About the role
Shopify is building something new in Japan — and this is your chance to be at the center of it. We're launching a dedicated SMB segment in the Japanese market, and we're looking for a hungry, resourceful Senior Account Executive to help define what success looks like from the ground up.
As an SMB Account Executive, you'll work directly with ambitious Japanese entrepreneurs and growing businesses to craft commerce strategies that scale both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar operations. You'll independently source opportunities, navigate stakeholder conversations, and close deals — while also partnering closely with Shopify's agency partner ecosystem to co-sell and drive referral-based pipeline. This isn't a role where you inherit a playbook. You'll help write it.
If you thrive in ambiguity, love building from scratch, and want to shape how Shopify wins in Japan's SMB market — this role is for you.
Key Responsibilities
Source and engage prospects to understand their business goals and challenges, offering tailored Shopify solutions to Japanese merchants.
Develop and execute strategic plans to identify and target potential SMB customers across Japan.
Conduct high-volume outreach through calls, emails, and social media to qualify leads and generate interest.
Manage the entire sales cycle from initial contact through contract signature, maintaining a robust pipeline.
Build and nurture strong relationships with agency partners (migration and implementation specialists), leveraging co-sell and referral motions to expand pipeline and accelerate deal cycles. Coordinate with partners to manage deals through implementation, ensuring a smooth merchant experience from contract to launch.
Collaborate with marketing, solution engineering, customer success, and partnerships teams to enhance client outcomes.
Stay updated on product features, industry trends, and market dynamics — including the Japanese e-commerce landscape — to deliver optimal advice and service.
Actively build and manage your sales pipeline, demonstrating proactive forecasting and prioritization.
Qualifications
Experience in a closing sales role with a successful track record, preferably in the SMB or mid-market segment.
Native-level Japanese and business-level English proficiency.
Passion for acquiring new business with a consultative and solutions-oriented approach.
Ability to navigate complex sales cycles and engage with multiple stakeholders, including founders and C-level executives.
Experience with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) and familiarity with sales engagement platforms.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills in both Japanese and English.
Self-motivated and results-driven, with the tenacity to pursue leads and close deals.
Comfortable with outbound prospecting and building a sales pipeline from scratch.
Bonus:
Experience in SaaS, e-commerce, or commerce platform sales.
Familiarity with the Japanese e-commerce ecosystem (e.g., Rakuten, Amazon JP, LINE, omnichannel/OMO trends).
Experience working with or through agency/partner channels.
Understanding of brick-and-mortar retail and O2O (Online-to-Offline) strategies in Japan.
What we’re looking for in salespeople
Builder mindset: You don’t just follow a playbook—you improve it. You test, iterate, document, and scale what works.
Closing discipline: You’ve owned outcomes and can run a process forward with urgency and rigor (closing experience required for AE roles).
Outbound excellence: You proactively create a pipeline through high-intent outreach across channels (calls, email, social, events, partners).
Technical sales craft: You run structured discovery, quantify impact, build mutual plans, and maintain strong CRM hygiene/forecasting.
Execution intensity: You bring pace, resilience, competitiveness, and the ability to take a hit and keep going.
High agency: You default to action, take ownership, and don’t wait to be told.
Thrive in ambiguity + change: You stay effective when priorities shift, products evolve, and you’re building while selling.
Partner ecosystem experience: You’ve sourced, influenced, or co-sold deals with partners (agencies, SIs, ISVs, referral partners).
System-to-system / integration exposure: You can confidently sell into technical requirements (APIs, ERPs, POS, middleware) alongside Solution Engineers.
How we work
Shopify rewards builders with high agency. You’ll have real autonomy, high standards, and a fast pace. We iterate, we challenge each other, and we expect you to take ownership of outcomes—not wait for perfect conditions. If you want comfort and certainty, this won’t fit. If you want responsibility and growth, it will.