Project Manager - Travel Development Department (TDD)

Job Description: Department Overview Rakuten Travel is Japan's largest online travel booking service, dedicated to "creating a future where everyone involved in travel becomes happier." Since our founding in 1996, we have continued to lead the industry and generate innovations that overturn conventional wisdom. Today, we are not limited to Japan — as a global innovation company, we challenge ourselves every day to become the world's number one travel booking service. As part of the Commerce & Marketing Company, the Travel Development Department (TDD) is currently taking on the following ambitious projects: 1. A global strategy to deliver the appeal of Rakuten Travel across borders to people around the world 2. Continuous improvement of service quality in the ever-evolving Japanese market We are looking for people who share our purpose. Will you join us in proposing new forms of travel to people around the world and pioneering the future of travel together with Rakuten Travel? Your passion and creativity will bring a fresh breeze to the travel industry, which holds infinite possibilities. We look forward to your application — come challenge yourself alongside teammates in a diverse environment. Position: Why We Hire We are aiming to become the No.1 online travel service in Asia, and to achieve this, we need to successfully deliver numerous projects. We are currently looking for new Project Managers who will powerfully lead these projects to success. To achieve our goals, we need people who not only lead individual projects, but also introduce standardized project management practices across the entire organization. We welcome applications from motivated individuals who share our vision and want to grow together with us. Position Details As a Project Manager, you will be responsible for the following: - Leading the planning, execution, monitoring, and coordination of projects - Managing project scope, schedule, and quality - Establishing and improving cross-functional processes across PDM, DEV, and QA, and enhancing handoff quality between phases - Leading consensus-building and driving decision-making by engaging stakeholders including senior management - Proactively identifying risks and issues early, and driving resolution by mobilizing relevant stakeholders - Reporting on project progress and maintaining documentation - Coordinating plans across multiple projects within the organization in collaboration with other Project Managers - Conducting post-project retrospectives and sharing learnings to improve the overall project success rate within the organization - Creating and introducing standardized project management practices across the organization - Introducing AI into project management operations Mandatory Qualifications: - Alignment with the Rakuten Shugi (Rakuten's philosophy) - 3+ years of project management experience - Experience driving projects across multiple functional teams such as PDM, Development, and QA - Experience leading consensus-building with stakeholders including senior management and driving decisions to closure - Experience proactively identifying risks and issues early and mobilizing stakeholders to resolve them - Knowledge of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and related processes - Business-level Japanese language proficiency Desired Qualifications: - Experience with architecture design in BtoBtoC or the travel industry - Project management certifications such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2 - Knowledge and experience with agile and scrum development methodologies - Experience managing teams with diverse cultural backgrounds - Data analysis and reporting skills - Experience reporting to executive or management level stakeholders - Technical skills for data extraction and manipulation including JIRA queries, scripting, and dashboard creation for project management purposes - Experience utilizing AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT in PM operations (report creation, data analysis, automation, etc.) - Experience driving AI adoption and operational efficiency improvements in business processes Other Information: Additional information on Location Rakuten Crimson House 1-14-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan Additional information on English Qualification TOEIC Score exceeding 800 (or similar level of English ability) or a University Degree earned in an English-speaking country. Proof of qualifications will be required by the time of the job offer. If no evidence is available to prove the qualifications denoted above, taking an IP test, organized by Rakuten, during selection process is required. Rakuten Group, Inc. Homepage Link - Benefits: - Recruitment Information: - Rakuten Culture: #engineer #director #projectmanager #commerce #RakutenTravel Languages: Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)