Perhaps one ripens as retiree (9)
I believe the answer is:
pensioner
'retiree' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'perhaps one ripens' is the wordplay.
'perhaps' indicates anagramming the letters.
'one'+'ripens'='oneripens'
'oneripens' with letters rearranged gives 'PENSIONER'.
'as' is the link.
(Other definitions for pensioner that I've seen before include "One is older and paid so they don't have to work" , "One past retirement" , "senior citizen" , "Retired person" , "Former worker" .)