About this role

Join us and celebrate the beauty of human experience. Create for happier, healthier lives, with love for nature. Together, with creativity and imagination, we deliver food innovations, craft inspired fragrances and develop beauty and wellbeing solutions. There’s much to learn and many to learn from, with more than 17,000 employees around the world to explore ideas and ambitions with.
We began serving the Japanese market in the 1920s and since establishing a local presence in 1970 have been expanding direct operations for over 50 years. We built our success with high-quality products, high ethical standards, and humility. From one of our innovative locations across the country, every day, your passion, your expertise, and your commitment to excellence will shape our future, making a positive difference on billions of people. Every essence of you enriches our world. We are Givaudan. Human by nature.
Description of the company and overview of market position and history.
Key Account Manager
A leading fragrance and flavor company with a market share of about 30% in its sector, joining the Japanese subsidiary as an account manager, working with major food and beverage clients.

Sales activities for existing customers, new product proposals, and management of sales and profitability
Building and maintaining effective relationships with existing customers
Executing customer development plans (sales forecasts, budget setting, KPI establishment and execution)
Price negotiations, pricing, and rebate management
Project management
Identifying latent customer needs and connecting to new business
Quick information sharing with internal departments to build strong relationships

Team structure and working environment:

Sales is organized into three teams (Savoury, Beverage, Sweet & Dairy), totaling about 20 people. Members range from 30s to 50s; many are mid-career hires, making it easy to fit in regardless of joining time.
Standard working hours are 7 hours 15 minutes per day. Hybrid work, flexible work arrangements, annual leave of 129 days, long-term employment stability.
Opportunities to work with regional teams and overseas sites; English language use is encouraged and supported with training.

Company features:

The business is divided into two divisions: flavors (food and beverage) and fragrances (perfumes and cosmetics). Key clients are major domestic and international companies.
Strong global supply chain, unique technologies, and a robust database of regulations, patents, and IP. The company emphasizes global perspectives and global support.
History of stability with steady demand due to involvement in food-related products.
The company invests about 10% of sales into R&D annually for new product development and improvements, enabling responsiveness to evolving customer needs.

English usage:

Opportunities to use English within the organization, including interactions with foreign managers and participation in global seminars. Language training support is provided.

Experience: Required: at least 5 years of B2B sales experience. Preferred: experience in the fragrance or food industry.
Education: A college diploma or higher.
Skills: Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint). University-level English with a willingness to improve.
Desired competencies: Strong communication, knowledge of customers and competitors in the food and beverage industry, presentation and facilitation skills, negotiation skills. Project management experience is a plus.

Employment type and working hours:

Annual salary range: approximately 7,000,000 to 12,000,000 JPY, commensurate with experience
Bonuses: annual bonus (based on company performance)
Salary reviews: annually in April

Holidays and leave:

weekends, public holidays
annual leave: 10–20 days (beginning with 3 days during probation)
long vacations (summer, year-end)
special leave for condolence, maternity/paternity leave with return-to-work rate high
paid sick leave

Hybrid company pension (defined benefit and defined contribution)
Social insurance included
Commuting allowance
Childcare support
Average monthly overtime for all employees is 15–20 hours
Non-smoking office
Laptop provided
Employee referral program
Various benefits and wellness programs
English conversation support
Numerous internal events and a coffee space with drinks available
Givaudan values diversity and inclusion and welcomes people from all backgrounds to contribute and grow.
Official recruitment page: https://jobs.givaudan.com/?locale=ja_JP
At Givaudan, you contribute to delightful taste and scent experiences that touch people’s lives. We value the different perspectives that come from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Everyone — regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, culture, religion, or any personal circumstances — is warmly welcomed at Givaudan, a place where we all love to be and grow. Every essence of you enriches our world. Join us in making a difference together.

Key Account Manager