The Partnerships Manager will spearhead business development and new brand acquisition for Pattern's Japan business. Operating as a dedicated regional resource, this role focuses on driving local Japan market growth by identifying and securing high-potential brands for marketplaces like Rakuten and Amazon.

To be successful in this role, you must possess a deep understanding of the Japan e-commerce landscape and marketplace dynamics, combined with strong capabilities in cross-functional collaboration across global teams. The ideal candidate is a pragmatic, commercially grounded negotiator who takes deep ownership of their work and brings a growth-focused mindset to scale Pattern's regional presence, acting as the vital commercial bridge between external brands and our internal operating teams.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end deal origination for the Japan market, including pitching target brands, leading commercial negotiations, and managing the active pipeline.
• Rigorously evaluate new brand opportunities using a data-driven approach—triangulating search volume, review velocity, estimated AOV, and local competitor strength to validate true demand.
• Run PAR models, commercial calculations, and pricing reviews to evaluate market viability and structure expansion terms.
• Act as a commercial gatekeeper: confidently filter out low-potential brands and refuse prospects that are not worth our time and effort.
• Collaborate with multiple global stakeholders across multiple functions—such as Brand Management, Finance, Legal, Logistics, Marketplace Operations, etc.—to drive alignment and execution.
• Maintain operational flexibility to take on strategic non-sales functions and cross-functional projects as needed to support a lean, high-performing Japan team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or above.
• Hands-on experience in Business Development, Partnerships, Commercial Strategy, Account Management, or B2B eCommerce.
• Deep understanding of the Japan e-commerce landscape, marketplace dynamics (Rakuten and Amazon), and cross-border/domestic selling models.
• Demonstrated skill in cross-functional collaboration across global teams and multi-disciplinary stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of Excel and strong commercial acumen; highly capable of evaluating market potential and parsing performance data.
• Independent, highly motivated self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and exercises strong business judgment over literal instruction-following.
• Growth-oriented mindset with the ability to translate imperfect market signals into practical acquisition strategies.
• Excellent communication skills in English and Japanese; able to negotiate firmly and diplomatically with external partners while maintaining direct, clear internal communication.