Director, Japan Business Development and Responsible Director

Overview

Mesh is building out its presence in Japan, and we're looking for someone to lead that build from the ground up. This is a dual mandate. Half of the job is commercial: you own Mesh's growth in one of the most important and complex markets in APAC, building relationships with exchanges, PSPs, banks and fintechs. The other half is governance: you'll serve as a director of Mesh's Japan entity, holding statutory responsibility for local representation and board-level accountability. You'll operate with real autonomy from day one. This is not a role where you wait for a playbook. You're building the playbook, the pipeline and the local presence at the same time.

What You'll Do

- Own Mesh's commercial pipeline in Japan across exchanges, PSPs, banks and fintechs, from first conversation to signed contract

- Build and manage relationships with the key players in Japan's crypto and payments ecosystem

- Act as Mesh's primary representative in market, to partners, prospective clients and regulators

- Serve as a director of Mesh's Japan entity, with statutory responsibility for local governance and board reporting

- Work closely with Mesh's global business development, legal and compliance teams to keep local activity aligned with company strategy

- Report regularly to senior leadership on pipeline, market development and commercial progress

- Partner with Mesh's Compliance Officer and outside counsel to navigate Japan's regulatory environment as the business scales

- Recruit and manage a small local team as the Japan operation grows

Who You Are

- 10+ years in payments, fintech or financial services, with meaningful time in crypto or digital assets

- Experience serving as a company director in Japan, or strong working familiarity with Japanese corporate governance and board obligations

- A real network across Japan's exchange, PSP and financial services landscape, built over years, not weeks

- Business-level fluency in both Japanese and English (a native Japanese speaker is preferred, given the nuances of business communication and the complexity of local regulatory contexts)

- A track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder commercial deals

- Comfort operating with significant autonomy in a fast-moving, early-stage environment

- Prior engagement with Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) 

- Based in Tokyo, or able to relocate

Nice to Have

- Existing relationships with major Japan exchanges or fintech platforms

- Experience standing up or scaling a regional operation for a global company

The estimated base salary for this position is ¥23,973,000 to ¥45,000,000. The compensation range provided may span multiple career levels and will be narrowed during the interview process based on factors including a candidate's experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location. The base salary range listed excludes commission (if applicable), equity, and benefits. The pay range represents the minimum and maximum target for new-hire compensation. Actual compensation may vary and may be higher or lower depending on individual circumstances.