Business Development Manager — Japan

Experience

• 2–4 years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, or institutional relations — ideally in defence, aerospace, deeptech, or government-adjacent sectors

• Exposure to Japanese defence institutions, government agencies, or large industrial groups is a strong plus

• Experience navigating Japanese business culture and building long-term institutional relationships

• Prior experience in an international environment — startup, consulting, embassy, international organisation, or defence company

Skills & Qualities

• Native or near-native Japanese speaker — mandatory (日本語ネイティブレベル必須)

• Fluent in English — mandatory: you will produce professional documents, proposals, and presentations daily

• French is a meaningful plus — direct communication with Paris HQ is significantly smoother with French proficiency

• Genuine interest in defence technology, security policy, and European-Japanese defence cooperation — you care about the mission

• Organised, rigorous, and reliable — able to manage a pipeline, track follow-ups, and report clearly to leadership

• Culturally agile: equally comfortable in a Japanese institutional meeting and a fast-moving European startup environment

• Hunter mindset — proactive, persistent, and comfortable opening new relationships from scratch

• Discreet and trustworthy — you will handle sensitive institutional and commercial information as a matter of course