Head of Distribution Partnerships, Japan

Description

About the team
Distribution Partnerships are a critical driver of TikTok's success. We enable user growth and retention, strengthen engagement, build trust with partners, and generate long-term value for the business. Our work spans mobile, telco, and platform initiatives, with growing importance placed on Partnerships-as-a-Service (PaaS) to support internal teams across the company. This role will lead TikTok’s distribution agenda across NEA, working as part of the global Distribution Partnerships leadership team.

About the role
We are seeking a senior leader to head Distribution Partnerships across Japan that is central to TikTok growth strategy and one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-evolving markets.

The Distribution Partnerships Japan will define strategy, lead a team, drive execution, and represent TikTok with key telecom, OEM, and ecosystem partners across the region. The role will be accountable for delivering against four core priorities: Growth, Engagement, Trust, and Value Generation.

You will set the regional agenda, lead both a team and complex cross-functional initiatives, influence at senior levels internally and externally, and ensure delivery against ambitious business priorities.

This role is suited to an experienced professional with a global mindset, strong problem-solving skills across time zones, and a tireless entrepreneurial spirit. We expect you to find solutions and create opportunities with minimal hand-holding. While we are largely unencumbered by red tape, building the right organizational structures is essential for scale. You will need to design and embed processes that enable ongoing, sustainable growth.
This role requires frequent travel to maintain close relationships with partners and teams in-market.

Responsibilities:

Growth
- Define and deliver a clear sub-regional strategy that drives sustainable user growth.
- Structure, negotiate, and scale complex partnerships across telecom, OEM, and ecosystem partners.

Engagement
- Localize and adapt initiatives to maximize impact across the Japanese market.
- Communicate TikTok’s vision effectively, influencing internal stakeholders, partners, and end users.

Trust
- Build transparent, reliable, and mutually beneficial relationships that establish TikTok as a trusted long-term partner in Japan.
- Ensure all partnerships uphold compliance, responsibility, and the highest standards of integrity.

Value Generation
- Assess and optimise partnership performance, balancing short-term wins with long-term value creation.
- Identify and design new partnership models that deliver mutual benefit.
- Monitor and scale initiatives to maximise return on investment for the business.

Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
- Drive complex cross-functional initiatives with Product, Marketing, Legal, Policy, Operations, and Trust & Safety.
- Influence senior leaders internally and externally to align priorities and secure resources for Japan.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications
- Substantial experience in business development, strategic partnerships, product, or strategy within leading technology, telecom, OEM, or consulting firms.
- Proven success in identifying, structuring, and negotiating commercial agreements that deliver measurable business growth.
- Strong record of scaling impactful partnerships across Asian markets, balancing strategic vision with executional depth.
- Ability to engage and influence major stakeholders, both externally and internally, across product, legal, and operational functions.
- High cultural fluency and adaptability, with an understanding of how to operate effectively across diverse business contexts.
- High business proficiency, written and oral communication skills in Japanese and English, as this role requires significant interactions with internal stakeholders and external partners in both languages.

Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated ability to translate commercial opportunities into long-term, sustainable value for both company and partner.
- Experience leading regional initiatives or cross-functional teams, with a focus on alignment, clarity, and accountability.
- Leadership experience building and developing high-performing teams in multicultural environments.
- Deep understanding of the Japanese market landscape.
- Ability to engage executives and navigate complex discussions with cultural nuance.
- Track record of defining or contributing to market-shaping initiatives, industry collaborations, or ecosystem development.