Sales Business Development Manager

Location: Minato, Japan · Hybrid

Role Overview

This is a Japan-focused overlay Business Development role designed to accelerate enterprise pipeline creation and account relationship development across a defined set of high-priority manufacturing and industrial accounts currently underserved by the existing field sales team. The role operates as a senior individual contributor within the Strategic Sales organization, working in close partnership with AVP Makiko Hatakeyama and the broader RSM/RSD team. The position is structured as a BDE overlay for FY27, with a planned transition to a full IC RSM role with defined account ownership in FY28.

What You’ll Do

• Build executive-level relationships at targeted enterprise accounts — including Fujitsu, Canon, Daikin, Bridgestone, Murata Manufacturing, Murata Machinery, Kobe Steel, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and Toppan — where Splunk currently has limited or no active coverage
• Develop account plans and multi-year engagement strategies for assigned accounts in close coordination with the Strategic Sales AVP and field RSMs
• Generate qualified pipeline through proactive outbound engagement, industry networking, and executive-level business development activities
• Serve as an enterprise sales coach and best-practice resource for the broader RSM/RSD team, sharing proven methodologies for account entry, C-level engagement, and deal structuring in complex Japanese enterprise environments
• Identify and shape high-value opportunities ($1M+ deal size) with deal cycles of 12–18 months, tailoring proposals to customer business outcomes and Splunk’s platform value
• Collaborate with SE, marketing, and partner teams to build account-specific value propositions and go-to-market approaches
• Contribute to pipeline reporting and account planning processes in Clari, ensuring visibility and forecast quality for assigned accounts
• Actively participate in any deals that develop during the BDE period, contributing to close activities as appropriate; compensation will reflect contribution to closed revenue

Specialization and Focus

• Demand Generation / Business Development
• Enterprise Account Entry and Relationship Development
• Deal Shaping in complex, high-value Japanese enterprise environments
• Enterprise Sales Enablement and Coaching (RSM/RSD team)

Customer Engagement

• Customer Intimacy: High — executive relationship building is the primary activity
• Customer Focus: Manufacturing and Industrial vertical, Japan domestic
• Sales Motion: New business development and account whitespace expansion
• Product Focus: Platform and solution-level selling; security and observability use cases

Key Working Partners

• Strategic Sales AVP (Makiko Hatakeyama) — primary manager and strategic direction
• RSM/RSD team — joint account planning and deal execution
• SE organization — technical validation and customer engagement
• Marketing / DG team — demand generation campaigns and account-based marketing
• Partner team — channel and alliance engagement for target accounts

Success Measures

• Pipeline created at target accounts (volume and value)
• Executive relationships established at C/VP level across assigned accounts
• Quality and completeness of account plans for FY28 RSM transition
• Contribution to closed revenue in FY27 (tracked and compensated accordingly)
• Measurable improvement in enterprise sales capability of RSM/RSD team through coaching activities

Typical Deal Profile

• Deal Size: $1M+ in ARR
• Deal Complexity: High — multi-stakeholder, long-cycle Japanese enterprise
• Deal Cycle: 12–18 months (pipeline built in FY27, close expected FY28+)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree + 12 years of related experience, or Master’s + 8 years, or equivalent
• Demonstrated track record in enterprise sales or business development within Japan’s manufacturing or industrial sector
• Proven ability to build C-level executive relationships and navigate complex organizational buying processes in Japanese enterprise accounts
• Native or business-level Japanese; business-level English

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience at a cybersecurity, data analytics, or enterprise software company
• Existing relationships at one or more of the target accounts listed above
• Experience in both direct sales (quota-carrying IC) and overlay/BDE roles
• Familiarity with Splunk’s platform, use cases, or competitive landscape

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.