Director, Sales Development (Japan)

TL;DR

Director, Sales Development (Japan): Own end-to-end Sales Development strategy and execution across Japan, building inbound business development and outbound prospecting pipeline with an accent on SDR leadership, outbound excellence, and cross-functional GTM alignment. Focus on scaling high-quality pipeline through operational rigor, advanced outbound plays using tools and AI, and coaching frameworks that drive measurable business outcomes.

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Company

Okta builds trusted identity infrastructure that helps organizations secure AI and modern digital experiences.

What you will do

• Own Japan Sales Development strategy, operating model, and KPIs to drive regional growth.
• Lead outbound and inbound pipeline generation, including call blitz participation and setting outbound quality standards.
• Optimize sales tools and processes (Outreach, CRM, data enrichment, AI tools) to improve conversion outcomes and scale prospecting.
• Partner with Sales, Marketing, Channel, RevOps, and Enablement to align account coverage, personas, SLAs, and the SDR → AE handoff model.
• Build and coach an SDR leadership bench with structured coaching frameworks, call reviews, and development plans.
• Track and report SDR performance, conversion rates, and pipeline health; drive rapid corrective actions based on root-cause analysis.

Requirements

• 10–15+ years of experience in Sales Development, Inside Sales, or GTM people manager roles, including second-line leadership.
• Proven ability to build and scale SDR teams delivering consistent, high-quality pipeline.
• Demonstrated success driving outbound strategy, messaging, ICP refinement, and persona-based plays.
• Strong experience partnering with Sales, Marketing, RevOps, and Enablement, including forecasting and capacity planning.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in Japanese and English.
• Ability to adhere to the 4-day RTO policy (with potential shift to 5 days RTO).

Nice to have

• Experience in SaaS, cybersecurity, or enterprise software environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or related field (or equivalent experience).

Culture & Benefits

• People-first, diverse, and inclusive culture with a focus on coaching and mentoring.
• In-person onboarding and collaboration across a global community.
• High-visibility leadership role with ownership over a revenue-generating business area.
• Manager and leader expectations aligned to core leadership competencies (team building, self-awareness, talent development, results, strategic mindset).