About the role
Location: Tokyo (remote working) Substack is building a new global economic engine for culture, giving the most creative and interesting people on the internet the power of their own publishing platform. Substack’s model—based on direct subscriptions—has fueled an explosion of independent publishing, empowering creators with economic autonomy, creative ownership, and a direct connection to their most engaged audiences. We’re hiring a Head of Partnerships for Tokyo to lead and scale the Japanese Substack business. Working alongside our Head of International, you’ll be responsible for building awareness of the Substack brand in Japan, onboarding the country’s most exciting independent talent, as well as helping to tell the Substack story to creators and consumers across the country. This is a pivotal role for an exceptional leader who has a strong track record of business growth as well as nurturing creative talent across all mediums. You’ll also be a strategic thinker who is as comfortable working with big political names as you are smaller less well known creators. Knowledge of events and being comfortable speaking publicly is a
bonus. What You’ll Do: With the help of Substack’s Head of International you’ll develop and execute a strategy for onboarding influential creators, helping them build successful subscription businesses and vibrant communities on Substack. Own key growth metrics around creator acquisition, retention, revenue, and engagement—aligning impact with Substack’s broader business goals. Build and deepen relationships with creators, talent managers, studios, agencies, tastemakers to the press to expand Substack’s presence in the cultural ecosystem. Champion Japanese creators internally by synthesizing their needs, motivations, and ambitions into product, support, and partnership opportunities. Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Data, Marketing, and Communications to evolve the Japanese creator experience and improve outreach and feature adoption. Represent Substack externally—on stage, in the press, and in key industry rooms—positioning the company as the premier platform for independent creative work. Stay ahead of creator economy trends, emerging formats, and shifting audience behaviors to keep Substack on the leading edge in Japan. What We’re Looking For: 7+ years of experience as a leader in creator partnerships, talent development, business development or editorial Proven success leading and scaling teams in fast-paced environments with high agency and ownership. Deep empathy for creators and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities they face when building independent careers. A robust network across the creator economy—including relationships with top creators, talent agencies, production companies, digital media leaders and journalists A demonstrable and exceptional understanding of the Japanese ‘creator’ market An ability to communicate clearly and effectively often on a public stage is a
