Project Manager - IT Division, Rakuten Securities, Inc.(Secondment)

Job Description:

Business Overview
Mission: Innovating Asset Building - Creating the Future as the Financial Hub of the Rakuten Ecosystem.
Rakuten Securities is a core internet brokerage firm within the Rakuten Group, which operates over 70 services globally. Our goal goes beyond providing financial products; we aim to merge the Rakuten Ecosystem's vast data with cutting-edge technology to transform "asset building" into a seamless, everyday activity for everyone.
- Fusion of User Base and Technology: By seamlessly connecting the Rakuten Ecosystem's extensive data with financial services, we create unique user experiences unmatched by traditional brokerages. We continue to set new industry standards through asset formation support (NISA, iDeCo), AI-driven investment solutions, and partnerships with IFAs.
- The Frontline of Transformation: We are currently undertaking a massive core system overhaul alongside a radical reconstruction of our "next-generation development process" based on AI. We are in an exciting phase for engineers and PMs, involving legacy modernization and the evolution of AI-driven development styles.
- Responsibility and Authority: We maintain the robustness of critical social infrastructure while realizing high-speed new development. Rakuten Securities offers the unique opportunity to achieve this difficult balance using the group's solid network and the latest technology stack.

Department Overview
Mission: "Making Investment a Daily Habit." Serving as the Product Commander for Millions.
Our mission is to evolve Rakuten Securities' services (Website, iSPEED, iGrow, etc.) and their underlying backend systems with speed and precision, in alignment with business growth. We are responsible for defining optimal solutions in response to ever-changing financial markets and customer needs, and bringing them to life in collaboration with our development teams.
- Dynamics of Leading Large-Scale Financial Services: With millions of users, Rakuten Securities serves as critical infrastructure for the Japanese economy. You will feel the significant impact of your management decisions, from UX improvements to backend system reconstruction, directly influencing user experience and business results.
- Professional Management Leading Development Teams: We value strong partnerships with our development teams. You will be expected to demonstrate leadership that maximizes team performance by balancing technical feasibility with business requirements while sharing clear project goals.

Position:
Why We Hire
We are seeking a partner to help us evolve as a "companion for asset building."
Rakuten Securities has transformed investment from an "extraordinary" activity to an "everyday" one. As our user base for websites and apps (iSPEED, iGrow, etc.) grows rapidly, the demand for service quality and speed has never been higher. To accelerate this growth, we need advanced project management that captures user needs, stabilizes large-scale backend infrastructure, and refines frontend UX.
- Leadership Bridging Business and Technology: We are looking for a leader who can translate evolving financial business requirements into optimal implementations. You must be able to hold equal-footing discussions with business stakeholders while leveraging technical insight to lead projects to success.
- The Challenge of Evolving Financial Infrastructure: You will be tasked with the high-difficulty challenge of releasing new features and modern UIs rapidly while maintaining existing core systems. We are looking for a partner to complete this "stability meets innovation" mission and shape the next stage of Rakuten Securities.

Position Details
As the product commander accelerating "asset building," you will oversee the entire development lifecycle. You will manage projects from requirement definition to release and operation for our services and backend infrastructure, leading project execution to maximize business value.
- Definition and Prioritization of Product Requirements: Capture business demands and organize requirements based on user value. Define roadmaps and prioritize tasks- ranging from UX improvements to backend infrastructure enhancement - in collaboration with development teams.
- Project Execution Leading Development Teams: Drive projects to completion with teams composed of development partners. Beyond progress management, you will design smooth communication channels, adjusting for technical constraints and business expectations to ensure teams perform at their peak.
- Cross-Functional Direction (Frontend & Backend): Oversee both UI/UX development and the construction of robust, scalable backend foundations. Ensure project consistency by understanding both the user experience and the underlying system architecture.
- Quality Control and Risk Management: Lead test planning and release decisions to maintain high quality standards for financial services. Proactively identify risks and collaborate with teams to implement solutions, preventing delays and quality degradation.
- Continuous Improvement of Development Processes: Through project retrospectives, drive improvements in development methodologies and processes. Your mission is to build a more agile, efficient, and high-velocity product release framework.

Mandatory Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience in system development project management.
- Proven experience leading projects from requirement definition to release as a Project Manager (PM) or Leader in Web, App, or Core System development.
- Experience leading and collaborating with development teams (including external partners) to maximize performance.
- Understanding of both frontend and backend development, with the ability to organize and adjust technical requirements.
- Strong negotiation and coordination skills to translate business requirements into technical specs and achieve consensus among stakeholders.
- Domain knowledge in financial/securities services (online brokerage, banking, or payment systems).

Desired Qualifications:
- Project management experience using Agile or Scrum methodologies.
- Experience in large-scale system modernization (transitioning from legacy architectures to modern tech stacks).
- Experience utilizing advanced technology like AI to improve productivity or development process efficiency.

Other Information:
Additional information on Location
Rakuten Crimson House Aoyama
2-6-21, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Additional information on Secondment
You will be seconded from Rakuten Group, Inc. to Rakuten Securities, Inc.

Additional information on English Qualification
TOEIC Score exceeding 800
※If you do not currently have a TOEIC score, you will be required to obtain one after joining the company.

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Languages:

English (Overall - 4 - Fluent), Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)