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Description:

Japan Sales Manager — Channel & Strategic Accounts is responsible for delivering revenue growth and market expansion through effective management of local dealers and sub-dealers, while also building strategic end-customer demand for MaxCyte solutions. This role owns the Japan business plan and execution cadence—partnering with channel partners to drive pipeline creation, forecasting accuracy, customer engagement, and consistent value-based selling. The ideal candidate has a proven track record in a dealer / sub-dealer business model, strong distributor enablement and accountability skills, and deep familiarity with life science tools markets.

Territory: Japan

Preferred Locations: Field-based / Remote in Japan (preferably near a major international airport)

Channel Strategy, Enablement & Accountability (Dealers / Sub-Dealers)

• Develop and execute the Japan channel strategy and annual business plan, aligned to regional priorities and growth targets.
• Recruit, onboard, and optimize dealer and sub-dealer coverage as needed to expand reach and increase market penetration.
• Establish clear expectations with channel partners (revenue targets, pipeline targets, activity plans, coverage, and compliance).
• Implement structured partner management: regular pipeline reviews, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), training plans, and co-marketing initiatives to improve performance and consistency.
• Ensure channel partners are fully enabled to position MaxCyte value propositions, execute demos, and progress opportunities through complex sales cycles

Strategic Account Management & Partnership Development

• Own and scale strategic partner relationships within the cell and gene therapy ecosystem as their trusted platform advisor, ensuring their long-term R&D and commercial success with MaxCyte’s ExPERT platform.
• Co-create and execute tailored Joint Business Plans, aligning MaxCyte’s flow electroporation technology and solutions with partners’ pipeline timelines and therapy development goals to accelerate co-innovation and shared market success.
• Lead strategic negotiations for platform licensing and long-term collaboration agreements, securing frameworks that enable sustainable partnership growth and advance the development of transformative cell therapies.

Demand Generation & Market Development (End Customers)

• Build and maintain relationships with key end-customer stakeholders (research leaders, translational teams, manufacturing leadership, procurement) to create demand and pull-through via channel partners.
• Identify, qualify, and advance new opportunities across biotech, pharma, CDMOs, and leading academic centers—translating market intelligence into targeted account plans.
• Maintain strong market awareness (competitive offerings, pricing dynamics, funding/therapeutic trends) and provide actionable insights to internal stakeholders and channel partners.

Sales Execution, Forecasting & CRM Discipline

• Own pipeline management and forecasting for Japan: maintain accurate opportunity hygiene, ensure timely updates, and drive deal progression with clear next steps and close plans.
• Lead high-impact product presentations and demonstrations (directly or via dealer teams), coordinating with applications/technical resources as needed.
• Coordinate internal alignment across Sales, Field Applications, Marketing, Operations, and Finance to ensure excellent customer experience and smooth order fulfillment.
• Compliance & Professional Standards
• Ensure channel activities meet company policies and local requirements, including ethical business practices and relevant compliance standards.
• Represent the company professionally at industry meetings, customer visits, and partner events, reinforcing credibility and long-term partnerships.

Requirements:

• Education & Experience: BS in Life Sciences or a related field with a minimum of 10 years of direct sales experience in companies that develop, market, and sell life science tools to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and research markets.
• Experience: 8+ years of commercial experience in life science tools, biotech, pharma, or related markets (capital equipment and/or consumables and services).
• Capital Equipment Sales Expertise: Extensive experience selling capital equipment (>$100K) into pharmaceutical and biotechnology accounts, with a proven track record of consistently achieving targets. Demonstrated success navigating complex buying committees and managing long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.
• Demonstrated success operating within a dealer / sub-dealer channel model - (partner enablement, performance management, coverage design, and deal execution through indirect sales).
• Proven ability to build and manage distributor relationships and drive accountability against targets and activity KPIs.
• Strong business planning, forecasting, and KPI-driven execution; disciplined CRM usage and pipeline hygiene.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and influence skills with the ability to sell at multiple levels of customer organizations, from technical end-users to C-suite executives.
• Strong technical fluency to support solution-based selling in relevant life science workflows. Scientific & Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of Cell and Gene therapy, cell line development and manufacturing, immunology, and cell-based assays, with an understanding of transfection techniques and technologies.
• Language: Native/Fluent Japanese and business-level English.
• Existing Industry Network in Japan & Technical Acumen: Established relationships within the fields of protein production, cell therapy, immunology, cell biology, high-throughput screening, and high-content screening.
• Track record of launching or scaling new channel partners or new product lines in Japan.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Proven ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment, demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving, and self-motivation.
• Customer-Centric Leadership: Builds and maintains strong customer relationships, demonstrating passion for the company’s mission and solutions.

Travel: Ability to travel ~50% across Japan (and occasional APAC travel as needed).