Business Development Manager — Japan

About Alta Ares

Alta Ares is a deeptech startup founded in 2024, building real-time AI for defense operations — ISR, C-UAS, and autonomous systems. Our clients are NATO-aligned militaries and defence institutions, with regular deployments during live exercises and operational demonstrations. We raised €2M seed in May 2025, 50M in June 2026, and are expanding fast.

Our product suite includes:

• Real-time AI ISR module deployable on drones and tactical platforms

• Counter-UAS solution enabling autonomous drone takeover in GNSS-denied environments

• Full-stack MLOps platform for training & deploying military-grade AI models

• Data fusion and trajectory prediction

Role & Mission

As Business Development Manager Japan, you will be Alta Ares' first dedicated presence in the Japanese market — responsible for building institutional and industrial relationships, developing the commercial pipeline, and establishing Alta Ares as a trusted defence AI partner within Japan's rapidly evolving defence ecosystem.

Japan is investing heavily in defence modernisation, C-UAS, and autonomous systems. You will be on the ground at the right moment: opening doors with Japan MOD, the Self-Defense Forces, and leading Japanese defence primes, and converting those relationships into concrete partnerships and contracts.

This is a builder role with high ownership. You will operate with significant autonomy while being tightly connected to the Paris leadership team — which makes your ability to bridge cultures, languages, and operational contexts absolutely central to success.

Institutional Business Development — Japan MOD & Self-Defense Forces

• Identify, qualify, and develop opportunities across Japan MOD (防衛省), ATLA (acquisition, technology & logistics agency), and the three branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF, JASDF, JMSDF)

• Build trusted relationships with programme officers, capability managers, and procurement officials within Japanese defence institutions

• Map relevant capability gaps and procurement programmes aligned with Alta Ares' product suite: ISR, C-UAS, AI autonomy

• Support the preparation of proposals, capability briefings, and demonstration requests for Japanese institutional clients

• Monitor Japanese defence policy developments, budget cycles, and strategic priorities (including the 2022 National Security Strategy and 2% GDP defence commitment)

Industrial Business Development — Defence Primes & Partners

• Identify and engage Japanese defence primes and industrial partners as potential teaming, channel, or licensing partners: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, NEC, Fujitsu Defence, IHI, and equivalent

• Develop and manage relationships with Japanese systems integrators and technology companies operating in the defence space

• Explore joint development, co-production, or distribution partnership structures suited to Japan's defence industrial policy

• Represent Alta Ares at key Japanese defence events: DSEI Japan, Nico Tech, defence industry forums, and bilateral NATO-Japan exercises

Market Intelligence & Strategy

• Map the Japanese defence market: procurement cycles, budget allocation, regulatory environment (including export control and foreign vendor access rules), and competitive landscape

• Track Japan's evolving defence posture and its implications for AI, C-UAS, and autonomous systems procurement

• Provide regular market intelligence and strategic recommendations to the Paris leadership team

• Support Alta Ares' compliance with Japanese regulations and any bilateral defence cooperation frameworks (Japan–NATO, Japan–France defence agreements)

Cross-cultural Coordination & Internal Liaison

• Act as the cultural and operational bridge between the Japan office and Alta Ares HQ in Paris

• Translate not just language but context — ensuring Japanese partners' expectations and communication styles are understood at HQ, and that Alta Ares' positioning resonates locally

• Coordinate demonstrations, field visits, and partner meetings end-to-end, working with Engineering and Operations in Paris

• Prepare bilingual materials, meeting summaries, and partner-facing documentation in Japanese and English

Candidate Profile

Experience

• 2–4 years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, or institutional relations — ideally in defence, aerospace, deeptech, or government-adjacent sectors

• Exposure to Japanese defence institutions, government agencies, or large industrial groups is a strong plus

• Experience navigating Japanese business culture and building long-term institutional relationships

• Prior experience in an international environment — startup, consulting, embassy, international organisation, or defence company

Skills & Qualities

• Native or near-native Japanese speaker — mandatory (日本語ネイティブレベル必須)

• Fluent in English — mandatory: you will produce professional documents, proposals, and presentations daily

• French is a meaningful plus — direct communication with Paris HQ is significantly smoother with French proficiency

• Genuine interest in defence technology, security policy, and European-Japanese defence cooperation — you care about the mission

• Organised, rigorous, and reliable — able to manage a pipeline, track follow-ups, and report clearly to leadership

• Culturally agile: equally comfortable in a Japanese institutional meeting and a fast-moving European startup environment

• Hunter mindset — proactive, persistent, and comfortable opening new relationships from scratch

• Discreet and trustworthy — you will handle sensitive institutional and commercial information as a matter of course