Group Manager Candidate - EC Logistics Development Department (ECLD)

Description

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Business Overview

When people hear the name "Rakuten," they often immediately associate it with our e-commerce services such as "Rakuten Ichiba," "Rakuten Books," and "Rakuten Fashion."

When you place an order on these services, it has become standard for the item to arrive at your doorstep the very next day. Have you ever wondered where these items are managed, how they are packed, and how they are shipped to you? This "behind-the-scenes" world, which is often invisible to our customers, is the core responsibility of EC Logistics team.

Department Overview

We operate numerous warehouses across Japan, where we store and manage inventory for "Rakuten Books," "Rakuten Fashion," and "Rakuten 24," handling everything from inbound processing to outbound shipping. We also provide "Rakuten Super Logistics" as a service, where we manage logistics operations on behalf of merchants selling on Rakuten Ichiba.

We, EC Logistics Development team build the systems that make all of these warehouse operations possible. If our systems stop, the items bought online cannot reach our customers. Logistics is the only point of physical contact with our customers, and our systems are not just "back-office tools" - they are the engines that create the actual customer experience.

While managing these warehouse-side systems, our department is also responsible for critical features such as the "Estimated Delivery Date" displayed on Rakuten Ichiba, "Order Tracking" from purchase history, and delivery-related notifications.

In short, we, EC Logistics Development team develop and operates the systems that underpin the entire logistics infrastructure of the Rakuten Group.

- To optimize and realize a logistics experience where customers can get "what they want," "when they want," and "where they want," by leveraging IT and logistics

- To provide logistics functions that maximize user convenience and create an environment where customers can enjoy shopping on Rakuten as a true experience

- To solve logistics challenges for Rakuten Ichiba merchants and support them in improving operational efficiency and maximizing their sales

- To resolve technical debt in our logistics systems and ensure stable operations, thereby building a solid foundation that supports the growth of Rakuten Ichiba and beyond

Position:

Position Details

In this position, you will lead a team of approximately 10 full-time employees within the system development department responsible for Rakuten Group’s logistics services and logistics-related data/API services. As a Group Manager, you will demonstrate strong leadership while overseeing the end-to-end management of our systems, including projects, products, quality, costs, and personnel.

- As a Group Manager, you will actively participate in determining the direction of projects and products, managing your team with full responsibility in terms of QCD (Quality, Cost, and Delivery)

- You will take the initiative to collaborate and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality outputs

- You will consult with business-side members to prioritize development tasks - from planning to service launch - and take ownership of the delivery

- You will foster the growth of the entire group by hiring and mentoring the next generation of leaders

- Manage the budget and execution for the assigned group, and handle internal reporting and compliance requirements

Work Environment

The entire department consists of approximately 200 members across Japan and overseas. You will be leading a group of about 15 professionals.

Many of our members joined us with backgrounds as product managers or engineers in various fields. Interestingly, over 70% of them had no prior experience in logistics before joining, and they successfully acquired the necessary domain knowledge after joining our department.

We primarily utilize the internal Private Cloud environment, with some resources on Public Cloud.

Mandatory Qualifications:

- Over 10 years of experience in software development

- Over 5 years of experience in product management or project management

- Over 3 years of people management experience for engineers

- Strong communication and negotiation skills to work effectively with stakeholders

- Ability to think about maximizing customer satisfaction and clearly define a product vision

- Ability to research and adopt appropriate technologies to provide innovative products

- Ability to handle unexpected accidents and incidents

- Experience in budget management

- Business-level Japanese proficiency

Desired Qualifications:

- Knowledge of the logistics industry

- Experience providing E-commerce services (B2C, C2C, B2B2C)

- Business-level English proficiency