Program Manager, eKYC and Digital Trust Identity - Membership Platform Department (MPD)

Job description

Job Description: Business Overview The Technology Platforms Division (TPD) drives the growth of Rakuten's ecosystem by delivering innovative, high-quality technology platforms characterized by integrated control and strategic partnerships. Within TPD, the Ecosystem Platform Supervisory Department (EPSD) develops scalable and reliable platforms that support the entire Rakuten Ecosystem globally, fostering a culture of ownership and data-driven decision-making. Department Overview The Membership Platform Department (MPD) is responsible for the development and maintenance of scalable platforms that provide membership services, profile management, and fraud prevention across services within the global Rakuten Ecosystem. We are focused on creating next-generation membership services to support our users across the world. Position: Why We Hire The Identity Platform team at Rakuten serves as a core pillar of the company’s technology division. We build and maintain large-scale platforms that power global Rakuten services, encompassing identity management, fraud prevention, and B2B solutions. Our eKYC platform provides JPKI (Japanese Public Key Infrastructure) / My Number Card authentication and a variety of OCR solutions, and we are currently expanding its reach to enterprise clients both within and outside the Rakuten Group. As a Program Manager on the Certified Identity (eKYC) team, you will drive the execution of complex, cross-functional programs that span product development, external vendor relationships, government engagement, and client business development. This is a leadership role for someone who can manage ambiguity, align diverse stakeholders, and keep strategic initiatives on track from planning through delivery. Position Details ・ Own and drive complex cross-functional programs across product, engineering, legal, and business teams maintaining roadmap visibility and unblocking execution ・ Manage relationships and negotiations with key technology vendors and platform partners; oversee contract and SLA management in coordination with legal and procurement ・ Serve as the team's point of contact with Japanese government agencies (including J-LIS, the Digital Agency, and relevant regulatory bodies) for certifications, licensing, and regulatory approvals ・ Draft, review, and manage NDAs, business agreements, and implementation contracts working closely with internal legal, compliance, and IP teams ・ Identify and develop prospective enterprise clients for the eKYC platform; drive lead generation, qualification, and commercial onboarding both within Rakuten Group and externally ・ Represent the team in financial and IP discussions; coordinate with internal business units, legal, finance, and marketing to align priorities and decisions Mandatory Qualifications: ・ Over 10 years of experience in program management (not project lead) and Over 5 years of experience in product management in a technology-driven, diversified global enterprise ・ Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional programs with multiple internal and external stakeholders, driving alignment and delivery under ambiguity ・ Experience negotiating and managing B2B or B2G contracts in Japan, including NDAs and commercial agreements ・ Strong business judgment - able to assess trade-offs, escalate the right issues, and make decisions with incomplete information ・ Full professional bilingual fluency in Japanese and English ・ Proactive, self-driven - able to initiate and complete programs with minimal supervision Desired Qualifications: ・ Experience working with Japanese government agencies or in a regulated technology sector (fintech, digital identity, digital government services, etc.) ・ Familiarity with the Japanese My Number/JPKI ecosystem, including J-LIS operations, Digital Agency policy initiatives, and the My Number Act (番号法) compliance requirements ・ Knowledge of Japan's eKYC regulatory landscape, including the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (犯罪収益移転防止法 / 犯収法), FSA guidelines for electronic identity verification, and FATF recommendations applicable to digital onboarding ・ Understanding of identity document standards used in Japanese eKYC: IC chip reading (NFC), liveness detection, facial recognition matching, and OCR-based verification flows ・ Awareness of data privacy regulations relevant to identity data, including the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (個人情報保護法 /APPI) and sector-specific requirements for financial services ・ Familiarity with international digital identity standards and frameworks such as ISO/IEC 29115 (eAuthentication assurance levels), NIST SP 800-63, or eIDAS (for context in cross-border identity work) ・ Experience in enterprise platform or SaaS business development, including client pipeline management and commercial onboarding ・ Background in technology vendor management, platform licensing, or IP-related commercial discussions ・ Comfortable working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders to frame problems and drive decisions ・ Experience using Atlassian tools (Jira, Confluence) for program tracking and documentation #engineer #producer #productmanager #technologyplatformdiv Languages: English (Overall - 3 - Advanced), Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)