Alchemy Global Talent Solutions
Associate Director, Strategic Intelligence - London - Tokyo
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Associate Director – Strategic Intelligence Practice (Japan)
Our client, a global advisory firm, is seeking an Associate Director to join their strategic intelligence practice in Tokyo, Japan.
About the Role
Their client is hiring for an independent, organised, and experienced project manager with a 5-to-7-year track record in industries such as business intelligence, strategy, management, regulatory, or geopolitical/political risk consulting.
This role is based in the Tokyo office, with at least three to six months of initial training at their London headquarters to begin with.
Responsibilities
As Associate Director, your core responsibilities will include:
- Independent management of enhanced due diligence and strategic intelligence investigations across jurisdictions in the APAC region, with a Japan-specific focus.
- Conducting risk and opportunity assessments at commercial, regulatory, and political levels.
- Identifying & engaging human sources, both within and beyond their firm’s network, to gather structured intelligence.
- Developing investigative strategies combining open-source research and human-source enquiries.
- Building and nurturing human source networks across Japan and major Asian geographies.
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Office Operations & Team Leadership
- Overseeing day-to-day management of the Tokyo office, including line management of junior staff (analysts, senior analysts, and managers).
- Collaborating with Asia team members in London and Singapore.
- Developing & implementing training initiatives to optimize operations and processes.
- Providing operational & business development support for the Head of Japan as required.
Client Engagement
- Debriefing clients (primarily private equity firms and multinational corporates):
- Tailoring voice briefings for commercial audiences using consulting best practices.
- Managing high-pressure interactions with senior stakeholders, including deal teams and C-suites.
- Synthesising and presenting actionable intelligence in structured reports, presentations, and deliverables.
- Benchmarking risks/opportunities within wider sectoral/geographic contexts.
Qualifications & Capabilities
Language & Cultural Proficiency
- Fluent English for written/verbal communication.
- Professional-level Japanese competency.
- Strong cultural acumen for engagement with Japanese corporate clients.
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Professional Experience
- Minimum 5 years’ experience in business intelligence or related fields (regulatory, political risk, geopolitical consulting, strategy/management).
- Foundational knowledge of Asia’s business, political, and regulatory environments, with an emphasis on Japan.
- Preferred: Prior living/working experience in Japan.
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness: Efficient risk assessment and rapid grasp of target companies’ value chains/business models.
- Team leadership: Cultivating a collaborative and high-performing team culture.
- Communication skills: Fluid conversational/written ability, both verbal and in written deliverables.
- Analytical rigor and meticulous attention to detail.
- Professional judgment: Balancing execution and client management.
- Self-motivation: Ability to produce high-quality output with limited oversight.
This role blends strategic intelligence with operational leadership – ideal for an experienced professional with both domain expertise and teaming skills.
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