Japan Country Manager

Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, the Japan Country Manager will lead Toon Boom’s business in Japan with full ownership of market strategy, revenue growth, and local operations. This role is both strategic and hands-on, requiring a leader who can build strategy, drive market expansion, build deep industry relationships, and position Toon Boom as the leading platform for modern animation production in Japan.

• Responsible for managing and growing Toon Boom’s business in Japan, including with full P&L responsibility and accountability for revenue targets, pipeline development, and market share expansion.
• Define and execute a localized go-to-market strategy across direct sales, partnerships, and customer success.
• Build and expand relationships with leading animation studios, acting as executive sponsor on key accounts and leading complex enterprise negotiations.
• Drive adoption of Toon Boom’s Ember AI features, educating the market on AI-assisted workflows while respecting established production practices.
• Expand Toon Boom’s footprint within existing customers while securing new studio, broadcaster, and enterprise clients.
• Develop and manage a partner ecosystem, including resellers, strategic alliances, and educational institutions.
• Lead and scale the Japan-based team across sales, support, and marketing functions as the business grows.
• Act as the voice of the Japanese market internally, providing insights that influence product roadmap, localization, pricing, and global strategy.
• Collaborate closely with global teams (Montreal HQ across marketing, product, customer success, revenue operations, finance, and people) to align execution and accelerate growth.

🎯 What you'll need

• 15+ years of experience in the Japanese animation industry and/or animation software ecosystem.
• Deep network and credibility with Japanese animation studios, producers, and production leaders.
• Strong understanding of frame-by-frame animation workflows and production pipelines in Japan.
• Proven experience working with North American or European companies, ideally in a leadership or market-facing role.
• Demonstrated success in building and executing go-to-market strategies, and leading sales and/or cross-functional teams.
• Experience managing enterprise sales cycles and high-value negotiations.
• Strong strategic mindset with the ability to operate both at a high level and in a hands-on capacity.
• Fluency in Japanese and English, with a deep understanding of Japanese business culture and practices.
• Post-secondary education in business, computer science, or a related field is preferred.