Associate, Client Services

About the role

You operate at the center of expert engagement, securing the right specialists for high-stakes discussions that demand precise insights and timely execution. You drive conversations that shape client understanding and service delivery from initial scoping through final execution, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. You build rapid rapport and communicate with confidence to place cold calls and overcome objections, maintaining a professional demeanor under pressure. This role requires ownership of complex workflows where your decisions directly influence the quality and reliability of client outcomes. You articulate value clearly and confidently to secure commitments from busy professionals across diverse sectors. Curiosity is essential as you absorb new industries, business models, and regulatory environments to support informed discussions. Cross-selling becomes a natural extension of consultative conversations as you match library content, surveys, advisory work, and one-on-one calls to client needs.

Key facts

What you'll do

Project ownership anchors every engagement, as you define needs and secure expert participation under tight timelines with meticulous attention to detail. Each project requires end-to-end responsibility, from initial scoping through final execution and follow-up, ensuring all deliverables meet client expectations. Expert sourcing defines your daily outreach, as you place cold calls to professionals across industries and geographies with precision and purpose. You overcome objections and secure commitments by articulating value clearly and confidently while maintaining a structured approach to complex information. Speed and volume characterize your workload, as you coordinate multiple projects and clients simultaneously without compromising quality or accuracy. Market knowledge expands through rapid learning, as you absorb sectors, business models, and regulatory environments to support informed discussions and more precise expert matching. Cross-selling integrates into every interaction, as you introduce library content, surveys, advisory work, and one-on-one calls strategically during conversations. You match service breadth to client needs during each engagement by identifying opportunities to expand the scope of support. Documentation and administrative rigor underpin your operations, ensuring that all interactions are recorded accurately for future reference and analysis. Communication flows seamlessly across internal stakeholders as you collaborate with team members to align strategies and resolve issues efficiently. Adaptability defines your approach as you navigate shifting priorities and evolving client requirements in a dynamic environment. You serve as the primary liaison between clients and experts, facilitating introductions and managing expectations throughout the engagement lifecycle. Continuous improvement drives your development as you refine processes, identify best practices, and implement solutions that enhance client satisfaction. Success in this role is measured by your ability to manage high-pressure situations while maintaining strong relationships and delivering consistent results.

Requirements

You thrive in high-pressure settings, embracing fast-paced, target-driven work without losing accuracy or attention to detail. Comfort with ambiguity and quick adaptation are essential as priorities shift and new challenges emerge regularly. You communicate with confidence, using phone conversations to build trust and move discussions forward effectively with executives and specialists. Curiosity fuels your growth, as you ask incisive questions and absorb complex topics quickly to understand intricate subject matter deeply. Rapport forms rapidly, as you connect with diverse personalities and adjust your style on the fly to establish trust and credibility. Resilience drives your performance, as you pursue ambitious goals and sustain high effort over time even when facing obstacles or setbacks. A bachelor's degree is required, providing a foundational level of knowledge that supports your professional responsibilities. You bring 2+ years of relevant experience that demonstrates your ability to operate effectively in client-facing roles. Engagement of 20+ years of experience required ensures you possess the depth of knowledge necessary for complex projects. You own a proven track record of success in roles that demand strong communication, organization, and problem-solving capabilities. The ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously while meeting firm deadlines is a non-negotiable standard for this position.

Practical notes

This role is based in Tokyo and requires presence aligned with team and client needs, ensuring availability during core business hours. The Associate level offers a clear path to management, with promotion achievable within two years for high performers who demonstrate consistent excellence. Typical interview steps include customer success interviews that often feature a support scenario, a communication exercise, and behavioral questions to assess your capabilities. Candidates may be asked to handle an upset customer or plan an onboarding call, with some loops testing product knowledge thoroughly. Empathy and clear writing are the core skills evaluated during the selection process, as these attributes are critical for success. Interviewers often ask how you would bring an unhappy account back on track, looking for structured answers that focus on listening, a concrete plan, and thoughtful follow-up.