Business Development Partner - Assistant Manager, Inventor Acceleration and Service

TEAM

Toyota is redefining what it means to move. We're challenging the current state of mobility by enhancing the movement of people, goods, information and energy. Centered around three core concepts - A Living Laboratory™, Human-Centered, and Ever Evolving City™ - Woven City serves as a test course for mobility to fulfill our purpose of well-being for all.

We do this by bringing together a diverse community of people with a shared passion for the future of mobility to co-create, develop and refine innovative products and services. This cross-section of social infrastructure, mobility, and people provides a unique opportunity for inventors, residents and visitors to interact seamlessly with new technologies throughout daily life in an environment that emulates a real city.
For more information about Woven City, please visit: https://www.woven-city.global/

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

Woven City aims to provide an environment that accelerates the development of services essential to users, cities, and society as mobility continues to expand. Our team supports "Inventors"—primarily startups—in enriching their experiments within Woven City by guiding them through the "Plan, Build, Test" innovation lifecycle. We help these Inventors succeed by understanding their specific goals, staying attuned to global technology and service trends, and curating the necessary resources and programs to support them. We are looking for someone to act as a dedicated partner to these Inventors—engaging with them proactively and working alongside them to foster mutual growth.

You will report directly to a department leader, and the work arrangement will be hybrid (office/remote).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive the success of "Inventors" within Woven City
• Support "Inventors" projects at Woven City and contribute to their success
• Clarify the needs of "Inventors" through ongoing communication and assist them in achieving their goals
• Define business requirements for Woven City based on customer needs—including those that remain unaddressed—and collaborate with product teams to drive improvements and create competitive solutions

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least 3 years of experience in a startup (as a founder or employee), or experience in driving open innovation initiatives—from initial support through to successful commercialization
• Ability to lead, coordinate, and communicate effectively with stakeholders across different departments
• A passion for moving forward even in situations where there is no clear-cut answer
• Communication skills with customers and multiple stakeholders
• Proficiency in Native level Japanese/ in Business level English
• Location will be in Susono or commute to Susono 

NICE TO HAVES

• 3+ years of experience in new business development or account management
• 3+ years of experience in a VC or CVC firm focused on startups
• Experience in developing and executing go-to-market (GTM) strategies—including revenue, customer acquisition, and market share—for new business initiatives
• Experience across the full lifecycle of new products or services, including launch, development, and iterative improvement
• Knowledge of and experience with businesses that leverage data, AI, or similar technologies
• Strong negotiation and consensus-building skills
• Proven ability to quickly acquire knowledge in fields outside of one’s own area of ​​expertise