Japan Business Development Manager/Country Manager

Cygnify

Tokyo, JP

Who this role is best for

Geared toward mid-level professionals with enterprise sales experience in Japan's logistics sector who thrive in startup environments.

Best fit for

Enterprise sales professionals with a proven track record in Japan's logistics industry.
— “7+ years of experience in B2B enterprise sales or business development”
Candidates who have successfully established a market presence from scratch.
— “Experience in 0 to 1 setup of an overseas base/subsidiary”
Individuals comfortable with dual roles in strategy and hands-on sales execution.
— “Execution capability to directly perform both strategy establishment and field execution”

Things to consider

Initial success is critical for organizational expansion and team building.
— “Establishing the local organization and leading recruitment based on initial performance”
The role requires native-level Japanese and business-level English or Korean.
— “native-level Japanese business communication skills”

How to stand out

Highlight specific instances where you secured a first reference client in a new market.
— “Experience in directly securing the first reference client among enterprise customers”
Demonstrate your ability to navigate long sales cycles with enterprise clients.
— “Experience in building relationships and successfully closing deals despite long sales cycles”
Showcase your experience in collaborating across cultures and geographies.
— “Communication skills with various stakeholders, including headquarters, customers, and partners”

Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

first anchor client acquisition
local organization building

Typical background

B2B enterprise sales experiencelogistics industry experience

Skills & requirements

Required

Enterprise SalesBusiness DevelopmentMarket Entry StrategySales Pipeline ManagementContract Negotiation

Preferred

Logistics Industry ExperienceNetwork Building

Stack & domain

B2b Enterprise SalesBusiness DevelopmentLogisticsForwardingTradeSupply Chain ManagementSaas IndustriesMarket Entry StrategySales Pipeline ManagementContract NegotiationCustomer InsightsLocal Partner DiscoveryLocal Organization BuildingFast-growing Startup EnvironmentSales And Business Experience In The Japanese MarketBuilding RelationshipsClosing DealsStrategy EstablishmentField ExecutionBusiness CommunicationCommunicationLeadershipExecution CapabilityStakeholder Communication

About the role

Original posting from Cygnify via Ashby

About the Position
The Japan Country Manager is the first person in charge of company's expansion into Japan. This position involves simultaneously performing overall business management and enterprise sales, from establishing the market entry strategy to directly acquiring the first client (anchor reference).
In Japan, securing the first contract is difficult without a reference, but once a major client is secured, the market spreads quickly. We are looking for an executor who will not just be a strategist on a desk, but one who will be active in the field and secure the first contract directly. Based on initial performance, you will build the local organization together.
Key Responsibilities
Establishing the Japan market entry strategy (GTM) and overseeing overall business operations
New sales targeting enterprise clients such as shippers, forwarders, and carriers, and direct acquisition of the first anchor client
Building and managing the sales pipeline, and contract negotiation and closing
Conveying local market and customer insights in Japan to the headquarters' product and development teams to coordinate localization efforts
Discovering local partners (logistics associations, forwarder channels, etc.) and networks
Establishing the local organization and leading recruitment based on initial performance
Close collaboration with headquarters' management and business performance reporting
Qualifications
7+ years of experience in B2B enterprise sales or business development (BD) (or equivalent competence) ; experience and local network in the logistics, forwarding, trade, supply chain management (SCM), or related B2B SaaS industries
Experience in 0 to 1 setup of an overseas base/subsidiary or experience as a Country Manager
Experience in directly securing the first reference client among enterprise customers
Experience working proactively in a fast-growing startup environment
Sales and business experience in the Japanese market and native-level Japanese business communication skills
Experience in building relationships and successfully closing deals despite long sales cycles
Execution capability to directly perform both strategy establishment and field execution
Communication skills with various stakeholders, including headquarters, customers, and partners
Ability to report and conduct business communication with headquarters in English or Korean
#LI-RK1

Source: Cygnify careers (Ashby)