Business Development Manager - Japan

About Nearfield Instruments

Nearfield Instruments (NFI) is a fast-growing high-tech scale-up that designs, develops, integrates, markets, and services advanced semiconductor metrology solutions. Our instruments enable the world’s leading chipmakers to improve production yield and device performance - powering smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics.

Founded in 2016, Nearfield brings together top scientific and engineering talent to deliver a unique, high-throughput Scanning Probe Microscopy platform for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.

As we continue to globally, Japan is a key strategic market with strong opportunities for long-term business growth and partnership development.

The Role

As Business Development Manager Japan, you will support Nearfield’s commercial development in Japan and contribute to building our market presence.

This is a remote, Japan-based role with a strong customer-facing component, where success depends on your ability to build effective working relationships with key stakeholders within semiconductor manufacturing organizations.

While the role requires independence and ownership, it operates in close collaboration with global teams and experienced commercial leaders. You will act as an important interface between Japanese customers and Nearfield’s organization, helping align customer needs with our solutions and roadmap.

Frequent travel to key semiconductor hubs, including Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Chitose, and other customer locations across Japan.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Strategy

Support the execution of Nearfield’s growth strategy in Japan

Identify and develop new opportunities within semiconductor manufacturers and ecosystem partners

Contribute to building Nearfield’s presence in the Japanese market

Customer Relationship Management

Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders (engineering, procurement, and mid-to-senior management levels)

Support engagement with senior stakeholders together with global or senior team members

Navigate structured and consensus-driven decision-making processes in Japan

Opportunity Development & Sales

Translate customer needs into clear value propositions with support from technical teams

Participate in discussions on technical solutions, timelines, and commercial terms

Support the management of complex and long-cycle sales processes

Contribute to negotiations and deal progression

Customer & Market Impact

Represent the voice of the customer within Nearfield

Support long-term partnerships with key accounts

Provide market and competitive insights

Contribute to commercial growth and pipeline development

Internal Collaboration

Work closely with Product, Engineering, Applications, and Marketing teams

Help align customer requirements with Nearfield’s roadmap

Facilitate communication between Japanese customers and international teams

Who You Are

A business development or sales professional with experience in the semiconductor industry

Comfortable building relationships across different stakeholder levels

Able to operate independently while collaborating closely with internal teams

Familiar with Japanese business culture and relationship dynamics

Strong communicator, able to connect technical topics with customer needs

Proactive, structured, and motivated to grow in a commercial role

Required Experience & Qualifications

Experience as a Business Development Manager, Sales, or Account Manager in the semiconductor industry

Experience working with customers in semiconductor manufacturing or related industries

Exposure to capital equipment, metrology, or high-tech environments is a plus

Ability to manage multi-stakeholder sales processes (with support where needed)

Understanding of Japanese business culture

Strong communication and commercial skills

Fluent in Japanese and English (business level required)

Based in Japan (remote role with regular customer engagement)

What We Offer

A high-impact role in a fast-growing deep-tech company

Opportunity to contribute to Nearfield’s growth in a strategic market

Strong collaboration with international teams

Learning and development in a global commercial environment

A dynamic and entrepreneurial working environment