Advertising Product Manager *Group Manager Candidates - Ichiba Advertising Department, Marketplace

Description

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Business Overview

The Marketplace business is the development of Rakuten Ichiba, Rakuten's founding business.

Since Rakuten’s establishment in 1997, Rakuten Ichiba has continued to grow, embodying Rakuten's mission of "empowering people and society through innovation," and has delivered the joy of shopping to users across Japan by creating a system that allows those who are good at business to easily open a store, transcending the limits of the marketplace. We have been delivering the joy of shopping to users all over Japan.

Today, Rakuten Ichiba is one of the largest e-commerce sites in Japan, with more than 50,000 merchants (as of May, 2026), more than 100 million user accounts, and many users.

Rakuten Ichiba Service Page

Department Overview

The Ichiba Advertising Department is responsible for the planning, sales promotion, operation, and management of advertising products used by merchants that open stores on Rakuten Ichiba and brands that sell products on Rakuten Ichiba.

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About the Advertising Product Manager
Our mission is to provide effective and user-friendly advertising products that help increase sales on Rakuten Ichiba.

We plan and develop various advertising products, including display ads, listing ads, and promotions leveraging Rakuten's assets (such as coupons and points) on Rakuten Ichiba's web pages and apps, as well as management tools, reporting, and analytics tools for advertisers.

One of the strengths of Rakuten Ichiba's advertising is its unique delivery platform and measurement system, which enables us to measure everything from ad display, clicks, and conversions, and to optimize ad delivery using this data. This makes advertising not just a cost, but an investment with the potential for growth, and allows you to create a sales plan based on the effectiveness of your ads. Not only utilize ad technology but also leveraging the vast amount of data that only Rakuten has, we are able to create unique and strong advertising products. Furthermore, we are accelerating our efforts to generate advertising creatives, optimize delivery, and automate operations using AI technology. You will be involved in business transformation that will shape the next generation of advertising experiences.

Main Products
Performance ads (search, display, coupon ads, etc.) , ad management tools, and reporting/analytics tools
*You will be assigned to one of these areas.

Position:

Why We Hire

Advertising is a crucial marketing tool that creates touchpoints with users and drives sales for clients. As user purchasing behavior diversifies and ad technology undergoes significant change, there is a growing demand for new advertising solutions that leverage the latest technologies and data.
Additionally, the clients of Rakuten Ichiba Advertising-shops, manufacturers, and others-span various categories, business types, and scales, requiring the rapid development of multiple projects to meet their diverse needs.
We are seeking several product managers to lead teams responsible for developing such products and features. Would you like to join us in pursuing the vision of contributing to client sales growth by delivering effective, user‑friendly advertising solutions?

Appeal
- Advertising business on Rakuten Ichiba, Japan's largest e-commerce platform
Ability to plan and promote advertising solutions utilizing diverse shops/products, member data, user purchase behavior data, and AI technology
- Opportunity not only for product management of existing offerings but also to create new advertising businesses by leveraging internal assets and collaborating with external media/service providers
- Environment that offers potential for career advancement to higher management positions in the future

Position Details

This position is the Group Manager who will lead the business-side product manager organization responsible for planning and developing various advertising products-such as display ads and listing ads-for placement on Rakuten Ichiba and external media, as well as planning and developing management tools, reporting, and analytics tools for advertisers. You will oversee one or more products with your team, managing daily KPIs, product planning, product marketing, and operational tasks as the manager.

Main Responsibilities
- KPI management
- Data analysis and issue identification
- Product/feature planning and requirements definition
- Product marketing planning
- Project management

Specific Project Examples
- Planning the auto-suggestion feature for listing ad bid keywords
- Planning the AI-powered automatic ad banner creative generation feature

Expected Career Path
Following an initial period dedicated to gaining a deep understanding of Rakuten Ichiba and your specific area, you will be entrusted with managerial responsibilities.

Work Environment

Organizational Structure
- Total Ichiba Advertising Department: Approximately 100 members
- Each section: Approximately 20 members
- Each group: Approximately 5 members
- Age range: Centered around 30 years old
- New graduate/mid-career ratio: New graduates (40%)/Mid-career hires (60%)

Background of Mid-career Employees
- Advertising agency operations manager
- Media advertising planning manager

Mandatory Qualifications:

- At least 5 years of experience in product management or service planning in the IT industry, or equivalent skills
- Experience in project management
- Experience managing teams of 5 or more people
- Ability to read, write, and converse in English

Desired Qualifications:

Promoting business operations utilizing AI such as Claude code