Account Executive - Direct & Channel Sales - Japan

Company Description

About the Group

We’re part of the CJKI group within Canva’s International Supergroup, focused on building our presence across China, Japan, Korea, and India. Our mission is to localise Canva in ways that deeply resonate with local markets—as we call it "Truly Local". We bring together Sales, Marketing, Product, and Partnerships to deliver local strategies with global ambition.

Job Description

About the Role

As an Account Executive in Japan, you’ll be at the intersection of strategy and execution — owning both direct enterprise engagement and scaling our channel partnerships. You'll work closely with resellers and distributors to drive growth and enable them to champion Canva. This is a hybrid role that requires both client-facing excellence and channel activation mastery.

What you’ll do (responsibilities)

• You’ll lead end-to-end enterprise sales engagements in Japan, from prospecting through to closing, focusing on industries aligned with Canva’s B2B priorities.

• You’ll onboard, enable, and manage channel partners (distributors and resellers), ensuring they have the tools and knowledge to position Canva effectively.

• You’ll collaborate closely with Marketing, Product, and Customer Success teams to localise and align sales strategies with Japanese business culture and buyer expectations.

• You’ll tailor Canva’s value proposition to meet unique client needs—bridging product capabilities with customer pain points.

• You’ll manage a robust pipeline and maintain accurate forecasting in CRM tools to drive accountability and transparency.

• You’ll host partner and enterprise workshops, trainings, and roadshows to drive adoption and engagement.

• You’ll collaborate with partners and the Customer Success team to deliver exceptional, end-to-end customer experiences.

• You’ll act as a trusted advisor in the Japanese market—providing customer insights that shape Canva’s product roadmap and go-to-market strategy.

Qualifications

What we're looking for

• 5+ years of proven success in B2B SaaS sales, consistently exceeding quota in fast-paced, high-growth environments

• Fluent in Japanese and professional efficiency in English, with outstanding verbal and written communication skills in Japanese

• Experience selling to enterprise customers—ideally across marketing, design, or IT stakeholder groups

• Strong track record in both direct sales and channel enablement, including onboarding and activating distributors/resellers

• Self-starter with a growth mindset—curious, proactive, welcoming feedback and always learning

• Comfortable building and managing a full sales cycle from prospecting to close

• Strategic thinker who tailors Canva’s value proposition to customer needs and drives urgency

• Natural relationship-builder who can rapidly grow and influence a network of decision-makers

• Passionate about disrupting traditional solutions and bringing Canva’s mission to Japanese enterprises

• Brings energy, tenacity, and ownership to every deal—acts as a market-maker, not just a quota-taker

Additional Information