Presales Lead - Retail

Job Title: Presales Lead - Retail

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Kaluza reimagines energy to bring net-zero within everyone’s reach. Our intelligent Platform enables energy utilities to unlock the full value of a radically changing energy system and propel us to a future where renewable energy is sustainable, affordable and accessible for all.

From automating and simplifying core operations including billing to create a lower-cost, higher-engagement experience, to optimising energy usage across smart devices in the home, we turn tough challenges into win-win-win outcomes for customers, suppliers and the energy system.

Kaluza is currently in an exciting growth phase, undergoing the next phase of our international expansion in Japan to further reinforce our capabilities as a globally distributed energy platform.

We're in the early days of building our team and so in-office presence to us is important - working really closely with our clients to forge a strong working relationship. Our team currently works from our office in Tokyo (Marunouchi Park Building) 3+ days per week..

Our goal is to build a self-sufficient and empowered team here on the ground in Japan. We’re well on our way, but until we get there we still have some reliances on our UK team. Being comfortable working flexibly for a portion of your working week to cover time zones is required.

Where in the world of Kaluza will I be working?

You'll be joining Kaluza’s Client Solutions function which is responsible for all pre-sales activity with prospective clients. The team is responsible for understanding the needs of prospective clients and designing solutions using the Kaluza suite of products to help them achieve their strategic goals. Activities the team undertake include delivering product deep dives and demos, running solutions workshops and writing up proposals. You will be the first permanent member of the Client Solutions team in Japan, and will be supported by a global team headquartered in the UK, as well as the Japan Country Manager.

What will I be doing?

Client-facing

As Presales Lead for Kaluza’s Retail platform in Japan, you will be responsible for understanding the needs of prospective clients and designing solutions to help them achieve their business goals. You will report jointly to the Client Solutions team in the UK and the Country Manager in Japan, playing a direct role in sales to Kaluza’s prospective clients. The Presales Lead will be an expert on Kaluza’s retail platform from a client or user perspective and champion a consultative approach to helping clients understand the advantages of using it. You will lead needs-based discovery and scoping workshops including preparation and delivery of demos to help clients understand the value we deliver.

Partner-facing

The Presales Lead will work with Kaluza’s Japan-based platform ecosystem partners to train them, and assess their ability to provide the supplementary services required by Kaluza and its clients.

Product-facing

As Presales Lead, you will build a close relationship with Kaluza’s product teams, continuously funnelling feedback to inform short term and long term product roadmaps. You need to develop a detailed understanding of Kaluza’s complex product suite, as well as the typical solutions available on the market. You will also develop a good understanding of the business challenges facing retailers and will be able to bridge the gap between technology and its commercial impact, clearly illustrating benefits for the client that our flexible microservices-based platform can bring.

Example Activities

• Supporting tender responses

• Leading product demonstrations and demos

• Supporting sales pitches to new clients

• Working with existing and prospective clients to understand their current technology solutions

• Architecting client-specific Kaluza-based solutions and demonstrating the commercial outcomes these will deliver for clients

• Leading scoping and discovery workshops with clients

• Developing client proposals

Is this the job for me?

You’re the right person for us if you have:

• +5 years experience in the energy software industry in presales, technical sales, consulting, product, or engineering.

• Experience working with enterprise clients in complex deal cycles

• Experience leveraging AI as a practical tool to streamline workflows

• Ability to clearly communicate complex concepts to various business and technical stakeholders in client organisation.

• Have strong attention to detail and willingness to learn quickly

• Ability to work with senior leadership and team members alike

• Positive, creative, problem-solving mindset, and a start-up mentality

• Ability to self-organise and manage multiple workstreams in parallel, knowing when and how to prioritise.

• Comfortable with the ambiguity that comes from working in a fast-paced environment and adaptable to changing needs of the role.

• Experience experimenting with AI and developing ways to use it to increase effectiveness.

• Have high emotional intelligence and ability to empathise and work through differing opinions.

• Business fluency in English and Japanese

• Residency in Japan with right to work

Ideally you’d also have:

• Deep knowledge of the Japanese retail energy market

• Experience of SaaS sales.

• Experience architecting large scale, impactful software solutions.

From us you’ll get

We're just getting set up in Japan, so we'll build out our full benefits offering in the coming months. Currently, from day one, you will get:

• Progressive leave policies - including leave dedicated to the moments that matter to you the most

• Annual discretionary bonus

• Dedicated personal learning and home office budgets

• Flexible working — we trust you to work in a way that suits your lifestyle

• 26 days holiday

• Kaluza Share Scheme

We'll then build out our benefits and progressive policies soon to ensure your Total Reward package is highly competitive, and that you're well looked after.

We want the best people

We’re keen to meet people from all walks of life — our view is that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We want to build teams which represent a variety of experiences, perspectives and skills, and we recognise talent on the basis of merit and potential.

We understand some people may not apply for jobs unless they tick every box. But if you're excited about joining us and think you have some of what we're looking for, even if you're not 100% sure, we'd still love to hear from you.

Find out more about working in Kaluza on our careers page and LinkedIn.