Back-Office AI Transformation Lead (Operations / Corporate Value Enhancement) - Japan Corporate Supervisory Section, Data Solutions Department, Marketing Solutions Business(A&M)
Job Description:
Business Overview
Rakuten's Ad & Media Company offers a wide range of advertising and marketing services, including digital advertising, research, and influencer business. Our strength lies in our ability to provide end-to-end solutions, from marketing strategy planning and execution to effectiveness measurement and data analysis.
Specifically, we solve our clients' marketing challenges through the following businesses:
- Rakuten Insight: Providing marketing research services
- Rakuten Marketing/LinkShare: Providing general digital marketing solutions
- Rakuten Data Marketing: Providing marketing solutions utilizing Rakuten's big data
This is an environment where you can grow and advance your career by working within an organization that forms the core of the Rakuten Group.
Department Overview
As people's lifestyles and values become more diverse, the challenges in marketing research are becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. To respond to these changes and derive deeper, more fundamental insights, we are making combined use of over 100 million pieces of big data connected by the Rakuten Group's shared ID, and our mission is to provide new value throughout the entire marketing process for our customers.
Even within the Rakuten Group, expectations are rising for new data businesses that leverage our unique and vast data assets.
In December 2024, we will establish Rakuten Insight Inc., Rakuten Insight Global Inc., and Ultra We have restructured our organization to integrate our Minibaito business and build a system for creating even stronger synergies in data utilization.
Under this system, we aim to further accelerate the use of AI technology, automate and enhance data analysis, deliver real-time insights, and improve the quality of decision-making support, creating new value that will revolutionize corporate marketing activities.
Within this structure, the Japan Corporate Supervisory Section oversees corporate functions across the board, including human resources, labor, legal affairs, general affairs, accounting, internal control, risk management, and information security, and is building a foundation that supports management and the field as an "aggressive corporate" to ensure uninterrupted business growth.
Position:
Why We Hire
The Japan Corporate Supervisory Section's vision is to "improve corporate value from the back office.
Following the integration and reorganization of Rakuten Insights, Inc. in December 2024 and January 2026, we are entering a phase of expansion and transformation of our business across seven countries, both domestically and internationally.
Therefore, rather than simply adding personnel or resolving labor shortages, we are required to evolve the very structure of our back office through standardization of operations, reproducible AI implementation, and the creation of systems that can be deployed horizontally.
We have created a new position to oversee the entire back office and strategically lead efforts to redesign operations through the use of AI, not only improving productivity but also increasing corporate value.
We are looking for someone who can "think together, try things out, and create something, precisely because there is no set answer," and who is willing to put their experience to work.
Attractive Points
Attractive Points in the Business/Organizational Phase (Back-office AI adoption is still in its infancy)
- The biggest attraction is the opportunity to create a new standard as a pioneer in back-office AI.
- The efforts in this position will be the first success story, potentially spreading throughout the organization and, in some cases, the entire group.
Attractive Points of Discretion and Culture
- As the AI adoption project leader, you will be able to proactively lead the AI adoption project from on-site interviews to problem-setting, planning, and implementation.
- The mission is not simply to improve efficiency; it is to go beyond productivity and pursue "improving business quality" and "creating corporate value." You'll work with a "contribution to the company" perspective.
- This position puts you in close contact with management, allowing your output to influence management decisions.
Career/Differentiation
- Gain practical experience in the highly sought-after back-office/AI combination.
- Gain knowledge of AI utilization and process design based on Rakuten Group-designated tools.
- Acquire the ability to engage people across the organization and drive change.
This position requires deep involvement in system development, including process definition and design philosophy, to achieve a system that can be implemented by anyone and can be expanded to other areas, rather than just achieving temporary efficiency gains.
Position Details
This position will involve working as an AI transformation project manager to improve productivity and operational quality across the entire back office, thereby increasing corporate value.
Specific Duties
AI Transformation and Business Transformation (approximately 70%)
- Identify operational issues through interviews with other back office staff
- Structuring issues and prioritizing them based on the perspective of improving corporate value
- Plan and propose improvement measures using AI (improving efficiency and quality)
- Create and implement AI measures using Rakuten Group-designated tools
- Promote effectiveness verification and improvement cycles
Please note that AI initiatives are based on the assumption that the number of target operations, progress, and effectiveness are visualized, and that they are regularly shared and improved through KPIs.
Productivity Improvement Furthermore, the impact on operational quality and decision-making quality is also an important factor.
Back Office Operations (Approximately 30%)
- Understanding and operating back office operations such as governance and compliance
- Identifying issues through on-site operations and accumulating knowledge for AI implementation
- Collaboration and coordination with related departments
Major Stakeholders
- Back office staff within the Corporate Management Department
- Staff from each department within the department
- Management (sharing the direction of AI implementation measures and reporting on their effectiveness)
Specific Project Examples
- Improved quality and responsiveness through AI-based internal inquiry response, rule confirmation, and FAQs
- Improved efficiency and reproducibility of audit trail management and audit response work
- Automated training progress management and initial contract and application checks
- Preventing omissions through the use of AI in various calculation and reminder tasks
Work Environment
Organization Structure/Size
Rakuten Insight, Inc.: 250 employees
Data Solutions Department: 30 employees
Japan Corporate Supervisory Section: 8 employees (plus 25 employees as company-shared functions)
- Senior Manager: 1 Manager: 1
- Age range: Mainly in their 30s–40s
- Composition: New graduates (20%) / Mid-career hires (80%)
Backgrounds of Mid-Career Hires
- Our employees have a wide range of backgrounds, including research specialists, sales, and corporate experience.
- Each employee brings their own unique value to their current corporate role by incorporating their past experience.
Examples of Career Paths of Successful Mid-Career Hires
- Future management career as a team leader/group manager
- Joined the company as a sales representative and transferred to a corporate position (legal matters)
- Transferred from a research specialist position to a corporate position (data privacy)
Mandatory Qualifications:
- Practical experience in business improvement, business planning, or business design (any field) (1+ years)
- Experience actively involved in improving business efficiency, automation, and systematization using macros/RPA/generative AI/business tools, etc.
- Experience leading cross-departmental projects and business reform initiatives
Desired Qualifications:
- 1+ years of experience implementing AI in a consulting or business setting
- Experience using generative AI, RPA, no-code tools, etc.
- Experience working in back-office operations (general affairs, HR, accounting, legal affairs, compliance, etc.)
- Experience leading teams, mentoring junior colleagues, and managing tasks
Other Information:
Additional information on Location
Futako Tamagawa Rise Office
2-21-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
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:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/benefit/
- Recruitment Information:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/information/ * Employment type is detailed
- Rakuten Culture:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/culture/
#corporate #OperationalImprovement #AI #adandmarketing #RakutenInsight
