Hotel Chain Consultant - Hotel Partnership Development Department (TRAMB), Commerce & Marketing Company (C&M)

Job Description:

Business Overview

Rakuten Group provides more than 70 services across a wide range of fields both in Japan and overseas, including internet services such as e-commerce, travel, and digital content; fintech services such as credit cards, banking, securities, e-money, and smartphone payments; mobile services including our mobile carrier business; and even professional sports. By organically connecting these services around a membership base centered on Rakuten members, we have built our own unique "Rakuten Ecosystem."

*Rakuten's Business by the Numbers

Department Overview

Rakuten Travel is one of the largest online travel services in Japan, offering reservation services for accommodations, flights, express buses, and rental cars both in Japan and overseas.

The Hotel Partnership Development Department is responsible for building and strengthening partnerships with major hotel chains at Rakuten Travel. It consists of two groups: Japan Partnership Development Group, which covers domestic hotel chains, and Global Partnership Development Group, which covers international hotel chains (e.g., IHG, Marriott, Accor).

The Domestic Partnership Promotion Group works with major domestic hotel chains, contributing to solving chain hotels' management challenges through a consulting-style approach, including proposals to maximize property revenue, new business development, and strengthening relationships with existing chains.

Position:

Why We Hire

The domestic hotel industry is undergoing a major transformation, facing challenges such as the recovery of inbound demand, delays in digital transformation, and labor shortages.
Rakuten Travel is expanding partnerships with major domestic hotel chains, aiming to make a significant impact on the industry by solving each chain's management challenges and maximizing online booking revenue.
As our partner chains expand, we need to strengthen our team to keep pace with the growing scope of our work, and we are looking for someone who can help build the future of the domestic hotel industry together with us.

<Attractive Points>
・Attractiveness of the business/organizational phase
- You will be at a stage where you can make a significant impact on the industry by solving the management challenges of hotel chains, large and small
・Attractiveness of scope of authority and organizational culture
- You will exercise broad discretion in determining objectives and approaches for key initiatives. Members' opinions and ideas are actively welcomed and frequently adopted
・Career path (skills and career development you can gain)
・As a hotel chain expert and lead consultant, you will have opportunities to be recognized as an expert both internally and externally, including serving as a lecturer at client companies' study sessions and training programs
・Differentiation from competitors (leveraging this business x Rakuten Group resources)
・You will drive entire projects from planning to execution of chain initiatives, going beyond simple sales activities, in collaboration with other internal departments such as marketing, advertising, and tech

Position Details

You will be responsible for consulting services and other professional services for hotel chains (e.g., maximizing property revenue, supporting new property development and sales, improving property operational efficiency). Leveraging your property sales experience, you will specialize in a specific area, customer segment (hotel type), or service delivery method (e.g., proposals to maximize online booking revenue, proposals to improve operational efficiency using Rakuten Mobile services), with a primary focus on developing and acquiring new hotel chains and strengthening relationships with existing hotel chains.

<Main Responsibilities>
・Consulting sales with existing chain hotels (proposals to maximize property revenue)
・Development of new hotel chains
・Serving as a lecturer at in-chain study sessions and training programs
・Planning and driving chain initiatives in collaboration with marketing, advertising, and tech departments

<Nature of the Work>
You will build strong networks with the management and key decision-makers of client hotel chains, and work on solving industry challenges and developing future hotel operation concepts. Implementing solutions requires a perspective aligned with the client's long-term business strategy and goals, and the results will impact the performance of multiple hotel departments and the chain as a whole.

Work Environment

<Team Structure>
・Domestic Partnership Promotion Group: An elite team of 10+ members spanning a wide range of ages
・The team has an open culture where members' opinions and ideas are actively welcomed and adopted

This position involves frequent collaboration with other internal and external departments such as marketing, advertising, and tech.

<Backgrounds of Mid-Career Hires>
Members who join us are not limited to those with a background in the hotel or travel industry - many members from other industries are thriving here as well.
・Background in a different industry (BtoC manufacturer): Plays a core role in important negotiations with chains and continuously takes on unprecedented negotiation challenges
・Background in a trading company: Primarily drives unprecedented initiatives to deepen partnerships with overseas hotel chains (e.g., Marriott, IHG)

<Career Path Example>
・You will be involved in negotiations with chains immediately after joining

Mandatory Qualifications:

・3+ years of corporate (B2B) sales experience
・Experience in cross-selling/upselling to existing clients
・Basic PC skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint

Desired Qualifications:

・Experience in proposal-based sales of intangible products/services
・Sales experience dealing with multiple decision-makers
・Corporate (B2B) sales experience
・A track record of success in new business development sales

Other Information:

Additional information on Location

Rakuten Crimson House
1-14-1 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:
・Recruitment Information: * Employment type is detailed
・Rakuten Culture:

#business #consultingsales #commerce #RakutenTravel