Director, Japan Business Development and Responsible Director

About Mesh

At Mesh, our mission is to enable consumers to pay and be paid with any asset. Today, trillions of dollars in tokenized assets exist but remain largely unusable for everyday commerce. Mesh is bridging this gap by making crypto payments reliable, useful, and ubiquitous. We combine a powerful orchestration engine with a seamless consumer app to unlock liquidity for the world. Backed by leading investors like SBI, Money Forward, Paradigm, Dragonfly, Galaxy, and PayPal Ventures, we are building the infrastructure for the next era of the global economy. Join us!

Overview

Mesh is building out its presence in Japan, and we're looking for someone to lead that build from the ground up. This is a dual mandate. Half of the job is commercial: you own Mesh's growth in one of the most important and complex markets in APAC, building relationships with exchanges, PSPs, banks and fintechs. The other half is governance: you'll serve as a director of Mesh's Japan entity, holding statutory responsibility for local representation and board-level accountability. You'll operate with real autonomy from day one. This is not a role where you wait for a playbook. You're building the playbook, the pipeline and the local presence at the same time.

What You'll Do

• Own Mesh's commercial pipeline in Japan across exchanges, PSPs, banks and fintechs, from first conversation to signed contract
• Build and manage relationships with the key players in Japan's crypto and payments ecosystem
• Act as Mesh's primary representative in market, to partners, prospective clients and regulators
• Serve as a director of Mesh's Japan entity, with statutory responsibility for local governance and board reporting
• Work closely with Mesh's global business development, legal and compliance teams to keep local activity aligned with company strategy
• Report regularly to senior leadership on pipeline, market development and commercial progress
• Partner with Mesh's Compliance Officer and outside counsel to navigate Japan's regulatory environment as the business scales
• Recruit and manage a small local team as the Japan operation grows

Who You Are

• 10+ years in payments, fintech or financial services, with meaningful time in crypto or digital assets
• Experience serving as a company director in Japan, or strong working familiarity with Japanese corporate governance and board obligations
• A real network across Japan's exchange, PSP and financial services landscape, built over years, not weeks
• Business-level fluency in both Japanese and English (a native Japanese speaker is preferred, given the nuances of business communication and the complexity of local regulatory contexts)
• A track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder commercial deals
• Comfort operating with significant autonomy in a fast-moving, early-stage environment
• Prior engagement with Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) 
• Based in Tokyo, or able to relocate

Nice to Have

• Existing relationships with major Japan exchanges or fintech platforms
• Experience standing up or scaling a regional operation for a global company
  

The estimated base salary for this position is ¥23,973,000 to ¥39,955,000. The compensation range provided may span multiple career levels and will be narrowed during the interview process based on factors including a candidate's experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location. The base salary range listed excludes commission (if applicable), equity, and benefits. The pay range represents the minimum and maximum target for new-hire compensation. Actual compensation may vary and may be higher or lower depending on individual circumstances.

Why You’ll Love It Here

At Mesh, you're not stepping into a typical role—you're joining a rocket ship in mid-liftoff. You'll tackle complex, meaningful problems that actually move an industry forward, working alongside a sharp, motivated team that moves quickly, collaborates deeply, and expects everyone to operate with ownership. This is the kind of place where you'll see your work ship fast, make real impact, and be able to point to something and say, "I built that." You'll grow fast, level up your skills, and get a front-row seat to how a high-growth company scales from the inside, with competitive comp, solid benefits, and room to stretch your craft all coming standard. If you're energized by building, learning, and shaping something big—this is where you'll want to be.

In-Office Expectations

Employees based in our San Francisco, New York, and Bangalore hubs are expected to work from the office at least 40% of the time (approximately two days per week). This expectation may vary slightly depending on role, team, and business needs. Certain roles that require closer cross-functional collaboration or operational support may have additional in-office requirements, which will be discussed during the interview process. Our hybrid approach is designed to balance meaningful in-person collaboration, team building, and real-time decision-making with the flexibility to work remotely. We believe this structure supports strong execution while preserving autonomy and focus time.

How We Care For Our Team

We believe great work happens when people feel valued and supported. That starts with competitive salary and equity that grows as you and the company grow, plus comprehensive health coverage for you and your family. We offer unlimited PTO—and we mean it. Take the time you need to recharge and show up at your best.

We're invested in your growth with a dedicated budget for courses, conferences, and certifications. Work from wherever you're most productive with our remote-friendly approach, and count on having the top-tier tools and equipment you need to do exceptional work.

Mesh Pay is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, genetic information, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful alien status, national origin, age, marital status, and non-job related physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.