Country Manager

Datadog is the global leader in observability and security for cloud applications. Our SaaS platform integrates infrastructure monitoring, application performance monitoring, log management, digital experience monitoring, cloud security, and AI-powered observability to help organisations accelerate digital transformation and operate at scale.

As organizations across Japan continue to modernize their technology stacks and embrace cloud-native architectures, Datadog is uniquely positioned to help customers achieve greater visibility, reliability, security, and business performance.

The Opportunity

Following significant investment in Japan by Datadog, we’re now seeking a senior executive to lead the next phase of growth and scale the business rapidly.

This executive will be responsible for defining and executing Datadog's strategy in Japan, driving sustainable, predictable revenue growth, strengthening customer and partner relationships, developing high-performing teams, and firmly establishing Datadog as the market leader for Japan.

Reporting to senior APJ leadership, the Country Leader will serve as the executive face of Datadog in Japan and will work cross-functionally with Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Partnerships, Solutions Engineering, Product, and Corporate functions to accelerate market penetration and customer success. 

At Datadog, we work hard to maintain an excellent culture of trust, high standards, and great outcomes for customers, partners and employees

About the Role

Datadog is seeking an experienced and respected country executive to serve as Country Manager, Japan. As the most senior leader in the market, you will be responsible for owning Japan’s overall business health across acquisition, usage, retention, ecosystem, culture, and cross-functional execution. 

The Country Manager owns the country plan and operating cadence, ensuring effective direct management of all three sales segments (Enterprise, Mid Market, Commercial); and cross-functional influence across our broader GTM functions including Marketing, Sales Engineering, Customer Success, Sales Development, and Channel & Alliances. 

This role is an opportunity to shape Datadog’s next chapter in one of the most important and exciting technology markets in the world, with the investment, infrastructure, and executive commitment to match this ambition. 

At Datadog, we place value in our office culture - the relationships and collaboration it builds and the creativity it brings to the table. We operate as a hybrid workplace to ensure our Datadogs can create a work-life harmony that best fits them.

What You’ll Do:

Country Leadership & Strategy

• Own the Japan Country Plan: Setting priorities, defining the operating model, and aligning all GTM functions across shared country-level outcomes across customer acquisition, usage, retention, and ecosystem growth
• Formalize GTM operating cadence across Sales, Customer Success, Sales Development, Marketing, Sales Engineering, and Channel & Alliances, ensuring cross-functional work has clear ownership, roles & responsibilities, and escalation paths
• Direct and lead quarterly country business reviews to present a comprehensive view of Japan business health
• Act as primary decision-maker on country plan priorities, which includes local hiring inputs, customer escalations, partner strategy, and business performance reviews

Sales Ownership & Revenue Accountability

• Direct management of all 3 sales segments in Japan: Enterprise (including Public Sector), Mid Market, and Commercial (SMB) 
• Own Japan’s growth revenue accountability across Japan by ensuring consistent attainment across quarterly and annual targets
• Champion platform adoption and customer growth, partnering closely with the post-sales organization to turn Datadog's Japan customers into long-term strategic accounts
• Guide segment leaders through complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles: Provide executive-level engagement and sponsorship on the most strategic accounts and key partners where needed
• Support Sales segment leaders in managing pipeline quality, forecast accuracy, and deal inspection, ensuring detailed and rigorous operating standards across all segments

Talent, Culture, and People Leadership

• Own the Japan hiring plan working with sales segment and cross-functional leadership, as well as People Business Partners to recruit, develop, and retain world-class talent across all functions
• Build and maintain a high-performing, tenured sales team across all segments by ensuring the right people are hired, ramped, and performing at the level the market opportunity demands
• Champion employee engagement and satisfaction across the Japan organization, creating a high-trust, high-performing culture that reflects Datadog’s values in a locally relevant way
• Invest deeply in leadership development, succession planning, and career progression for Japan leaders across Sales and GTM functions
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and customer obsession by serving as the cultural and values role-model for the entire Japan organization, building tenure and career pathing for existing employees

Executive Engagement and Market Presence

• Serve as the senior executive face of Datadog Japan by representing the company at public forums, conferences, press engagements, and in high-level customer and government relationships
• Build and deepen relationships with strategic customer C-suite and Board and acting as an executive sponsor for our most important accounts
• Develop and grow Datadog’s partner and ecosystem relationships in Japan including alliances, channel partners, ISVs, and system integrators
• Engage with the public sector and government bodies where relevant, building Datadog’s credibility and market position in regulated and public sector verticals
• Lead brand and market presence in Japan working alongside marketing to ensure Datadog’s narrative lands effective in the Japanese market

Cross-Functional Orchestration

• Provide oversight and leadership across broader Japan GTM functions and ensuring consistent alignment on country priorities and creating clear escalation paths for issues
• Partner closely with global and APJ functional leaders to ensure Japan-specific needs are represented in global planning and resourcing decisions
• Identify and resolve structural or operational blockers that prevent the Japan team from executing effectively, with appropriate escalations to global leadership where needed
• Own the people agenda for Japan in close partnership with People Business Partners, Recruiting, and People Operations across talent acquisition, retention, culture, and employee relations, and compliance

Who You Are:

• A senior Enterprise Technology leader who has successfully sold solutions at the C-level and experience leading first and second line leaders 
• Proven general manager or country-level executive with a track record of owning full business outcomes 
• Deeply respected in the Japanese technology market, with an established executive network across enterprise customers, partners, and ecosystem stakeholders
• Experienced in leading distributed, cross-functional teams with the ability to influence without direct authority, particularly across post-sales, marketing, and technical functions
• A strong people leader who has built and retained high-performing teams; known for developing talent, maintaining high employee engagement, and being a trusted cultural anchor
• Commercially sharp with a command of SaaS revenue metrics and the ability to hold segment leaders accountable to rigorous forecasting and operating standards
• Executive presence and communication skills to credibly represent Datadog at the highest levels, both within Japan and to Datadog's global leadership team
• Comfortable bridging Japanese business culture and Datadog's global GTM strategy: able to translate global direction into locally relevant execution, and to advocate effectively for Japan's needs globally
• Fluent in Japanese; professional fluency in English required for engagement with Datadog's global leadership

Datadog values people from all walks of life. We know not everyone will meet all the above qualifications on day one. That’s okay. If you’re passionate about technology and want to grow your experience, we encourage you to apply. 

Benefits & Growth:

• Product training to develop an in-depth understanding of our product and space
• Continuous career development and pathing opportunities for internal mobility 
• Intra-departmental mentor and buddy program for in-house networking 
• An inclusive company culture, ability to join our Community Guilds
• New hire stock equity (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
• Free global mental health benefit through Spring Health 
• Generous global benefits 

Benefits and Growth listed above may vary based on the country of your employment and the nature of your employment with Datadog.

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