Associate Director, Strategic Advisory, Japan

The Hiring Firm is hiring an Associate Director to join its strategic intelligence practice with a focus on Japan. The firm is seeking an independent, organised, and experienced project manager with a 5–7-year track record in the business intelligence sector or another field of consulting, such as strategy and management, regulatory, or political risk and geopolitical consulting.

The role will be based in Tokyo, with an initial period of three to six months of training at the firm’s London headquarters.

The role

Independently manage enhanced due diligence and strategic intelligence investigations across jurisdictions in the APAC region, with a focus on Japan, including by:
 

• Deciding on and structuring lines of inquiry based on an assessment of potential commercial, regulatory, and political risks and opportunities
• Identifying human sources in and outside of the firm’s existing network and drafting strategies to engage relevant sources
• Developing investigative plans for pursuing multiple lines of enquiry through a combination of open-source research and human source enquiries
• Identifying, vetting, and cultivating a range of human sources across Japan and major Asian geographies

Oversee the management and operations of the Tokyo office, including:
 

• Line management of junior colleagues such as analysts, senior analysts, and managers
• Liaising with other members of the Asia team across the firm’s London and Singapore offices
• Developing training plans and initiatives to improve operations and processes for the Tokyo office
• Assisting the Head of Japan with operational and business development responsibilities as required

Client engagement and briefing responsibilities, primarily for private equity and multinational corporate clients, including:
 

• Preparing verbal briefings tailored to commercial audiences in line with consulting best practices
• Managing high-pressure client interactions, including meetings with deal teams, legal teams, and C-suite stakeholders

Drafting written deliverables for clients, including:
 

• Synthesising, analysing, and creating value from intelligence sources
• Identifying and benchmarking risks and opportunities within the context of a wider sector or geography
• Presenting clearly structured, narrative-driven reports to a commercial audience

Qualifications and capabilities
 

• Fluency in English at the highest level of written and verbal communication
• Professional working proficiency in Japanese (preferred, not mandatory)
• High level of cultural awareness when working in Japan and with Japanese clients
• A minimum of five years’ professional experience in the business intelligence industry or a relevant consulting field such as strategy and management, regulatory advisory, or political risk and geopolitical consulting
• Foundational understanding of key business, political, and regulatory trends in Japan

Key competencies include:
 

• Strong commercial awareness, including the ability to quickly understand a target company’s value chain and business model, and exposure to commercial, regulatory, and political risk considerations
• Ability to manage, mentor, and cultivate a strong team culture
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• High attention to detail and strong analytical capability
• Sound professional judgement across project execution and client management
• A self-starter mindset with the ability to deliver high-quality outputs with minimal oversight
• Experience living and working in Japan would be highly advantageous

SLOANE | SHOREY

Strategic advisor on leadership appointments and specialist hires across the risk lifecycle. Managing risk, reputation, and dispute resolution in international business and investment.

Sloane Shorey Consulting is an independent executive search firm partnering with consultancies, multinational corporations, and finance and investment firms.

We deliver confidential searches and discreet hires in corporate intelligence and investigations, asset tracing and recovery, and risk advisory across Asia, the Middle East, and the UK.

Sloane Shorey is a Ministry of Manpower Licensed Employment Agency: EA License 20S0307