Innovation Account Director - Venture Building
Rainmaking APAC, Japan

Do you want to build new ventures in partnership with some of the world’s largest and most influential companies? Ventures that achieve greatly accelerated growth by unlocking the huge potential of established corporate assets and scale-strengths?

Are you a dynamic and driven professional with a passion for innovation and venture building? Do you dream of playing a pivotal role in making Osaka in particular and Japan in general, the next innovation hub?

If you answered yes - you could be exactly who we’re looking for... Join us on this exciting journey as we shape the future of Japan's innovation landscape! We are seeking an exceptional Innovation Account Director who can build and lead amazing client relationships, cultivate the startup ecosystem and drive brilliant outcomes.

We're on the lookout for an Innovation Account Director to lead and be accountable for the engagement, interaction and mutual satisfaction of our venture build collaborations between Rainmaking's Venture Studio teams and our corporate partners.

We build ventures in partnership with established corporate partners, so we're also looking for someone who can demonstrate the ability to bring together the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds in a way that unleashes the best of both. Ideally you will have experience in both corporate and startup settings, with a passion for creating new businesses and helping to deliver significant impact.

The main area of responsibility will be to ensure our ventures are successful and create strategic value for both Rainmaking and the corporate partner that we are working with. The position is the main point of contact for key stakeholders at the corporate partner, acting as the bridge between their team and our venture teams.

This role is key in shaping our relationship with the partner as well as ensuring both parties' interests are unlocked to ultimately make our ventures successful and have joint impact on the Japanese startup ecosystem.

• You will support Rainmaking’s delivery teams in shaping the direction and story behind ventures: You will both challenge the team of venture architects that you work with, helping them to provide compelling narratives and business cases, and also inspire and convince our partners about the validity of our insights and credibility of the venture direction. For this, you will need to have demonstrated experience working on launching new ventures or new business lines and/or complex projects and then leading them to success.
• You can develop and nurture strong client relationships: You will build and maintain exceptional relationships, ensuring that the corporate partner's needs are understood and consistently exceeded, leveraging your expertise to deliver innovative solutions and drive brilliant outcomes.
• You have the ability to cultivate the startup ecosystem: You will be able to demonstrate enthusiasm and appreciation for innovation, startups, and the Japanese market. Supporting startups entering Japan, fostering a thriving ecosystem, and contributing to making Osaka (and Japan) a globally recognised innovation hub
• You are credible, with a strategic mindset: You will be able to optimally advise and convince corporate partners on taking specific strategic directions and why they should pursue or kill a venture project
• You understand Japanese MNCs: You will utilise your experience within a Japanese multinational corporation (MNC) or extensive knowledge of how such organisations operate to navigate complexities and identify strategic opportunities to drive successful collaborations.
• You have entrepreneurial exposure: You will showcase your entrepreneurial spirit by leveraging, either your background as a founder, experience in internal innovation, startup advisory, or involvement in investments. You will effectively provide valuable insights and guidance to both corporate partners and internal teams, on relevant matters
• You are detail-oriented, adaptable and able to prioritise across many competing activities
• You possess a growth mindset with a proven ability to learn quickly
• You value kindness, entrepreneurship and impact, just like we do

Requirements

• Fluent, native Japanese speaker with good English skills: Communicate effectively in both Japanese and English, enabling seamless interactions with clients and team members from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Enthusiasm for innovation and supporting startups: Demonstrate a genuine passion for innovation as well as a strong desire to support startups entering Japan in order to contribute to the growth of the startup ecosystem and drive positive change.
• Visionary mindset for making Osaka/Japan an innovation hub: Possess a deep-rooted passion for transforming Osaka an

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