Program Manager - Product Development Division General Management Department, Product Development Division, Rakuten Payment, Inc. (Secondment)

Job description

Job Description: Business Overview Rakuten's corporate philosophy is "Empowering people and society through innovation." As a "Global Innovation Company," Rakuten aims to create innovative services that are viable in the global market. The FinTech Group provides a wide range of financial services, including banking, credit cards, securities, insurance, payment services such as Rakuten Pay, and Edy (electronic money). It plays a crucial role in the "Rakuten Ecosystem," which comprises over 70 services offered by Rakuten. Department Overview Features and Strengths: The Product Development Division aims to enhance synergy between these financial services and further expand the Rakuten Ecosystem. We collaborate with various group companies responsible for financial services, focusing on strategy, planning, development, and marketing to promote our business. Position: Why We Hire We are seeking a new leader to drive business transformation across the entire FinTech group (including card, banking, securities, and insurance) by leveraging AI technology. It is essential to utilize rapidly evolving AI technologies and incorporate insights from both domestic and international sources to bring about transformation across the FinTech group. In particular, we are looking for a candidate who can provide innovative solutions using AI, maximize synergies across the group, and lead projects in collaboration with executives and stakeholders from various companies. Position Details The FinTech Group of Rakuten encompasses a wide range of financial services, including banking, credit cards, securities, insurance, e-money (Edy), and payment services such as Rakuten Pay. As part of the Rakuten Ecosystem, which consists of over 70 services, the FinTech Group plays a critical role in driving synergy and growth. This position is part of the cross-functional strategy organization within the FinTech Group. The role focuses on identifying operational challenges across financial services and designing AI-driven strategies for efficiency and optimization, based on a mid- to long-term vision. While the execution of these strategies will be handled by individual financial service teams, this role will work closely with executives and stakeholders to maximize group-wide synergy and lead transformative initiatives. Key Responsibilities Developing a Mid- to Long-Term Vision - Formulate a mid- to long-term vision for operational improvements across the FinTech Group, leveraging AI technologies to drive efficiency and optimization. - Analyze current and future challenges across financial services from a cross-functional perspective and design strategies to support the group’s growth. Appeal of the Role - You can take on the challenge of formulating medium- to long-term business improvement strategies using AI technology within the large-scale platform of the Rakuten Ecosystem, leading the efficiency and optimization of the entire FinTech Group. - You can work directly with the management of each financial service and be involved in decision-making at the management level. -You can gain experience in leading large-scale transformations from a cross-sectional perspective while incorporating cutting-edge technologies and knowledge from Japan and abroad. - You can be involved in group-wide projects across the FinTech Company. - You will be responsible for medium- to long-term projects and hold a position that significantly impacts the future of the FinTech Company. AI Strategy Development - Identify operational processes and challenges, and propose AI-driven solutions. - Research global trends and cutting-edge AI technologies to design solutions tailored to the FinTech Group. - Develop AI utilization plans to maximize synergy across financial services. Project Facilitation and Stakeholder Coordination - Collaborate with executives and stakeholders from each financial service to define the direction of AI-driven operational improvement projects. - Create actionable project plans that can be executed by individual teams and support the handover process. - Monitor project progress and provide adjustments or advice as needed. Cross-Functional Problem Solving - Identify not only individual challenges within financial services but also cross-functional issues across the group, and propose solutions. - Design strategies that leverage internal and external resources to support the growth of the Rakuten Ecosystem as a whole. Scope of Responsibility - Responsible for formulating and driving the mid- to long-term vision and AI strategy for operational improvements across the FinTech Group. - Provide planning and support to ensure smooth execution by operational teams. - Lead coordination and alignment among stakeholders. Mandatory Qualifications: # Work Experience - Experience in strategy development based on a mid- to long-term vision (3+ years). - Experience in driving business transformation or operational improvement projects using AI technologies (3+ years). - Proven track record of managing projects involving multiple departments and stakeholders. - Experience in solving cross-functional challenges and developing strategies. Years of Experience - 5+ years of professional experience, including 3+ years in AI-related projects. Technical Skills - Basic knowledge of machine learning and data analysis (experience with Python, R, SQL, etc., is a plus). - Understanding of AI model design, development, and implementation. Industry Background - Financial industry (e.g., banking, securities, insurance, credit cards) or IT industry (especially in AI or data analytics-related fields). Certifications - No mandatory certifications, but AI-related certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty, Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer) are a plus. Desired Qualifications: # Work Experience - Experience in business transformation or digital transformation within the financial industry. - Experience leading global projects. - Experience launching new businesses using AI technologies. Years of Experience - 5+ years of experience in AI-related projects. Technical Skills - Experience in data engineering or cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure). - Knowledge of specific AI technologies, such as natural language processing (NLP) or image recognition. Industry Background - Consulting industry (especially in AI or digital strategy). - Experience in startups leveraging AI technologies. Certifications - Project management certifications (e.g., PMP, Scrum Master). - Financial industry-related certifications (e.g., Securities Sales Representative, Financial Planner). Others Information: Additional information on Location NBF Shinagawa Tower Additional information on Secondment This position will be employed by Rakuten Group, Inc. and seconded to Rakuten Payment, Inc. Additional information on English Qualification TOEIC: 800 points or higher Frequency of English Use: Conversations are mainly with Japanese members. The frequency of English use is low, but documents are written and created in English, so there is a lot of reading and writing in English. Languages: English (Overall - 2 - Intermediate), Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)