About Our Client Our client is a publicly listed, Tokyo-headquartered consumer brand known for thoughtfully designed products and a devoted customer community around the world. North America has become one of its most important growth markets, and the company recently established a U.S. subsidiary in Los Angeles to serve the region more directly.
The Role:
You will lead sales and business development for the company's products in North America, and help accelerate the brand’s growth outside Japan. The U.S. company was established recently, and this role is about making it work: building the local operations and sales structure it needs to run at full scale.
What You’ll Do:
Make the U.S. company work: Help build the local operations and sales structure, and carry out the localization strategy.
Develop new and existing channels: Negotiate partnerships with specialty distributors, agents and retailers, and strengthen relationships and terms with existing accounts.
Open up the market: Research the market, plan the right sales strategies, and run the company’s presence at trade shows, exhibitions and events.
Connect e-commerce and marketing: Build sales strategies for e-commerce, including marketplaces such as Amazon and Shopify stores; share what the market needs with the product team in Tokyo; and work with the marketing team on local social media and brand communications.
Travel as needed: Travel within North America for trade shows and partner meetings, with occasional trips to Tokyo.
What We’re Looking For:
Must-haves-5+ years of sales or business development for international or North American markets
-B2B experience with trading companies, manufacturers or wholesalers
-Negotiation skills in professional-level English, and business-level Japanese
-Experience with market research and sales strategy
-Strong adaptability to working across cultures
-Authorization to work in the United States (visa sponsorship is not available for this role)
Nice-to-haves-Experience launching an overseas office, or running or managing a local entity
-Knowledge of and hands-on experience in North American retail or e-commerce
-Sales experience at a specialty trading company
-Experience with lifestyle, gift or design-led consumer products
-Sales and operations experience with Amazon or Shopify
-Sales experience with department stores or select shops
-Other languages, such as Chinese, French or Spanish
