Commercial Manager (Fixed Term Contract)

About the position
Aurora is an industry leader in providing energy market forecasts, analysis, insights, and consultancy due to two reasons - 1) a highly skilled technical team and 2) an active commercial team who are well integrated with our client base, helping them make better informed investment decisions. We are seeking a Japanese-speaking Team Leader, based in Tokyo, to sell our products and services which help the transition towards a more sustainable world. You will manage a portfolio of key clients while leading and developing a small team of account managers, within a dynamic, multi-national team responsible for sales and account management activities of our subscription services. You will play a key role in all aspects of client interactions and business development, with a focus on Japan and the wider Asia-Pacific region.

The successful candidate will combine a strong commercial mindset, great communication and relationship management skills, a passion to develop both new business and the people around them, and an interest in energy markets. Fluent business-level Japanese is essential to the role. You will work in a young, dynamic, stimulating, demanding and collaborative environment.

You will join our APAC commercial team, working closely with colleagues across the region. The team is expected to continue growing and offer potential for progression, including through international expansion and creating new data and software-based solutions.

This role is for a Fixed term contract of 1 year.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead, coach and develop a small team of account managers in Tokyo, setting priorities, running regular one-to-ones and pipeline reviews, and supporting their performance and career development
- Own and manage a portfolio of approximately 20 to 25 priority clients, primarily in Japan and across wider APAC, serving as the primary relationship holder and day-to-day point of contact
- Drive revenue retention and growth, for your own portfolio and across the team, through proactive account management, including renewal planning, price escalation management, and identification of cross-sell and upsell opportunities across Aurora’s data, analytics, and software product suite
- Conduct regular client engagement activities, in Japanese and English, including check-in calls, product demonstrations, business reviews, and on-site visits, to maintain high satisfaction and deepen account relationships
- Develop a thorough understanding of each client’s business, investment mandate, and decision-making structure to position Aurora’s products effectively and broaden stakeholder coverage within accounts, and coach the team to do the same
- Monitor account health indicators across your own and the team’s portfolios, proactively address risks to retention, escalate where appropriate, and coordinate internally to resolve client issues
- Lead commercial negotiations and contracting for renewals and expansions, working within Aurora’s pricing and approval frameworks, and support team members on complex or high-value negotiations
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of account activity, pipeline, and renewal forecasts in Salesforce CRM, and ensure the team does the same to support reliable forecasting
- Collaborate closely with Aurora’s research, product, and customer success teams, and with commercial colleagues across APAC, to ensure clients are deriving maximum value from their subscriptions and are aware of relevant new content, tools, and platform features
- Represent Aurora at client meetings, industry events, and conferences in Japan and across the APAC region, including periodic travel to key markets
- Contribute to team and regional commercial planning, sharing account insights and client feedback from the Japanese market to support product development and go-to-market strategy

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Required attributes:
- Fluent business-level Japanese, both spoken and written, is essential (native or near-native proficiency). You will work with clients and colleagues in Japanese on a daily basis
- Fluent business English, to work effectively with the wider APAC team and global colleagues
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in account management, client success, or a similar client-facing commercial role, ideally within a data, analytics, research, or SaaS business
- Experience leading, coaching, or mentoring others, whether through formal line management or informal team leadership, and a genuine interest in developing a team
- Demonstrated ability to manage and grow a portfolio of clients, with a track record of strong retention and revenue expansion
- Strong commercial instincts and a consultative approach to client relationships, able to identify client needs and connect them to the right product or solution
- Excellent relationship management and communication skills, with the ability to engage credibly with senior stakeholders including investors, developers, utilities, and financial institutions
- Highly organised and self-directed, with the ability to balance your own client portfolio with team leadership responsibilities
- Comfortable operating in a data-heavy, technically complex environment, able to communicate analytical content clearly to non-specialist audiences
- Motivated by hitting commercial targets and contributing to team performance
- A can-do attitude and willingness to contribute beyond core responsibilities, including improving internal processes and sharing market knowledge with colleagues
- Intellectual curiosity and an interest in the energy transition, the Japanese power market, and Aurora’s client base across APAC
- Existing right to work in Japan
Desirable attributes:
- Experience selling or managing accounts for subscription-based data, research, or software products
- Familiarity with energy markets, renewable energy, or the broader energy transition landscape in Japan and APAC
- Experience working with clients in financial services or energy, including infrastructure investors, project finance banks, utilities, or energy developers
- Experience with Salesforce or another CRM platform
- Business-level proficiency in an additional APAC language, such as Mandarin or Korean
- Experience working across cultures with regional or global teams

What we offer

Some of the benefits we include are:
- The opportunity to substantially influence major decisions in the energy sector
- Direct engagement with clients through Aurora conferences, workshops and webinars
- The opportunity to grow into a publicly visible industry expert
- A fun, collaborative and inclusive international working culture
- Commuting allowance
- Private medical insurance
- Hybrid working arrangements
- 18 days of annual leave (pro rata) per year
- Continuous learning and professional development through Aurora Academy programme
- 24/7 confidential support through our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
The Company is committed to the principle that no employee or job applicant shall receive unfavorable treatment on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity/paternity.