Strategist. Investment Planning Dept.

About the company

This established technology and digital business group invests in and supports start-ups in Japan and overseas, helping them grow through collaboration with businesses across the group. Its venture investment activities span a range of stages, from early ideas through to more mature businesses, and include investments made through its own balance sheet and funds developed with external partners.

The investment team combines corporate planning expertise with experience across venture capital, entrepreneurship, law, accounting and business leadership. It values curiosity, independent thinking and the ability to take ownership, giving team members meaningful responsibility and opportunities to work closely with senior decision-makers. For someone interested in how investment strategy, fund management and start-up growth intersect, this is an opportunity to build a broad perspective in a collaborative, internationally connected environment.

What the job entails

As a Strategist in the Investment Planning Department, you will help shape the investment group’s strategy and oversee its business planning, funds and subsidiaries. Working closely with senior management, you will develop medium-term plans, budgets and investment policies, and prepare analysis and materials to inform management and board-level decisions.

You will monitor performance against plans, budgets and key performance indicators, identify emerging issues and variances, and help develop and implement appropriate actions. The role also involves coordinating strategic projects across internal teams and external stakeholders, as well as exploring new investment vehicles and partnership opportunities. You will have scope to take projects from analysis through to execution, building a rounded understanding of venture investment and vehicle management. Depending on business needs, a partial secondment to a fund or subsidiary may be required.

Key requirements

• At least four years’ professional experience, including hands-on experience in a major operating company, financial institution, consulting firm or trading company.
• Practical experience in management control, such as business planning, budgeting, budget-versus-actual tracking or KPI design; or end-to-end delivery of strategy, new-business or M&A projects.
• Basic finance and accounting knowledge, including the ability to read profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow statements.
• Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, including quantitative analysis and preparation of clear materials for decision-makers.
• A bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Intellectual curiosity about start-ups, new business models and technology, with the initiative to learn unfamiliar areas and define issues independently.
• Ability to structure complex matters logically, form and communicate sound judgements, and identify appropriate actions when plans or business conditions change.
• Confidence building trusted relationships with senior leaders, portfolio companies, partners and other stakeholders, and engaging them to move projects forward.
• Experience in venture capital, corporate venture capital, private equity, fund formation or operations, investor relations, project management, valuation or financial modelling would be an advantage.
• Business-level English would be beneficial for working with overseas companies and partners and handling English-language documents.