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An overview of this role
As the Director of Regional Sales for Japan, you'll own the strategy and execution to grow GitLab's presence across Japan. You'll build and manage an Account Executive team, establish clear, data-informed sales processes, and stay close to the field by engaging directly with key accounts. Reporting to our Country Manager, Japan, you'll work across account management, customer success, marketing, product, engineering, and operations to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience for GitLab customers and expand our footprint. In this role, you'll help shape GitLab's go-to-market motion in Japan, support new logo acquisition and expansion, and influence how we bring our Governed Software Factory and DevSecOps value proposition to a broad range of customers while supporting regional business priorities.
What you’ll do
- Oversee the growth of GitLab's business in Japan by building the regional sales plan, maintaining pipeline visibility, and guiding day-to-day execution in support of regional business plans.
- Manage, coach, and develop a team of Account Executives, joining customer meetings and modeling consistent, field-focused sales practices.
- Support new logo acquisition across a broad base of Enterprise businesses in Japan, while shaping and executing a long-term strategy for larger, more complex, multi-stakeholder accounts, including guiding deal strategy and contract negotiations for high-value opportunities.
- Build GitLab's reputation in the Japan market by partnering with marketing, business development, and local networks to generate qualified pipelines and deepen market awareness.
- Establish clear operating rhythms, sales processes, and methodologies (such as MEDDPICC or similar) that create structure and repeatability while supporting agility.
- Work with regional sales managers and cross-functional partners in account management, customer success, marketing, product, engineering, and operations to align coverage, exchange practices, and ensure consistent execution.
- Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with key accounts, positioning GitLab as a strategic partner and uncovering expansion and renewal opportunities.
- Review pipeline, forecast, and performance data to identify gaps and opportunities, adjust regional plans to focus on priority activities, and represent the Japan business internally with clear insights on market trends and customer needs.
What you’ll bring
- Experience building and managing sales teams in a regional or multi-country context, with a focus on coaching, field engagement, and talent development.
- Ability to design and execute a regional go-to-market plan, including pipeline generation, territory coverage, and structured deal execution.
- Ability to coach teams through a clear sales process, assist with complex deal strategy, and maintain consistency in regional execution.
- Familiarity with B2B software sales / technology sales and AI accelerated workflows and platforms.
- Skills in creating structure and clarity, setting expectations, and using organized, data-informed sales processes, including the use of MEDDPICC or similar methodologies.
- Demonstrated strength in consultative, value-based selling and in developing established relationships with senior customer stakeholders to assist with new business and expansion.
- Comfort working in a dynamic, all-remote environment, using sound judgment, initiative, and Salesforce.com or similar CRM and marketing tools to stay organized and effective.
- Ability to work effectively across account management, customer success, marketing, product, engineering, and operations to align execution and enable customer growth.
About the team
We are the regional sales team for Japan, and our focus is on growing the business by building strong customer relationships, developing the field organisation, and partnering across GitLab to deliver a consistent experience for our customers.
How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees
Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application.
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