Country Lead, Japan (Securities Finance)

About the role

We’re looking for a commercially driven Country Lead to join our Tokyo office and lead EquiLend’s growth across the Japanese market.

This is a senior client-facing role focused on managing and expanding our Japanese client base, building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, identifying new commercial opportunities, and driving revenue growth across EquiLend’s securities finance product suite.

You’ll manage an existing portfolio of clients while also developing new business opportunities across banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, beneficial owners and other market participants. The role requires someone who can operate independently in a regional market while staying closely connected to our global sales, product, technology and client service teams.

You’ll work in English internally and in Japanese with clients, so strong communication skills in both languages are essential.

What you’ll do

• Manage and grow a portfolio of Japanese client accounts, acting as the main commercial contact for senior stakeholders.

• Own revenue growth across existing accounts through disciplined account planning, relationship management, cross-sell and upsell activity.

• Lead the Tokyo office and mentor local employee's

• Identify, develop and win new client opportunities across the Japanese securities finance and capital markets ecosystem.

• Build and execute strategic account plans aligned to client priorities and EquiLend’s wider commercial strategy.

• Run the full commercial sales cycle from opportunity identification and qualification through to positioning, negotiation, close and handover.

• Develop trusted relationships with senior decision-makers across banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, custodians and other market participants.

• Identify client needs and position relevant solutions across EquiLend’s trading, post-trade, data, analytics, RegTech and platform offerings.

• Lead client business reviews with clear outcomes, follow-ups and alignment with product and service delivery teams.

• Act as the senior commercial escalation point for relationship, account growth and client engagement matters.

• Work closely with global sales, product, technology and leadership teams to share market insight, client feedback and regional priorities.

• Represent EquiLend in Japanese market discussions, client meetings and industry events.

• Contribute to regional forecasting, pipeline management and performance reporting with accuracy and transparency.

What we’re looking for

• 10+ years of experience in sales, account management, relationship management, coverage, business development or commercial roles within securities finance, repo, secured funding, capital markets or financial technology.

• Strong understanding of the Japanese financial markets, ideally with experience covering banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, custodians, insurance firms or other financial institutions.

• A proven track record of managing senior client relationships and developing commercial opportunities.

• Experience contributing to revenue generation through new business, account growth, cross-sell, upsell, structured solutions or strategic client coverage.

• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to influence client decisions, negotiate effectively and support the closing of high-value agreements.

• Knowledge of securities finance, securities lending, repo, collateral management, post-trade, market data, trading platforms or related capital markets solutions.

• Native or fluent Japanese, with the ability to build trusted relationships with domestic clients.

• Strong professional English, written and spoken, for internal reporting, global collaboration and commercial discussions.

• Experience working across global teams and comfort operating in a multi-region business.

• Ability to develop and deliver strategic account plans across complex, multi-product client relationships.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, particularly the ability to influence senior decision-makers.

• Confidence using CRM platforms and sales tools with consistent data discipline.

• A structured, clear communication style suited to senior audiences.

• Comfortable working with a high degree of independence, ownership and accountability.

Why EquiLend?

EquiLend is a global fintech firm at the centre of the securities finance market, providing trading, post-trade, data, analytics, RegTech and platform solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset managers and other market participants globally.

Our solutions support clients across the full securities finance lifecycle, helping them improve automation, transparency, efficiency, regulatory readiness and market connectivity.

This is an opportunity to take a highly visible commercial role in Japan, work with senior market participants, and help shape EquiLend’s continued growth in one of the most important financial markets in Asia.

• Work flexibly with up to 100 remote working days per year.

• Take time to recharge with annual vacation entitlement that increases with career level, in addition to public holidays.

• Be recognised for your contribution through a discretionary annual cash bonus, linked to individual and company performance.

• Access statutory social insurance, including pension, health insurance, and unemployment insurance.

About EquiLend
EquiLend is a global financial technology firm at the center of the securities finance industry. Since 2001, we have built the infrastructure that financial institutions rely on to trade, manage, and report. This includes products such as our NGT trading platform, Post Trade Suite, DataLend market intelligence, RegTech solutions, and EquiLend Clearing Services.

We operate across North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, working with banks, broker dealers, asset managers, and custodians to bring greater efficiency, transparency, and automation to the securities finance lifecycle. Our teams combine deep market expertise with a focus on building technology that works at scale, under real-world conditions, for some of the world's most demanding financial institutions.

EquiLend is Great Place to Work Certified™ in the U.S., UK, Ireland, and India, and has been recognized as Global Data Provider of the Year and Regulatory Solution of the Year at the Securities Finance Times Industry Excellence Awards 2025.

Diversity & Inclusion
We know that the best solutions come from teams that bring different perspectives, backgrounds, and ways of thinking to the table. At EquiLend, we are committed to building a workplace where everyone feels they belong and aim to reflect this in how we hire, develop, and support our people.

We are actively working to ensure our teams are as diverse as the global markets and clients we serve. That means creating an environment where different viewpoints are sought out and where people can do their best work regardless of background.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know and we will work with you to make it happen.

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