Yasuhiro Yamada worked for the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) from 1972 to 2015. During his tenure at JETRO, he held several important positions, including President of the Bangkok Research Centre (2011-2015), Executive Vice President (2008-2011), Director General of the General Administration Department (2004-2008), Managing Director of the Hanoi Office (2003-2004), and Director General of the Overseas Research Department (2000-2003).

In addition to these roles, he served as a visiting professor at the Advanced Institute for Industrial Technology (AIIT) in Tokyo from 2011 to 2020 and as an adviser to the Dean of the Business School of Thammasat University on aging business from 2017 to 2020. Since 2010, he has also served as Senior Adviser at Dong A University in Da Nang before accepting the position of Visiting Professor in 2024.

In 2021, he was nominated as President of the East Asia Trade Research Board (EATRB) in Tokyo.