The Asia direct-investment arm of a global trading firm is hiring an investment principal into its Tokyo office. The team invests across growth equity, private equity and venture capital, is small and entrepreneurial, and is backed by long-duration proprietary capital. Immediate start.
About the Role
The team exists to source strong direct-investment opportunities and to make good decisions across the investment lifecycle while protecting its standing in the Japanese market. It is an entrepreneurial seat: results matter more than hours, and you will have the latitude to build efficient ways of working for yourself and for the counterparties you deal with.
Key Responsibilities
- Use and extend your professional network to source deals, make introductions and gather market intelligence
- Track regional capital markets activity with a particular focus on Japan
- Screen and maintain a pipeline of potential investments
- Produce marketing and educational material aimed at senior executives of target companies
- Build trusted relationships with company executives, bankers and advisers
- Evaluate opportunities through analysis of business and market factors
- Support negotiation and execution, reviewing commercial language in deal documentation with internal and external counsel
- Guide all parties through third-party allotment processes, holding transactions to a professional standard
- Monitor portfolio companies after investment, supporting them and informing position management
- Prioritise high-impact work and delegate appropriately, internally and externally
Requirements
- Bilingual in Japanese and English
- Five or more years in investment banking, hedge funds or comparable roles
- Bloomberg, Excel and PowerPoint, with genuine competence in data analysis
- The ability to read and interpret financial statements and legal documents accurately
- A track record of advising on deal sourcing, negotiation and execution, and of building a credible name in the market while doing it
- Direct experience of private placements and equity or equity-linked securities is useful
- Experience in technology, biotech or another high-growth industry is preferred; a demonstrated interest is the minimum
- Pragmatic and flexible, able to handle sensitive dynamics and to deal confidently with people at every level of seniority
- Suited to a flat, entrepreneurial, hands-on and multicultural team
- Intellectually curious, persuasive across languages and cultures, willing to hold a position under challenge and open to feedback
- Disciplined, professional and effective with your time
What the Firm Offers
- Strategic thinking, resourcefulness and efficiency valued over long hours; the capital structure allows for considered decisions rather than forced ones
- Real influence over investment process, standards and strategic direction within a small Asia team, with the feel of a startup and the resources and stability of an established firm