Our client a global advisory firm is hiring an Associate Director to join their strategic intelligence practice in Japan. They are seeking an independent, organised, and experienced project manager with a 5-to-7-year track record in the business intelligence sector or another field of consulting, such as strategy and management, regulatory, or political risk and geopolitical consulting. The role will be based in their Tokyo office, with at least three to six months of initial training at their headquarters in London.
As Associate Director you will; Independently manage enhanced due diligence and strategic intelligence investigations across jurisdictions in the APAC region, with a focus on Japan.
Responsibilities include:
- Deciding on and structuring lines of inquiry based on an assessment of potential commercial, regulatory, and political risks and opportunities.
- Identifying human sources in and outside of the firm’s network and drafting strategies to engage relevant sources.
- Developing an investigative plan for pursuing multiple lines of enquiry through a combination of open-source research and human source enquiries.
- Identifying, vetting, and cultivating a range of human sources across Japan and major Asian geographies.
- Oversee the management and operations in our Tokyo office, including: Line management of junior colleagues such as analysts, senior analysts, and managers.
- Liaising with other members of the Asia team across the London and Singapore offices.
- Developing training plans and initiatives to improve operations and processes for the Tokyo office.
- Assisting the Head of Japan with operational and business development responsibilities as needed. Debriefing clients (mainly private equity and multinational corporates), i.e.:
- Preparing verbal briefings tailored to commercial audiences following consulting best practices.
- Managing high-pressure client interactions in meetings with deal teams, legal teams and/or C-suites. Drafting written deliverables for clients, which includes synthesising, analysing, and creating value from intelligence sources.
- Identifying and benchmarking risks and opportunities within the context of a wider sector or geography.
- Presenting clearly structured, narrative-driven reports to a commercial audience.
Required Qualifications & Capabilities
- Fluency in English at the highest level of written and verbal communication.
- Professional working proficiency in Japanese
- High level of cultural awareness of working in Japan and with Japanese corporate clients.
- A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the business intelligence industry, or a relevant industry such as strategy and management, regulatory, or political risk and geopolitical consulting.
- Foundational understanding of the main business, as well as political and regulatory trends in Asia, with a focus on Japan.
Key competencies include:
- High levels of commercial awareness, including an ability to quickly grasp a target company’s value chain and business model, and exposure to commercial, regulatory, and political risks.
- Ability to manage and cultivate a strong team culture.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
- Robust professional judgement across the areas of project execution and client management.
- A self-starter mentality and ability to produce high-quality deliverables with minimal oversight.
- Experience of living and working in Japan would be highly advantageous.