UX Designer - Marketing & Web Design Department, Golf Business

Job Description:

Business Overview

Rakuten Group provides over 70 services across a wide range of fields, both domestically and internationally.
These include internet services such as e-commerce, travel, and digital content; FinTech (financial) services like credit cards, banking, securities, e-money, and smartphone payment apps; mobile services including our mobile carrier business; and professional sports.
By organically connecting these services around a membership centered on Rakuten members, we have formed the unique "Rakuten Ecosystem" that is unlike any other.

Rakuten's Business in Numbers:

Department Overview

Within the Rakuten Group, the Golf Business is experiencing remarkable growth.
It's not merely limited to being one of Japan's largest golf course reservation services; it's also diversifying its operations to lead the golf industry.
We aim to create services that captivate many golfers across the entire golf ecosystem, including golf equipment e-commerce, lesson bookings, driving range searches, memberships, competitive events, and even golf course management consulting.
Furthermore, leveraging our extensive knowledge in reservation businesses, we also operate Rakuten Travel Camp.

Position:

Why We Hire

The group you would belong to is primarily responsible for UX/UI design, operational tasks, and the creation of landing pages for campaigns, among other things.
The mission of this team is to maximize user convenience through appropriate UI/UX design and contribute to increasing users across various services.
There are few other environments that offer such a multifaceted service expansion within the golf genre.
This is a rewarding role where your design will significantly enhance the experience value for all golfers.
Moreover, you will have the opportunity to be involved in numerous diverse projects, offering abundant chances for significant growth as a designer.

Reason for Recruitment:
To strengthen our organizational structure for further business expansion.

Appeal of the Business & Organizational Phase
Designing the "Future of Golf" in a Growing Market.
While backed by the stable foundation of the Rakuten Group, the Golf Business is currently in a significant growth phase.
It's not merely limited to being a reservation service; it's actively building out an entire golf ecosystem, including e-commerce, lessons, driving ranges, memberships, competitions, and consulting.
This dynamic phase means that the designs you contribute will have a substantial impact in shaping the future of the entire golf industry.
Because it's still being built, your ideas and UI/UX designs will directly enhance the experience for many golfers and allow you to feel the tangible results of contributing to business growth.

Career Steps
- Diverse Design Experience
Within the single genre of golf, you will gain experience designing across a wide range of media, including e-commerce sites, reservation systems, information sites, apps, and even printed materials. This allows you to develop a broad perspective and skills as a generalist, not limited to a specific domain.
- Enhanced UI/UX Design Expertise
With a mission to improve user convenience, you will deepen your UI/UX design experience, consistently adopting a user-centric perspective. Experience with large-scale services and e-commerce sites is welcomed, meaning you will hone your design skills to handle complex user flows and diverse needs.
- Growth into a Business-Minded Designer
You will develop a design thinking approach that considers business strategies and KGI/KPIs, rather than just focusing on aesthetics.

Position Details

1. UX Strategy Planning and Promotion
- Formulate UX strategies and create roadmaps based on business goals and user needs.
- Identify and improve UX issues through user research and data analysis (access analysis, heatmaps etc.).

2. Proposals
- Discover differentiation points through market research and competitor analysis, and integrate them into strategies.
- Share UX strategies and build consensus in collaboration with product owners and business managers.

3. Overall UX/UI Design and Direction
- Lead UX/UI design through user flows, information architecture, wireframes, and prototyping.
- Direct the creation of user-testable and verifiable prototypes using prototyping tools such as Figma and XD.
- Direct the entire UX/UI design process and quality control for functional improvements and new feature development.
- Lead the formulation and operation of design guidelines and design systems to achieve consistent UX/UI.

4. Website and App Production Direction
- Direct from a UX/UI perspective in the production of websites and apps such as golf course reservation services, e-commerce sites, lesson booking, and member services.
- Plan and direct the production of campaign pages, special feature pages, and landing pages.
- Direct from a UX/UI perspective in the production of various promotional materials such as banners and email newsletters.
- Direct towards achieving high-quality and consistent visual designs in line with brand guidelines.

5. Design Quality Management and Improvement
- Quality control and improvement feedback through UI/UX design reviews.
- Promote regular UX/UI improvement proposals and implementation for existing pages.
- Plan, execute, and analyze A/B tests and user tests, and reflect the resulting improvements in design.

6. Production Team Management and Development
- Manage progress, assign tasks, and evaluate the performance of production members (designers, coders, etc.).
- Support skill improvement for team members and formulate and execute development plans.
- Coordinate and adjust with external partners (e.g., production companies) and vendor management.

7. Other
- Promote initiatives to improve efficiency and quality of production work using latest technologies such as AI.
- Smooth collaboration with development teams leveraging basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Work Environment

Organizational Structure
- Overall Department: Approximately 180 members
- Team: 9 members Manager (1 person) Members (8 people)
- Age Range:Primarily experienced professionals in their 30s to 40s
- Ratio:New graduates (10%) / Mid-career hires (90%)

Background of Mid-Career Hires
Web production company

Career Path Examples
Promoted to team leader within 2 years of joining, and currently active as a manager one year later.

Mandatory Qualifications:

- Over 3 years of practical experience in UX/UI design or UX direction for websites and applications.
- Experience in solving UX challenges based on user research and data analysis.
- Experience in designing using user flows, wireframes, and prototyping.
- Experience using prototyping tools such as Figma and XD.
- Experience in directing web content such as campaigns and special feature pages.
- Knowledge and experience in design quality management and design system operation.
- Ability to understand business acumen and propose strategic UX/UI designs.
- Excellent communication skills and leadership ability for smooth collaboration within and outside the team.
- A strong commitment to ensuring user experience and quality.

Desired Qualifications:

- Experience using prototyping tools such as Figma.
- Experience in information architecture and design concept development for smartphone apps and web.
- Experience in structural design and design concept planning.
- Experience in negotiation with development teams and defining requirements.
- Experience in identifying issues, formulating improvement plans, and defining KPIs based on qualitative and quantitative UX/UI perspectives.
- Experience using design tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator.
- Basic knowledge of coding.
- Experience with SEO/ASO/LLMO keyword selection and analysis using Search Console.
- Interest in or experience with golf.

You can also aim for a leadership position in the future.

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:

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