[Technical Director] Platform Strategy Division, Customer Strategy Department

This position is for a Technical Director to join the Platform Strategy Division (PFSD), a corporate organization directly reporting to the COO and Executive Vice President. PFSD does not operate a specific service; rather, it is responsible for planning and promoting customer strategies and ecosystem growth initiatives, primarily focused on marketing across the Rakuten Group.

The Technical Director will be responsible for achieving business results by leading the implementation and development of products linked to Rakuten Group's asset (points and coupons) strategy, from new releases to improvements, and by solving cross-sectional issues.

[Specific Job Description]

*The scope of work is as follows, but focus areas will vary depending on aptitude and experience.

- Create development roadmaps for each product (in collaboration with PL/PDM)

- Resolve issues between Biz-Tech organizations and teams, support system establishment, and lead development policy discussions for overall optimization rather than individual optimization

- Implement system renovations and shared systems (points, coupons) Project Manager/PJM for cross-functional development projects such as platform functions (PF/company-wide marketing tools, etc.)

- Product planning, requirements definition, design, and implementation direction (cross-sectional front- and back-end)

- Development progress management, task decomposition, prioritization, and stakeholder coordination

- Web director support, architecture and API design, technology selection, and development environment improvement

- Development process creation and maintenance (project creation, requirements definition, development progress management, and release management)

- Leading continuous improvement of development QCD (QA/test scope management/automation, release operations (CI/CD, Git operations, quality assurance, incident prevention), etc.)

Attractive Points of this Position

• Focus on overall optimization rather than individual optimization, and drive mid- to long-term growth rather than just short-term.
• Projects will span service and product lines, not just one product, and will operate close to the core of the ecosystem, resulting in large-scale results.
• Work closely with development teams to reach implementation.
• Decisions will be easily realized due to the close proximity to feasible design and implementation.
• This is a rare career opportunity.
• Business understanding, cross-functional development PM/PMO, and results-driven experience will build up.

- Improved customer experience directly links to metrics such as CVR, usage rate, retention rate, and OI lift.

- Maximize the results of the service/product development organization by generating short-term results and resolving mid- to long-term challenges.

- Improve development productivity and quality (defects, rework, lead time) through quality specifications and accurate release operations.

- You will be recognized as a driving force behind cross-sectional projects by taking on implementation decisions and driving the team forward.

Company Info

Rakuten is Japan's largest marketplace and an internet ecosystem offering over 70 diverse services, including e-commerce, travel, banking, fintech, food delivery, golf, insurance, instant messaging, and mobile networks. Rakuten offers over 140 services worldwide, including the Communications & Energy Company, which handles information and communications services, including mobile phones, and power and energy-related businesses.

[Attractive Points: Opportunities for Growth and Challenge]

With over 70 businesses, including e-commerce, finance, and mobile, you can pursue a variety of careers based on your ambition. Our comprehensive employee benefits, including three free meals a day in the company cafeteria, are also attractive.

[Corporate Culture: A Go-Forward Culture and a Sense of Speed]

Our "Get Things Done" mentality is deeply rooted, and we expect a strong desire to achieve and a sense of speed. It's a dynamic, global workplace where unity is centered around the founder and English is increasingly becoming the official language.

Working Hours

9:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Flexible working hours are available.

Core time: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM on morning meetings)

Job Requirements

[Required Qualifications]

• Web production/development direction or development PJM/PMO (5+ years) - Experience leading and managing the entire process from requirements definition to design, QA, and release. - Project management involving multiple stakeholders. Able to manage progress, ensure quality, and prioritize tasks.

• User-side requirements definition and business/customer understanding (Internet services) ・Experience compiling requirements/specifications in business or development departments in areas close to the business ・Experience collaborating with business/service planners, marketers, and UI/UX designers (able to translate business requests and user experience into development requirements and specifications)

• Understanding of product/system development and web system architecture ・Understanding the product/system development process (whether WF or agile) and the ability to lead the process construction, maintenance, and improvement ・Implementation experience is not required, but you can communicate with engineers across backend and frontend teams on an equal footing and discuss technology selection, design policy, and scope

• Cross-sectional promotion (consensus building and project management) ・Experience involving diverse stakeholders (business/development/operations/security, etc.) and promoting planning through execution while managing dependencies and risks ・Experience collaborating with overseas locations, including offshore locations, and with non-Japanese members

• Business results orientation (a strong focus on the business side to achieve results) (Agility to work closely with strategy/marketing teams, track release results, and drive improvements.)

Ability to take responsibility for performance metrics, not just "build it and be done."

[Preferred Requirements]

Deeper understanding of backend and frontend: Ability to discuss design and development policy in depth.

*Mobile app (Android/iOS), web backend (PHP/Java), web frontend (HTML/CSS/JS/React/Next.js), other (rendering method, BFF design, etc.)

Architecture design/API specification design: Ability to collaborate and lead with engineers on design.

Large-scale web/app/new feature development: Experience with high traffic, complex requirements, and continuous improvement.

Experience with login-required membership sites: Experience with authentication, authorization, personal information, etc.

Agile/lean approach to achieving results: Proven track record of testing hypotheses and improving metrics in short cycles.

Leadership/team management: Experience leading a director or mixed team.

Development environment improvement/technology selection: Building systems to improve speed and quality.

English Level

Business Conversation Level (TOEIC 735-860)

Japanese Level

Native Level

Salary

JPY - Japanese Yen JPY 8000K - JPY 12000K

Other Salary Description

Commuter allowance, health insurance, employee pension insurance, employment insurance, workers' compensation insurance, employee pension fund, retirement benefits system

Commuter allowance: Up to ¥50,000 per month

Social insurance: Full social insurance coverage

Employee pension fund: No additional information

Retirement benefits system: No additional information

We offer in-house seminars, level-specific training, and other job-specific knowledge acquisition training. These programs are continually being planned, revised, and implemented, further enhancing our programs.

• Initial training, level-specific training, job knowledge acquisition training (MBA and other business school courses), English learning support (in-house IPTOEIC® Test®, English conversation, etc.), Japanese language learning support for foreigners, cross-cultural training, Global Experience Program (GEP)
• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are generally provided free of charge. A wide variety of Japanese, Western, Chinese, and Italian cuisine is available.
• The head office has employee benefit facilities such as a sports gym, hair salon, and nail salon.

Holidays

Two-day weekend (Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays)

Summer vacation

Winter vacation

Job Contract Period

Full-time employment

Nearest Station

Address: 2-21-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-0094

Futako Tamagawa Rise Office, 13F

1-minute walk from Futako Tamagawa Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line and Tokyu Oimachi Line