Head of Japan
Aptos Labs
Aptos is a people-first blockchain on a mission to help billions of people achieve universal and fair access to decentralized assets in a safe and scalable way.
Founded by some of the original creators and maintainers that researched, designed, and built the Diem blockchain to serve this purpose, we have dedicated several years toward this mission. We believe the open-source Diem technology we have developed is an important foundation of a safe and scalable web3 world where everyone has more equitable opportunities to grow and access financial assets with lower fees and fewer intermediaries.
Aptos (Ohlone for "The People") encompasses our mission and ethos for why we build.
About The Role
As Aptos’ plans to make a push in Japan, we are searching for a Japan Lead to guide our expansion strategy, close deals & partnerships, and manage partners to bring web3 and blockchain technologies to Japanese enterprises.
As the Japan Lead, you will head an office of 5-10 FTEs and own the P&L (mainly driven by a game, led by an experienced director). You will be required to support the team while being responsible for identifying strategic partners and develop strong relationships to go deep with them. This means building internal business cases, negotiating complex deals, and working cross-functionally with key internal global stakeholders to further our mission. This role is based in Tokyo, in order to build strong rapport on the ground. You will work very closely with the Global Head of BD & Partnerships, the Institutional Strategy team and the APAC ecosystem team.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Own the country P&L, lead an office of 5-10 local FTEs by supporting them in their initiatives and developing a clear GTM plan for the company
- Research and identify companies and institutions in Japan that are interested in integrating blockchain and web3 services into new products, features, and services, and choose the best partners for Aptos
- Develop and close significant partnership opportunities that will advance our mission
- Provide strategic insights to product and engineering teams, delivering critical business perspectives and launching initiatives that impact the market.
- Collaborate with other markets to develop a comprehensive set of partners necessary for our projects
What We’re Looking For:
- 9+ years of experience in enterprise partnerships, BD, or similar roles at high-growth technology companies; or 5+ years at an MBB/IBD or equivalent
- Experience working with commercial agreements, including creating and negotiating agreements beyond standard sales contracts
- Experience working with both internal and external stakeholders, and managing them to achieve results
- Strong market knowledge of the blockchain & Web3 industry in Japan is strongly preferred; experience working directly in a blockchain & Web3 company is a plus but not mandatory
- A strong network with industry leaders in multiple industries (e.g., banking, asset management, big tech, media, social networks, conglomerates)
- An independent thinker with very strong problem solving skills, capable of designing creative deal structures if required
- Excellent Japanese and English written and oral communication skills, as this role requires frequent communication with team members and commercial partners.
Our Benefits
- 100% insurance premium coverage for medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents (US Employees)
- Equipment of your choice
- Flexible vacation time, 11 holidays, and floating company days off
- Competitive Salary
- Equity (RSUs) (US employees)
- Protocol Token Grants
- 401k matching (US Employees)
- Fun and inclusive in-person and digital events
Aptos is committed to diversity in the workplace, and we’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not hire on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by local, state or federal law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.
We are committed to providing a safe and secure hiring process for all applicants. Unfortunately, there are individuals who may attempt to impersonate Aptos or our employees for fraudulent purposes.
To protect yourself, please be aware of the following:
- We will never ask you for payment of any kind during the application or onboarding process, including fees for background checks, training, or equipment.
- We will always communicate with you using our official company email domain.
- We will never request your personal financial information, such as your social security number or bank account details, during the initial application stages or via email or a video/voice call when onboarding.
If you encounter any suspicious activity or requests that seem out of the ordinary, please do not hesitate to report it to us at security@aptoslabs.com.
