About the role
About the Company: World is building a real human network designed to accelerate people in the age of AI. As bots and autonomous agents reshape the internet, people, institutions, and applications need a trusted way to confirm who is a real human while preserving privacy. Our products make this possible: the Orb verifies real people, World ID proves it privately, and World App enables and distributes the new applications made possible by this technology. Together, they form a new layer for AI internet. We’re one of the fastest-growing networks in tech. More than 17 million people across 160 countries have verified with World ID, and we complete over 350,000 verifications each week. World App is already among the most used wallets globally. Developers are integrating World ID to build safer online experiences and create spaces where real people can participate, earn, and be recognized in ways AI simply can’t replicate. World was founded in 2019 and launched globally in 2023. We are more than 400 people across hardware, software, AI, cryptography, mobile engineering, and global operations. Our teams come from OpenAI, Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, Google, Stripe, Meta, Coinbase, Palantir and MIT Media Lab. We’re backed by leading investors, including a16z, Khosla Ventures, Bain Capital Crypto, Blockchain Capital, Variant, Tiger Global, and Coinbase Ventures, as well as prominent operators and founders across fintech and AI. World has been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine , highlighted in Fast Company’s Next 5 in Fintech, and explored in a Bloomberg deep dive . The New York Times , Bankless and TechCrunch have all recognized our progress in identity, cryptography, AI, and global-scale hardware deployment. Our leadership is also named to the Time AI 100 . Learn more about the newest product launches from our Unwrapped event. About the Team: The Market Operations team is responsible for driving the successful launch, growth, and ongoing performance of World’s operations in markets around the world. Our work sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, ensuring that World’s unique model of verifying humanness through a global network of Orb Operators is implemented effectively, sustainably, and at scale. We collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to design and optimize operational processes, manage local partnerships, and deliver exceptional user and Operator experiences. Because every market has its own cultural, regulatory, and logistical nuances, the Market Operations team must combine analytical rigor with adaptability and deep local insight. We are known for our operational excellence, on-the-ground problem solving, and relentless focus on execution and impact. About the Opportunity: As the Business Development Manager for Japan, you will lead and scale World’s presence in one of our most strategically important markets. You will be responsible for developing and executing the go-to-market strategy for World ID, including both World ID Rewards and World ID integrations, expanding key World ID use cases across major verticals, and contributing to sustainable user growth nationwide. You will build and manage relationships with key enterprise partners to expand World ID adoption and strengthen our market position. This role is both strategic and hands-on: you will shape the long-term vision for Japan while ensuring flawless execution with partners on the ground. You will report to the General Manager of Japan and collaborate closely with global teams across Operations, Product, Engineering, Legal, Comms, and Marketing. Responsibilities: Identify high-impact partnership opportunities in Japan: map partner ecosystem (e.g., delivery platforms, mobility, fintech, VC networks), evaluate fit, develop business cases and strategy for partner growth and expansion. Build and manage partner relationships: engage new and existing partners; structure deals; design partnership models ; become a trusted lead for the partner through the lifecycle. Drive execution of partnership initiatives: lead cross-functional alignment (internal teams: Legal, Product, Marketing, Country GMs) to launch and scale partnerships; track milestones, monitor performance, report progress, iterate models. Develop and maintain Japan partnership strategy and playbook: collaborate with country General Manager to define roadmap for partnerships in Japan, pilot new models, build replicable frameworks and documentation. Measure and optimise partnership performance: define KPIs, build dashboards/reports, use data and insights to refine partnership models, improve time to market, partner value, mutual benefit. Represent the company externally in Japan: engage senior partner-executives, build networks in the VC/StartUp/Web3 ecosystem, leverage external relationships to source and accelerate partnership opportunities. Ensure internal enablement: support internal stakeholders (legal, marketing, product, ops) by providing partner context, surfacing regional insights, facilitating collaboration and ensuring internal readiness for partner commitments. Qualifications: 7+ years in sales, business development, or enterprise account management in the tech industry. Proven track record of securing and negotiating partnerships Strong negotiation and relationship management skills. An entrepreneurial spirit/experience with a strong growth mindset Adaptable and comfortable with a fast-paced environment Comfort working in fast-moving, ambiguous startup environments. Fluent Japanese and strong business-level English (English is secondary but required for cross-border collaboration). Mission-aligned, curious about privacy-preserving identity and decentralized systems. You’re based in Tokyo Nice to Have: Experience scaling merchant networks or channel partnerships. Familiarity with Web3, rewards/loyalty platforms, or identity systems. Knowledge of Japanese consumer behavior, retail, or regulatory environments.