Senior Client Director, Market Research Tokyo Competitive salary - (posted Sep 18 2026)

Company: Toluna
Advertisers Ref: MrWeb/1485
MrWeb Ref: 163257

Job Spec: At Toluna, we keep the world's biggest brands one step ahead of their markets, their competitors, and their customers. For 25+ years we've been a leader in consumer insights, and today we're at the center of our industry's biggest shift: the move to AI-powered research grounded in real human truth.

Brands come to us because we've solved a problem most of our industry is still wrestling with: how to move fast without losing trust in the answer. Speed comes from AI we've been developing in-house since 2019, always-on platforms, and a 79M+ validated consumer community across 100+ countries.


Introduction

The Senior Client Director will be a senior commercial leader responsible for growing and managing a portfolio of key client relationships across Japan, driving new business development, and delivering against ambitious booking and revenue targets. This individual will bring deep insights-industry expertise, credibility with both agency- and client-side stakeholders, and a track record of building and scaling business in the Japanese market.


Responsibilities

• Own and deliver revenue and growth targets for an assigned client portfolio in Japan.
• Develop and execute account growth strategies for existing clients, identifying opportunities to expand scope, share of wallet, and strategic partnership depth.
• Lead new business development efforts, building a strong pipeline of prospective clients across key verticals.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to C-suite and senior client stakeholders, translating business challenges into research and insights solutions.
• Collaborate closely with research, product, and delivery teams to ensure best-in-class client servicing and project execution.
• Represent Toluna at industry events, client meetings, and market forums to build brand presence and thought leadership in Japan.
• Provide accurate forecasting, pipeline management, and commercial reporting to regional leadership.
• Mentor and support junior client-facing team members as the Japan team scales.
• Partner with regional and global leadership on go-to-market strategy, pricing, and market positioning for Japan.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in market research, insights, consulting, or related industries.
• Proven experience on both the agency side (leading research/insights agencies) and client side (in-house insights, marketing, or strategy roles).
• Demonstrated track record of meeting or exceeding business/ revenue targets.
• Strong experience working with clients, together with an established network of senior relationships in Japan, across FMCG, automotive, retail, financial services, technology, and other key sectors.
• Deep understanding of Japanese business culture and market dynamics, combined with the ability to operate in a global, matrixed organization.
• Excellent commercial acumen, with experience in account planning, pricing, and negotiation.
• Strong communication and presentation skills; fluency in Japanese and business-level English required.
• Experience with quantitative and/or qualitative research methodologies preferred.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently while collaborating across a global organization.

Our Values:
Acting with Ownership- Demonstrating individual accountability
Bringing a forward mindset- Being action-oriented, bold and entrepreneurial
Collaborating with Curiosity- Exhibiting teamwork through togetherness
Discussing openly, committing jointly- Sharing your views openly
Embracing empathy- Being egoless & caring


What We Offer

At Toluna, we're all about creating a welcoming, diverse workplace where everyone can thrive. We offer competitive pay, great benefits, and plenty of opportunities to grow within our global team. Inclusion and respect are at the heart of what we do. Our community connects over 72 million people across 70 countries. If you're passionate about making an impact, we'd love to have you on board.

Join our global team. We welcome big thinking and reward great work

Who to contact: Apply here

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