---
title: 'Business Development Manager — Japan at Alta Ares'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-manager-japan-alta-ares-tokyo-sg5qjqb776jp'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Business Development Manager — Japan at Alta Ares

- **Company:** Alta Ares
- **Location:** Tokyo, Japan / Nagoya, Japan
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-06-24
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/alta-ares/7c82c080-2c9a-41cf-8936-d5719b59f47b/application

**Skills:** Japanese language (Native or near-native), English language (Fluent), French

> Alta Ares seeks a Business Development Manager to establish its presence in the Japanese defence market. The role involves building institutional relationships with Japan MOD and Self-Defense Forces, engaging industrial partners, and providing market intelligence to support commercial pipeline development.

## Job description

## ABOUT ALTA ARES

Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.

Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.

## ROLE & MISSION

As Business Development Manager Japan, you will be Alta Ares' first dedicated presence in the Japanese market — responsible for building institutional and industrial relationships, developing the commercial pipeline, and establishing Alta Ares as a trusted defence AI partner within Japan's rapidly evolving defence ecosystem.

Japan is investing heavily in defence modernisation, C-UAS, and autonomous systems. You will be on the ground at the right moment: opening doors with Japan MOD, the Self-Defense Forces, and leading Japanese defence primes, and converting those relationships into concrete partnerships and contracts.

This is a builder role with high ownership. You will operate with significant autonomy while being tightly connected to the Paris leadership team — which makes your ability to bridge cultures, languages, and operational contexts absolutely central to success.

INSTITUTIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT — JAPAN MOD & SELF-DEFENSE FORCES

- Identify, qualify, and develop opportunities across Japan MOD (防衛省), ATLA (acquisition, technology & logistics agency), and the three branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF, JASDF, JMSDF)
- Build trusted relationships with programme officers, capability managers, and procurement officials within Japanese defence institutions
- Map relevant capability gaps and procurement programmes aligned with Alta Ares' product suite: ISR, C-UAS, AI autonomy
- Support the preparation of proposals, capability briefings, and demonstration requests for Japanese institutional clients
- Monitor Japanese defence policy developments, budget cycles, and strategic priorities (including the 2022 National Security Strategy and 2% GDP defence commitment)

INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT — DEFENCE PRIMES & PARTNERS

- Identify and engage Japanese defence primes and industrial partners as potential teaming, channel, or licensing partners: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, NEC, Fujitsu Defence, IHI, and equivalent
- Develop and manage relationships with Japanese systems integrators and technology companies operating in the defence space
- Explore joint development, co-production, or distribution partnership structures suited to Japan's defence industrial policy
- Represent Alta Ares at key Japanese defence events: DSEI Japan, Nico Tech, defence industry forums, and bilateral NATO-Japan exercises

## MARKET INTELLIGENCE & STRATEGY

- Map the Japanese defence market: procurement cycles, budget allocation, regulatory environment (including export control and foreign vendor access rules), and competitive landscape
- Track Japan's evolving defence posture and its implications for AI, C-UAS, and autonomous systems procurement
- Provide regular market intelligence and strategic recommendations to the Paris leadership team
- Support Alta Ares' compliance with Japanese regulations and any bilateral defence cooperation frameworks (Japan–NATO, Japan–France defence agreements)

## CROSS-CULTURAL COORDINATION & INTERNAL LIAISON

- Act as the cultural and operational bridge between the Japan office and Alta Ares HQ in Paris
- Translate not just language but context — ensuring Japanese partners' expectations and communication styles are understood at HQ, and that Alta Ares' positioning resonates locally
- Coordinate demonstrations, field visits, and partner meetings end-to-end, working with Engineering and Operations in Paris
- Prepare bilingual materials, meeting summaries, and partner-facing documentation in Japanese and English

## CANDIDATE PROFILE

## EXPERIENCE

- 2–4 years of experience in business development, sales, partnerships, or institutional relations — ideally in defence, aerospace, deeptech, or government-adjacent sectors
- Exposure to Japanese defence institutions, government agencies, or large industrial groups is a strong plus
- Experience navigating Japanese business culture and building long-term institutional relationships
- Prior experience in an international environment — startup, consulting, embassy, international organisation, or defence company

## SKILLS & QUALITIES

- Native or near-native Japanese speaker — mandatory (日本語ネイティブレベル必須)
- Fluent in English — mandatory: you will produce professional documents, proposals, and presentations daily
- French is a meaningful plus — direct communication with Paris HQ is significantly smoother with French proficiency
- Genuine interest in defence technology, security policy, and European-Japanese defence cooperation — you care about the mission
- Organised, rigorous, and reliable — able to manage a pipeline, track follow-ups, and report clearly to leadership
- Culturally agile: equally comfortable in a Japanese institutional meeting and a fast-moving European startup environment
- Hunter mindset — proactive, persistent, and comfortable opening new relationships from scratch
- Discreet and trustworthy — you will handle sensitive institutional and commercial information as a matter of course

## About Alta Ares

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Alta Ares builds an autonomous AI stack for next-generation air defense, ISTAR, and mission management, delivering counter-drone systems and edge intelligence to allied militaries.
- **Entity Type**: Private (raised pre-seed and seed rounds; most recent €50M funding announced June 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Paris, France (strategic offices in Toulouse, Kyiv, Abu Dhabi, New York, Athens, Munich, and London)
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Hadrien C. (CEO), Alain H. (Co-Founder), Stanislas W. (Co-Founder & COO) – per LinkedIn executive data

## Core Business
- **Industry**: Defense and Space Manufacturing; AI-powered autonomous systems
- **Target Customers**: Allied governments and armed forces (B2B/B2G)
- **Mission**: “The next decade of allied security will be decided by who controls the autonomous systems above the battlefield. Alta Ares was founded to help ensure that the technologies shaping the future of defense are developed by allies, for allies, and fielded where they can make the greatest difference.” [altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/)

## Products & Services
- **Black Bird**: Short- to mid-range multirotor autonomous interceptor for counter-drone swarms, with AI terminal guidance under jamming.
- **X-LOCK**: Mid- to long-range turbojet-powered fixed-wing effector for high-speed interception of drones and glide bombs; optional strike configuration.
- **Cyclops**: Sensor intelligence, mission planning, and flight monitoring system for UAVs – connects radars, classifies tracks, predicts trajectories.
- **Gamma ISTAR**: Real-time video intelligence on the edge for Intelligence Surveillance Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. Includes Gamma Core (software deployable on any infrastructure) and Gamma Box (tactical rugged hardware node). Integrated with Gamma Ulixes MLOps platform for continuous model retraining.
- **Pixel Lock**: Software system for detecting, tracking, and guiding interceptors toward moving aerial targets. Acts as visual aid for pilots and as automatic guidance in GNSS-denied environments.
- **Mission Management Layer**: Unified platform combining air defense effectors, ISTAR products, and mission management software for autonomous operations.

[altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total known funding ≈ €50M+ (includes a reported June 2026 round led by top-tier AI and defense investors) [altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/); earlier pre-seed ($2.2M) and seed ($2.0M) rounds confirmed on LinkedIn [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alta-ares)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Airbus Defence and Space (signed MoU to co-develop European counter-drone solutions, June 2026); Expansion Ventures (led pre-seed). Other investors not yet named publicly.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Completed live Arctic trials of Black Bird interceptor with Estonian Defence Forces (Feb 2026)
  - Expanding to Munich and London in 2026
  - Rapid hiring: 19+ active job postings (LinkedIn), 12 listed on Built In
  - LinkedIn followers: 11,265 (+15.8% monthly growth)
  - Team: ~43 employees (LinkedIn) to 62 (Built In), with strong technical talent from defense and aerospace (Armée de Terre, Safran AI, Loft Orbital)

[builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/alta-ares) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alta-ares)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Sovereign European stack**: Entire AI and hardware chain developed by European allies, ensuring security and compliance for NATO and allied customers.
- **GNSS-denied operations**: All systems designed to function under jamming and contested environments.
- **Rapid field deployment**: Systems can be deployed by small teams in the field, reducing logistics footprint.
- **Full-stack integration**: One platform combining effectors, ISR, and mission management with edge AI and continuous MLOps.

## Strategic Focus
- Scale manufacturing and deployment of Black Bird, X-LOCK, and Gamma products to meet growing demand from allied nations.
- Deepen integration partnership with Airbus Defence and Space for European counter-drone solutions.
- Expand international presence (Munich, London offices in 2026) and grow sales in Baltic, Indo-Pacific, and Middle Eastern markets.
- Continue investment in AI terminal guidance, sensor fusion, and sovereign MLOps (Gamma Ulixes).

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven**: Directly contribute to European and allied defense autonomy in a critical domain.
- **Cutting-edge tech**: Work on AI, computer vision, autonomous flight, edge computing, and defense-grade hardware.
- **Rapid growth**: Company raised €50M in 2026, tripling headcount timeline; many open engineering and operations roles.
- **Culture**: Described as a “deeptech startup” with a hybrid workspace (combination of remote and on-site); main offices in Paris and Toulouse, plus international hubs.
- **Perks**: Not detailed publicly, but typical for defense tech includes competitive compensation, equity, and mission-critical work. Engineering culture emphasized in job postings.
- **Ideal for**: Engineers (embedded, robotics, GNC, data, ML), test pilots, production managers, defense sales, compliance, and talent acquisition specialists.

## Sources
1. [altaares.com](https://www.altaares.com/)
2. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/alta-ares)
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/alta-ares)
4. [jobs.workable.com](https://jobs.workable.com/company/dTjqj5nvsJLNhfSDY12XbG/jobs-at-alta-ares)
5. [thecompanycheck.com](https://www.thecompanycheck.com/company/b/alta-ares/l5u43z56vx1ldmfss)

## Other roles at Alta Ares

- [DevOps Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/devops-intern-alta-ares-paris-ys5qhbgdkt12) — Paris, France
- [Structural Engineer UAV H/F](https://feeny.ai/job/structural-engineer-uav-h-f-alta-ares-toulouse-e0wecwdhef8d) — Toulouse, France
- [Pyrotechnics Engineer H/F](https://feeny.ai/job/pyrotechnics-engineer-h-f-alta-ares-toulouse-fq3aa627wfxr) — Toulouse, France
- [Logistics Manager H/F](https://feeny.ai/job/logistics-manager-h-f-alta-ares-paris-jq0ba72knsyk) — Paris, France
- [Software Engineer — VIE  USA](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-vie-usa-alta-ares-new-york-tzvjqnfbydhe) — New York, NY
- [Business Development Representative — VIE  Germany](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-representative-vie-germany-alta-ares-munich-9y82690ehp52) — Munich, Germany
- [Business Development Representative — VIE  Abu Dhabi](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-representative-vie-abu-dhabi-alta-ares-middle-east-and-qksmpxad2e7g) — Middle East and Africa
- [Business Development Representative — VIE  Japon](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-representative-vie-japon-alta-ares-tokyo-xd296meqgnya) — Tokyo, Japan / Nagoya, Japan
- [Legal Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/legal-intern-alta-ares-paris-ew8j518ja616) — Paris, France
- [Legal & IP Counsel](https://feeny.ai/job/legal-ip-counsel-alta-ares-paris-7x18kmg7kddd) — Paris, France