The Director of Sales & Account Management, Japan is a senior leadership position responsible for driving revenue growth, expanding market presence, and strengthening client relationships within the Japanese market for Patent & IP Services. This role oversees sales activities across multiple service areas—including Patent Filing & Translation, IP Research & Patent Litigation Support, Patent Renewals, and IP Maintenance—ensuring alignment with global business strategy.

The role requires close collaboration with senior leaders across Product, Operations, Marketing, and Client Success to integrate market insights, sales strategy, and operational excellence. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in Japan’s patent and intellectual property ecosystem and a strong track record in sales leadership across complex, multinational environments.

Key Responsibilities

Sales Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and execute the strategic sales plan for Japan across all patent and IP service lines.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing regional sales team.
• Work with Marketing to design and launch Japan-focused campaigns that generate demand and qualify leads.
• Identify and maximise cross-selling opportunities across the full IP services portfolio.

Client Engagement & Account Management

• Build and maintain relationships with key clients, corporations, and law firms.
• Partner closely with Account Development and Key Account Management teams to ensure client satisfaction and retention.
• Lead major client negotiations, long-term contract development, and partnership discussions.
• Deliver solutions that support clients throughout the entire IP lifecycle—from filing and translation to research, litigation support, renewals, and maintenance.

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with Product and Operations teams to incorporate client feedback into service delivery and future innovation.
• Ensure alignment with global teams on pricing, messaging, and market strategy.
• Provide internal training to enhance organisational understanding of Japan’s IP market and client expectations.

Revenue Management

• Own and manage revenue performance across all service lines in the region.
• Monitor KPIs, analyse sales data, and adjust strategy to optimise growth and profitability.
• Provide regular reports and forecasts to senior leadership.

Marketing & Event Participation

• Support marketing initiatives through speaking engagements, thought leadership, and industry visibility.
• Represent the business at major IP and patent-industry events, conferences, and exhibitions in Japan.

Training & Development

• Lead both internal and client-facing training initiatives related to the IP services portfolio.
• Coach and develop team members to build long-term regional capability.

Skills & Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in senior sales leadership roles within the intellectual property, patent services, legal services, or related professional services sector.
• Strong knowledge of Japan’s IP ecosystem, including patent filing, translation, research, litigation support, renewals, and maintenance.
• Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Experience managing complex client relationships in multinational organisations.
• Bilingual proficiency in Japanese and English strongly preferred.