Head of Japan

Job description

The Monad Foundation is a team of dedicated ecosystem and community builders who are on a mission to massively grow the impact of decentralized tech. We believe that the Monad https://monad.xyz/ blockchain--the performant and parallel EVM Layer 1--will help decentralized apps eat the world. THE ROLE The Monad Foundation is looking for a Head of Japan to win large institutional business and establish Monad as credible financial infrastructure in one of the world's most important capital markets. This is, first and foremost, an institutional business development role. Japan is a high-value but demanding market: serious adoption follows local credibility, regulated channels, and trusted relationships. Your primary mandate is to identify, structure, and close institutional deals with Japan's leading financial institutions, enterprises, and infrastructure providers across payments, stablecoins, tokenization/RWA, and capital markets. Alongside that, you will own Monad's brand presence in Japan — building the foundation's reputation, relationships, and mindshare with the institutions, regulators, and ecosystem partners who shape the market. You will be Monad Foundation's senior representative in the country and the owner of its Japan strategy end to end. WHAT YOU WILL DO Win institutional business (primary mandate) - Own institutional business development for Japan: identify, negotiate, and close strategic deals that put real activity, flows, and assets on Monad, across megabanks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, exchanges, and large enterprises. - Build and structure commercial partnerships in Monad's priority pillars: stablecoin issuance and payments, tokenization and RWAs, on-chain settlement, and institutional capital markets use cases. - Develop senior relationships with the institutions that matter most in Japan and convert them into concrete launches with clear owners, timelines, and usage paths. - Help build the prerequisites for serious BD to scale: regulated pathways for stablecoins on Monad, exchange relationships, and the local credibility that institutional counterparties require before they commit. - Run deals with commercial discipline — clear milestones, real product launches, and a usage path beyond announcements and vanity partnerships. Establish Monad's brand and presence (secondary mandate) - Own Monad's overall go-to-market and positioning in Japan, building the foundation's reputation as credible, long-term financial infrastructure rather than just another blockchain. - Build and nurture relationships with key regional stakeholders — exchanges, enterprises, ecosystem builders, media, and regulatory bodies, to expand Monad's standing and mindshare. - Represent Monad Foundation at the senior level with institutions, partners, and the local industry, and serve as the trusted face of Monad Foundation in the market. - Stay ahead of Japan's evolving regulatory landscape (FSA, JVCEA, and related bodies) and translate it into high-impact opportunities and a clear-eyed view of what is and isn't possible. WHO YOU ARE - 8+ years of business development experience, including 4+ years in blockchain, digital assets, or Web3 with a track record of closing large, complex institutional deals. - Deep understanding of the Japanese market and extensive experience engaging and selling to Japan's largest financial institutions and enterprises. - A robust, senior network across Japanese banks, trust banks, securities firms, payment companies, enterprises, and Web3 players and the ability to open doors at decision-maker level. - Strong command of how Web3 maps to institutional strategy — why an institution would issue a stablecoin, tokenize an asset, or move settlement on-chain, and where the real commercial value sits. - Sharp read on where major Japanese corporates and regulators are heading on digital assets, and the foresight to position Monad early. - A self-starter who owns initiatives from first conversation to closed deal and live launch. - Native-level fluency in Japanese and professional fluency in English (written and verbal). NICE TO HAVE - Deep connectivity into Japanese exchanges and an understanding of the listing landscape. - Considerable expertise and relationships with Japanese regulators and industry bodies. - Experience guiding market entry for Web3 startups, including strategic guidance, local insight, and connectivity. - Strong understanding of and connectivity into Japanese financial and tech media. - Entrepreneurial experience across the startup lifecycle, including fundraising, product launches, and operations. - Solid technical understanding of blockchains and the EVM. LOCATION - This role is based in Japan (Tokyo). WHY WORK WITH US - Challenging problems. You’ll tackle deeply complex and technically demanding problems, with autonomy and impact. - Endless Opportunity for Impact. The Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) standard is ubiquitous, but existing EVM-compatible chains are slow and bandwidth-constrained. Monad’s core innovations offer developers and founders the best of both worlds (portability and performance) and are a game-changer to power global on-chain finance. - The right team. You’ll be part of a world class team, who are exceptional and highly-motivated. - Culture. We’re a lean team working together to achieve very ambitious goals. We are united in our culture of collaboration, low ego, and high-quality output. - Strong Ecosystem. The broader Monad ecosystem has attracted support from leading investors, builders and long-term contributors.