Why BAT Japan
Few roles at this level let one person redesign a commercial model across three countries and then watch it run.
A market-leading annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility)
Health cover, transport support and a flexible holiday plan with additional incentives
English and Japanese language training, delivered on company time — English is development here, not a gate
A published capability framework for every role and grade — so you know precisely what the next grade requires, not just that progression exists — plus online learning and structured leadership programmes
Global Top Employer for the ninth consecutive year — certified across five regions and a record 44 countries
Tokyo, Japan · Full-time · Manager
Redesign how our products get to market across three countries — then prove the new model works before it scales.
BAT is a global multi-category consumer goods business. Our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™, with a vision to build a smokeless world — as at 31 December 2025, 34.1m consumers used our Smokeless Products, generating 18.2% of Group revenue. Selling several categories at once through the same stores is a genuinely different problem from selling one, and most route-to-market models in this region weren't built for it. Rebuilding them is your remit.
The role
You own how we reach retailers and consumers across North Asia: the service model our trade teams run, the channels we prioritise, and the capability of the people executing it. You design, pilot, evaluate and then scale — or kill. This is a role with real authority over standards across markets, and real accountability for whether execution in stores actually improves.
What you'll own
The trade service model — how our teams cover, serve and grow each type of outlet, and how that evolves
Route-to-market and channel strategy: where the growth is, what's structurally in the way, and the plan to fix it
The performance measures for trade execution — defining them, governing them, and turning them into prioritised action rather than a dashboard
Design and evaluation of channel pilots, and the decision on whether to scale them
Retail data — the census, classification and quality standards that everything else depends on
Capability building for commercial teams across markets: identifying the real gaps and running the programmes that close them
Change management — getting three markets to adopt a new way of working, which is harder than designing it
What you'll bring
Proven work on trade operations and on designing a trade service model — not just running one someone else designed
Transformation experience: you've changed how a commercial organisation works and made it stick
Strong analytical and problem-solving ability, and comfort with Power BI
The influence to move stakeholders who don't report to you, across countries
People leadership and a genuine interest in developing others
Useful, not essential: trade activation experience
Qualifications
5+ years in trade marketing and distribution within consumer goods, plus experience in sales, route-to-market or channel development
A university degree
Native-level Japanese. Your deep knowledge of this market is the reason for the role — we provide structured English training on company time to support the regional part of it
Whoever you are and wherever you're from, you can belong here — many nationalities, ages, genders and professional backgrounds, supported by Women in Leadership and B-United, our LGBTQ+ and allies network. Our Global Returners programme supports people restarting after time away from work. Need an adjustment during the process? Just tell us.
We are BAT, a leading global consumer goods company driven by a clear purpose: to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World.
Founded in 1902, we’ve grown into a truly international business, operating across six continents with a presence in over 180 markets. Our strategic ambition is to become a predominantly smokeless business by 2035**, helping adult smokers transition to scientifically substantiated, reduced-risk*† alternatives.
With a powerful portfolio of global brands, a future-focused strategy, and around 50,000 talented people worldwide, we are committed to accelerating Tobacco Harm Reduction and making cigarettes a thing of the past.
As a leading FTSE company, our operations span three key regions:
🌍 United States of America
🌍 Americas & Europe (AME)
🌍 Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA)
Together, we are building A Better Tomorrow™.
* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.
**Please refer to the cautionary statement contained in the Annual Report and Form 20-F 2024 on p.447 for additional information regarding BAT’s future performance: https://www.bat.com/ar/2024/index.html
† Our Vapour product Vuse (including Alto, Solo, Ciro and Vibe), and certain products, including Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Camel Snus, which are sold in the U.S., are subject to FDA regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to these products without agency clearance.
