Account Associate, Japan

We are looking for a senior, high-agency Account Associate to help build and scale our Japan Strategic & Large Enterprise, DNB and Startup motion. This person should be able to create pipeline through thoughtful outbound, strong discovery, disciplined follow-up, and clear stakeholder mapping. This is not a junior execution role. It is a front-line role for someone who can help shape the motion while working closely with Account Directors, technical teams, and HQ. At the same time, this role is designed as a launchpad for future sellers at OpenAI. It’s a highly strategic position with meaningful exposure to enterprise sales, product, and customer strategy. You’ll build core skills in discovery, stakeholder mapping, deal shaping, and executive communication, while developing a deep understanding of how leading companies adopt AI.

Responsibilities

Run high-quality outbound motions tailored to Japan Strategic & Large Enterprise, DNB and Startup accounts; Turn product usage, inbound interest, pilot activity, and outbound efforts into qualified pipeline; Partner with Account Directors on account strategy, multi-threading, and deal progression; Lead high-quality discovery to uncover business priorities, map stakeholders, and assess enterprise readiness; Contribute to pipeline reviews by sharing outbound activity, account insights, and early competitive signals; Build and iterate on AI-enabled GTM workflows (GPTs/Agents) to scale prospecting and qualification; Provide local market feedback to HQ and help improve playbooks for Japan

Requirements

Native or near-native Japanese, with strong business communication skills; Business-level English, with the ability to work effectively with HQ and cross-functional teams; Strong track record in B2B SaaS, technology sales development, startup sales, or similar roles; Proven ability to generate pipeline through outbound prospecting and inbound qualification; Strong discovery skills, follow-up discipline, and stakeholder mapping ability; Comfortable speaking with technical buyers such as Product, Engineering, IT, Data, or Security stakeholders; High ownership, strong judgment, and comfort operating in an ambiguous and fast-moving environment

Nice to have

7-10 years of total work experience; 3-5+ years of relevant experience in SDR, BDR, inside sales, startup sales, enterprise/commercial AD, or similar GTM roles; Some closing or full-cycle sales experience is strongly preferred; Can build trust quickly with Japanese customers; Experience in startup or high-growth environments selling into regulated or complex industries (Financial Services, Life Sciences, Retail); Some closing or full-cycle sales experience and a track record of consistently hitting and exceeding ambitious targets; Experience selling API, developer tools, cloud, data, security, or other technical products; Strong hands-on experience using AI, with a deep interest in the landscape and the ability to translate OpenAI products into clear, tangible business value for customers; You’re comfortable with ambiguity, moving quickly, and operating well with a high degree of ownership; Can act as a strong bridge between Japan market needs and HQ