enable early detection, accurate diagnosis, and continuous patient monitoring, FLC plays a critical role in improving patient outcomes across hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. With a portfolio spanning vital signs monitoring, diagnostic cardiology, physical assessment, respiratory health, and connected care solutions, FLC is at the forefront of advancing frontline healthcare delivery. Job Summary: The Business Unit Manager, FLC is responsible for leading the overall FLC business in Japan and driving sustainable and profitable growth through the development and execution of business strategies, commercial plans, and operational excellence. The role has full accountability for revenue, profitability, forecasting accuracy, business planning, channel management, and organizational capability development. As the business owner for the FLC portfolio in Japan, this position partners closely with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Service, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Legal, and regional/global stakeholders to ensure strong business performance and effective execution. The FLC Business Leader is expected to identify growth opportunities, drive customer engagement, optimize business operations, and build a high-performing team while serving as a role model for Baxter's values, ethics, and compliance standards. Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Business Leadership Lead the overall FLC business in Japan and deliver sustainable revenue growth, profitability, and market share expansion. Develop and execute short- and long-term business strategies aligned with Japan and regional priorities. Own the achievement of annual sales, margin, operating expense, and profitability targets. Act as the primary business owner and representative of the FLC portfolio in Japan. Financial Planning and Forecasting Lead Annual Operating Plan (AOP), Long Range Plan (LRP), monthly forecast, and Latest Best Estimate (LBE) processes. Monitor business performance and implement corrective actions to address performance gaps. Ensure forecasting accuracy through disciplined pipeline management and opportunity reviews. Manage business budgets and investments to maximize return and support strategic priorities. Commercial Strategy & Execution Develop and implement commercial strategies to drive growth across the FLC portfolio. Identify new business opportunities and alternative commercial models including rental, leasing, and service-based solutions. Partner with Marketing to develop market development initiatives, product lifecycle strategies, and customer engagement programs. Drive disciplined utilization of SFDC and ensure visibility and accuracy of sales opportunities. Customer & Channel Management Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, hospital executives, procurement leaders, distributors, and strategic partners. Develop channel and distributor strategies, including performance management, business reviews, and capability development. Lead key negotiations and strategic business discussions to achieve business objectives. Ensure effective account coverage and execution of customer engagement plans. Cross-Functional Leadership Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Service, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Finance to ensure effective business execution. Drive forecast alignment, inventory optimization, and mitigation of supply risks. Lead resolution of business-critical issues that may impact customers, operations, or financial performance. Represent Japan business needs and priorities in regional and global forums. People Leadership Build, lead, coach, and develop a high-performing commercial organization. Drive succession planning, talent development, and organizational capability building. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. Act as a role model for Baxter Values, Ethics, Integrity, and Compliance standards. Qualifications & Education: Required Qualifications 8+ years of commercial, marketing, business development, or business management experience within the medical device industry. People management experience with a track record of leading and developing teams. Experience in forecasting, budgeting, business planning, and performance management. Experience working with distributors, channel partners, or indirect business models. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills. Business-level Japanese and English. Desired Leadership Profile Strong financial acumen and business management capability. Data-driven decision maker with strong analytical skills. Demonstrated ability to identify business opportunities and challenges and proactively drive solutions. Proven capability to lead teams and organizations effectively in a complex and rapidly changing environment. Strong ethical standards and commitment to compliance, integrity, and Baxter values. Skill Set & Experience: Strong business acumen with proven ability to drive sustainable revenue growth, profitability, and business performance. Demonstrated experience in business planning, forecasting, budgeting, and financial management. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions. Proven experience in managing distributor and channel-based business models. Ability to identify growth opportunities and develop effective commercial strategies. Experience leading cross-functional teams and collaborating with stakeholders across Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Service, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality functions. Strong customer engagement, negotiation, and relationship management skills. Proven ability to lead organizational change and drive continuous improvement initiatives. Excellent leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities. Strong project management and execution skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment. High level of integrity, business ethics, and commitment to compliance. Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills in both Japanese and English. Equal Employment Opportunity Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic. Reasonable Accommodations Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information. Recruitment Fraud Notice Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice .