Role Overview

We're looking for a highly experienced Business Development Manager (BDM) to drive Cisco's expansion in the Social Infrastructure sector, with a focus on critical industries such as Power, Railways, and Roads. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME), you'll draw on deep industry expertise and a strong professional network—spanning customers, partners, and the broader industry ecosystem—to shape and win strategic proposal opportunities. You'll serve as a key bridge between the Japanese market and Cisco's global organization, making sure our global strategies are effectively localized and executed to meet the unique demands of critical infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Industry-Specific Demand Generation: Lead enterprise-wide demand generation strategies tailored to the complex needs of the Social Infrastructure sector, strengthening Cisco's presence across both new and existing solution offerings.
• Strategic Relationship Management: Leverage your extensive network among customers, partners, and industry stakeholders to build and sustain executive-level relationships that secure long-term business commitments.
• Global Collaboration: Work closely with Cisco's global teams to share best practices, align on cross-domain solutions, and drive global campaigns within the Japanese market. Fluency in both Japanese and English is essential — Japanese to engage effectively with local customers and partners, and English to communicate and align strategically with global stakeholders.
• Deal Shaping & Complex Proposals: Architect innovative deal structures for high-stakes opportunities (typically >$1M), tailoring solutions to meet both customer objectives and Cisco's business goals within the long, complex sales cycles typical of critical infrastructure.
• Market Insight & Thought Leadership: Deliver strategic, customer-driven insights that help shape product roadmaps. Develop architecture-based thought leadership to influence customer purchasing decisions and accelerate digital transformation in the infrastructure space.
• Cross-Functional Governance: Lead cross-functional teams to align on high-stakes opportunities and drive adoption of new consumption models suited to the infrastructure sector.

Qualifications

• Industry Expertise: Proven track record in business development or solution sales within the Social Infrastructure sector (e.g., Power/Utilities, Railway, Road/Transportation).
• Network: A strong, established professional network among customers, partners, and industry bodies, with a demonstrated ability to reach and influence key decision-makers.
• Communication Skills: Business-level fluency in both Japanese and English (written and verbal), with the ability to communicate effectively with local stakeholders as well as global Cisco teams.
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead complex projects and drive governance across internal and external stakeholders.
• Education: No specific degree required. We prioritize proven industry experience, professional achievements, and a demonstrated ability to drive business growth in critical infrastructure.

Success Measures

• Revenue Growth: Drive increased sales revenue for new and existing products within target infrastructure verticals.
• Pipeline Development: Grow the volume and value of qualified opportunity pipelines.
• Global Alignment: Successfully integrate and execute global strategies within the local market.