Technical Account Manager - Japan

About Us:

Portcast is Singapore-based B2B SaaS platform providing real time vessel and container visibility, tracking and dynamic predictive analytics for LSPs, LogTech, Shippers & BCOs. We’re focused on building the next-gen visibility platform to predict how cargo moves across the world and enable data-driven decisions. Backed by some of the major investors in the tech industry, we believe that the logistics industry is at the inflection point of large-scale digitization.

We are a team of ambitious industry experts, data storytellers and passionate engineers. We offer a fast-paced, innovative environment where you will be empowered to sell our AI-product to C-level executives. We are customer-obsessed and are constantly working to provide our customers access to actionable and insightful data to build resilient supply chains.

By leveraging proprietary machine learning algorithms and real-time external market data, Portcast empowers its clients achieve real-time visibility, reduce operational costs and improve customer experience, thereby improving supply chain profitability. Our proprietary data analytics engine is custom-designed for the logistics industry.

About the role:
We are seeking a driven, customer-centric, innovative, and results-oriented Account Manager to focus on the Japanese market. You will be instrumental in establishing and expanding our market presence. This role involves handling and supporting Customer Success and working closely with our channel partner in Japan. It is a combination of hunting for new business, being deeply involved with the product, and managing the partner account. You will handle and solve technical queries from leads in Japan and leads from our partner.

What success looks like in this role:
• Ensuring high satisfaction and retention rates for our Japanese clients, while expanding existing accounts.
• A consistent and growing stream of clients in Japan opting for paid trials and subsequently becoming customers.
• Seamless handling of technical queries and ensuring prompt issue resolution, fostering long-term partnerships.

What You’ll Do:

• Develop and execute a strategic account management plan focused on the Japanese market to expand and maintain our customer base.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all customer inquiries and support requests, ensuring timely and accurate resolution of technical issues (data-related, API, etc.), in coordination with Customer Success and Product teams.
• Proactively manage relationships with existing customers in Japan, ensuring they get the most out of our product, driving product adoption, and delivering measurable outcomes that align with their business goals.
• Collaborate with the marketing and product teams to localize and adapt sales/marketing materials for the Japanese market, ensuring they are relevant and resonate with local clients.
• Translate between Japanese and English to facilitate seamless communication between the sales and technical teams, ensuring a smooth handover of accounts post-sales.
• Provide training, onboarding support, and ongoing engagement with Japanese customers to drive retention and growth.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts for technical issues from existing clients, reducing the need for escalation while ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Own the renewal process by identifying upsell opportunities and ensuring contracts are renewed on time.
• Work with the channel partner in Japan to close new deals and identify expansion opportunities within existing accounts.
• Proactively hunt for new customers and nurture leads within Japan, leveraging your personal network, proactive lead generation efforts, and market insights.
• Develop and implement strategies to retain customers, drive product adoption, and maximize the value that Japanese customers receive from our AI-product.
• Provide insights and feedback from the Japanese market to the Product team for continuous product improvement and localization efforts.
• Track and report on Customer Success metrics (renewals, retention, adoption rates) and use insights to improve customer engagement.

To thrive in this role, you must have:

• Extensive Account Management experience, preferably with hunting experience, with a proven target achievement and a consistent record of exceeding quotas.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, marketing, business, etc. or related field.
• Strong technical understanding, especially in resolving data and API-related issues independently.
• Proven career in commercial or sales roles within the logistics & shipping industry, or related sectors such as ocean freight or maritime space, specifically within the Japanese market.
• Preferably experienced in B2B SaaS sales.
• Comfortable immersing yourself in the product, troubleshooting issues independently, and involving leadership only in case of bottlenecks or critical issues.
• Curiosity to be deeply involved in the product, understand customer use cases, solve tech queries, and support Customer Success with any translation needed from Japanese accounts.
• Strong ability to create and implement sales plans in a fast-paced environment, with specific experience in the Japanese market.
• Demonstrated ability to lead by example and dive into the details to achieve goals.
• Proven ability to pitch to senior executives and navigate complex sales cycles, with an understanding of Japanese business culture and practices.
• Outstanding presentation and negotiation skills, with a knack for closing deals effectively in Japan.
• Native-level proficiency in Japanese and fluency in English, with excellent communication skills in both languages.
• In-depth knowledge of Japanese business etiquette and cultural norms to effectively engage with local clients.
• Self-starter with the ability to take ownership of the sales process from end to end, capable of working autonomously and driving results without constant oversight.

Join us at Portcast and be part of a high performing team that is shaping the future of the logistics and shipping industry through cutting-edge predictive analytics. If you are passionate about sales, innovation, and the Japanese market, we want to hear from you!