We recruit country managers, sales directors, channel leaders and solutions engineers for foreign cybersecurity vendors entering and growing in Japan.
The market
Security spending in Japan is driven by a steady rise in attacks on Japanese companies and their supply chains, and by regulation that places more responsibility on critical infrastructure operators and their suppliers. AI is changing what buyers look at on both sides: attackers use it, and a new category of products secures the AI that enterprises are deploying. Foreign vendors, many of them in these newer categories, continue to enter Japan, usually with a distributor as their first partner.
Among candidates, the core security market is crowded, with many vendors chasing the same accounts. Newer categories such as AI security draw experienced sellers, because being early carries more upside.
Buyers and channel
Most foreign security vendors reach Japanese enterprises through partners. Value-added distributors with their own engineers are usually the first step, followed by the SIers and managed security providers that run the customer relationship. Many mid-sized Japanese companies prefer to buy security as a managed service.
The talent
Supply is low. Japanese employers consistently report more difficulty finding security staff than the global average, and pay is often the reason. Vendors competing for the same experienced sellers and engineers need to move quickly and pay at the market.
The hires we make
- We recruit country managers and sales directors who have sold security to Japanese enterprises and the public sector.
- We recruit channel leaders with relationships across security distributors, SIers and managed security providers.
- We recruit solutions engineers and architects who can explain a new security category to Japanese buyers and partners.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to hire cybersecurity sales and engineering staff in Japan?
It is harder than in most markets. Supply is low, many vendors compete for the same people, and Japanese employers report more difficulty than the global average.
How do foreign security vendors usually enter Japan?
Most start with a value-added distributor whose engineers can support the product in Japanese, then add SIers and managed security providers.