Business Development Lead - Japan

LayerZero The Future is Omnichain. Founded in 2021, LayerZero’s vision is to create a community of cross-chain developers, building dApps that are no longer constrained by individual blockchain capabilities. With LayerZero's simple, generic messaging protocol, builders will develop cross-chain dApps designed to unify the power of individual blockchains. We are funded by the best investors in the world including: a16z, Sequoia, PayPal, Binance Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Uniswap Labs, Circle Ventures, Delphi Digital, and many more. ABOUT THE ROLE We are seeking a highly capable Japan Lead to establish and grow our presence in one of the most strategically important markets in Asia. This role will oversee all market-building activities in Japan, managing the full client pipeline from origination to deal closure, while cultivating strategic relationships with leading enterprises, institutions, partners, and regulators. In addition to driving business development, you will also play a critical role in shaping our brand in Japan. This includes supporting marketing initiatives, participating in flagship conferences, and establishing thought leadership through an active offline presence. As the face of LayerZero in the market, you will represent our vision to the local ecosystem, ensuring we are viewed as the leading interoperability infrastructure provider in Japan. This role requires versatility, combining business development, partnership management, brand-building, and operational execution. Success will require entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and a high degree of ownership to adapt and execute in a complex and evolving environment. Our team leaves egos at the door, works hard, has big ambitions, and is passionate about building the infrastructure operability layer of tomorrow. We expect the same from you. The working environment is fast paced with plenty of ambiguity, change, and odd hours. You have to be okay with that as we continue to grow and mature as an organization. WHAT YOU'LL DO Market Leadership: Lead our Japan operations, developing and executing a strategy to expand adoption of our solutions across multiple verticals. Pipeline Ownership: Manage the entire sales pipeline from prospecting to deal closure, ensuring consistent growth opportunities. Client Management: Build and maintain strategic relationships with enterprises, ecosystem partners, and regulators in Japan. Deal Execution: Structure, negotiate, and close deals that drive adoption and long-term partnerships. Brand & Marketing: Support local marketing and partnership initiatives in collaboration with our marketing team, building our brand presence and ensuring consistent messaging in Japan. Thought Leadership: Represent the company at flagship conferences and industry events, becoming a visible and credible voice for LayerZero in Japan. Stakeholder Engagement: Contribute to ecosystem development by engaging with regulators, industry bodies, and thought leaders. Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with global BD, product, and marketing teams to ensure alignment and client success. Market Development: Identify and pursue new opportunities across Web3, financial services, and enterprise sectors, operating with entrepreneurial drive. WHO YOU ARE 6+ years of professional experience, ideally with exposure to technology, fintech, or Web3. Strong understanding of Japan’s business and regulatory environment, with networks across relevant industries. Proven ability to manage end-to-end business development, from origination to deal closure. Demonstrated success in managing senior-level relationships with enterprises, partners, and regulators. Experience supporting marketing campaigns and brand-building activities, including event and conference participation. Strong strategic thinking, sales acumen, and operational execution skills. Ability to thrive in ambiguity and take ownership in a fast-moving environment. Excellent communication and negotiation ski