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Business Development Director - Corporate Development (Japan)

Are you passionate about facilitating overseas growth with an exceptional business development track record?
Do you want to help Japanese corporates future-proof their business by developing and supporting the execution of global innovation and investment strategies?

If so, you may be the person we are looking for as we aim to recruit an experienced Business Development Director in our Tokyo office who can drive revenue expansion out of Japan by identifying, engaging and signing up new clients.

You’ll work alongside a diverse group of 180+ business development consultants with a deepspecialism in Asia. Over 35 years in the business, we’ve helped more than 100 of the top Japanese firms re-engineer their businesses, sustain and grow their levels of international competitiveness, and develop next-generation products and services.

We’ve also helped over 1,500 western tech start-ups, scale-upsand SMEs establish and grow in overseas markets – generating upwards of $800million in revenues for our clients.

And we’re now growing our team in Japan. So, if you think you’re up for the challenge, read on – and apply.

What you'll be doing

As BD Director, you’ll be interacting with top global Japanese corporates on a daily basis through emails, calls, F2F meetings, events and trade show visits. You’ll be identifying your targets and building relationships, listening to their challenges, developing proposals and closing deals to attain your sales target.

You’ll be engaging with the head offices of Japanese firms. You’ll aim to understand their growth plans for overseas markets and discuss how our in-market research, innovation and business development support services can accelerate their international expansion, green transition, and investment plans. You’ll also be engaging with clients post-sale.

You’ll often be talking to heads of innovation, investment directors, strategic planning departments and other senior executives. You don’t need a deep technical background, but you should be able quickly to grasp cut through the commercial and technical requirements of potential clients across a range of high-growth sectors including software, energy, renewables, heavy industries, automotive, medtech & life sciences and electronics. From there, you’ll be formulating comprehensive and often complex support proposals and closing deals with a view to building long-term, mutually-beneficial business relationships.

On a day-to-day basis, you’ll be part of a specialist global division of 40+ consultants supporting large corporates’ global growth. As a senior member within the Tokyo-based Business Development team, you’ll have the full support and collective experience of global colleagues to assist you, and will also be expected to utilise your considerable experience to help and guide your team mates.

You’ll also have a full suite of tools at your disposal – from Salesforce CRM and SalesNavigator to a library of company decks and templates, as well as a comprehensive training and onboarding program when you join.

You’ll be part of a growing, employee-owned company that, above all, values honesty, dedication and excellence. 

What you'll be getting

  • Competitive salary (JPY 8-10m+) and vacation, plus flexible working arrangements and an international working environment
  • Opportunities for growth and advancement within the company
  • Opportunities to workwith an international team (30+ nationaliities and counting!) within a diverseand open-minded company culture
  • Opportunities to travel within Japan and potentially overseas
  • Exposure to cutting-edge technologies addressing some of the world's most pressing issues: seeing how people, ideas and technologies from around the world come together to create self-driving cars, game-changing software, a life-saving medical device, robotics and more
  • Opportunity to make a difference by supporting Japanese companies compete and thrive through international collaboration and expansion

What you'll need

  • Native spoken and written Japanese – to understand the intricacies of your prospect’s business and present compelling and appropriate solutions
  • Fluent English in order to communicate effectively with non-Japanese speaking colleagues
  • An outgoing, sociable personality with an expertise in developing and managing professional relationships
  • A deep understanding of the Japanese business ecosystem
  • An understanding of the innovation, venture capital and tech environment
  • A genuine interest in technology, sustainability and international business 
  • Proven track record in building and managing a high-value pipeline and exceeding annual growth targets
  • Proven experience in navigating complex corporate structures, gaining access to and influencing decision-makers at the highest levels in client organisations
  • 5+ years of business / industry experience, with minimum 2 years of experience coming from the business consulting industry or a general trading company, delivering projects for or selling into Japanese (or other Asian) corporates, preferably in relevant technology sectors such as software, renewables, medtech & life sciences, electronics
  • Experience of building complex proposals and solutions from the ground up, with demonstrable results

Apply for this role

We’re keen to hear from you. Please fill in your details and submit your CV and cover letter and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.