Manager, SME Channel Distribution Specialist Sales, Japan

Our Purpose

Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re helping build a sustainable economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.

Title and Summary

Manager, SME Channel Distribution Specialist Sales, Japan

Overview
Across Asia Pacific, Small and Medium Businesses (SMEs) are essential to economic growth, contributing significantly to employment and GDP. An increasing share of SMEs are adopting financial service products and services via non-traditional channels which include enabler platforms, marketplaces, consumer packaged goods, and trade and logistics companies. Mastercard is committed to helping SMEs grow and thrive in a digital-first economy, by delivering customer-centric solutions through these emerging channels.

Role
Our SME team is looking for a Manager, SME Channel Distribution Sales Specialist in Japan to drive revenue growth and expand Mastercard’s presence in this high-growth area. This role will focus on sales execution, pipeline conversion, partner activation, and revenue realization through emerging distribution channels. You will work closely with Account Management, Business Development, SME regional Product managers, and key market stakeholders to identify and prioritize SME channel partners for embedded solutions, accelerate deal closure and activation, grow volumes and revenue, and deliver strong customer outcomes.

Key Responsibilities
- Own and execute a revenue-driven sales and activation strategy for Japan, where new B2B payment flow opportunities are emerging and partner-led distribution models are gaining momentum.
- Identify, prioritise, and convert high-potential SME opportunities across external partnerships, merchant co-brand programmes, and channel partners, building on existing pipelines while developing new partnerships with prioritised channel partners.
- Drive market expansion by identifying unmet SME needs and translating them into scalable commercial opportunities, with a strong focus on new sales generation, pipeline progression, and partner activation.
- Build and maintain a robust activation pipeline, using data-driven prioritisation to focus resources on the most commercially attractive and strategically relevant opportunities.
- Work closely with Account Management, Business Development, and Product teams to shape partner propositions, articulate clear business cases, and accelerate deal closure, activation, and revenue realisation.
- Leverage Japan’s location advantage to strengthen market coverage and partner engagement
- Represent Mastercard in the market through industry engagement, partner development, and ecosystem building to enhance visibility and establish leadership in SME-focused embedded and distributed payments.

All About You
The ideal candidate for this position should:
• Create customer-centric solutions and be passionate about supporting SME growth.
• Possess a strong track record of achievement in a sales position.
• Have proven experience engaging internal and external commercial and technical stakeholders to drive solution development and adoption.
• Have a strong sales background, with experience in lead generation, pipeline management, deal negotiation, activation and revenue growth.
• Have experience in financial services and payments, with an understanding of competitive offerings, industry trends, and profitability drivers.
• Have strong relationship management, collaboration, influencing, and communication skills.
• Be self-motivated, a quick learner, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Able to navigate working in a high growth, global organisation.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree.
• Proficiency in the English, Japanese language required.

Corporate Security Responsibility

All activities involving access to Mastercard assets, information, and networks comes with an inherent risk to the organization and, therefore, it is expected that every person working for, or on behalf of, Mastercard is responsible for information security and must:

• Abide by Mastercard’s security policies and practices;

• Ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the information being accessed;

• Report any suspected information security violation or breach, and

• Complete all periodic mandatory security trainings in accordance with Mastercard’s guidelines.