Guidewire Japan Localization BA

Appealing Points:

• Shape Guidewire Products for the Japan Market: Translate real insurance business needs into clear product requirements, owning the feature backlog and prioritizing enhancements based on business outcomes.
• Work at the Intersection of Product & Technology: Collaborate closely with developers in an Agile environment, make tactical product decisions, validate delivered features, and ensure business intent is reflected in implementation.
• Global & Customer-Facing Impact: Work with Japanese and global stakeholders, influence product direction, leverage insurance domain expertise, and contribute to continuous process improvements across Guidewire programs.

Annual Salary : 8 Million Yen and above

Job Responsibilities:

• Work with the internal Guidewire team to understand customer business needs, the priorities behind those needs, and how they apply both within individual customer enterprises and across the Japan market.
• Refine business needs into complete, rational product requirements that define and maintain the feature backlog.
• Own the feature backlog: groom, sequence, and prioritise against outcome-oriented goals, coordinating with other Guidewire teams as required.
• Work closely with developers through an agile process, making tactical decisions, working through edge cases, and ensuring technical teams understand the intent behind requirements.
• Represent the product management team to technical teams, ensuring alignment between product intent and implementation.
• Participate as a peer in agile ceremonies including sprint planning and backlog grooming; participate in daily stand-ups and retrospectives.
• Identify and drive process improvements within the team's working practices.
• Validate completed features against acceptance criteria before sign-off.
• Use the partner's internal organisational networks proactively to resolve questions, validate assumptions, and gather information without requiring escalation to Guidewire.

Job Qualification:

• Guidewire certifications are preferred. Candidates who do not currently hold the required certification may still be considered, provided they have relevant Guidewire project experience.
• Individuals assigned without the required certification are expected to make reasonable efforts to obtain the applicable Guidewire certification within one month of assignment, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
• Demonstrated experience working in or alongside insurance software implementations — not theoretical knowledge alone. The candidate must be able to explain how a business requirement translates into a specific change to a Guidewire product.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English sufficient for independent communication with a global product team, including the ability to present to, and influence, a mixed stakeholder audience.
• Proficiency in written and spoken Japanese.
• Demonstrated ownership behaviour: the ability to take responsibility for outcomes, drive decisions, and operate without requiring constant direction.
• Familiarity with agile product development methods, including backlog management and sprint ceremonies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Guidewire product certification at Ace level in at least one Guidewire product.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted requirements generation tools and the ability to work productively with AI-generated outputs (reviewing, correcting, and extending AI drafts rather than starting from scratch).
• Experience working across multiple insurance programs or lines of business simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to use the partner organisation's internal networks to source domain experts, validate requirements, and resolve knowledge gaps.
• Prior experience in a product management role at a Guidewire customer or implementation partner.
• Formal presentation or facilitation training.

Language Proficiency: Business level Japanese (JLPT N2) and Business-level English

About Company:

This company is one of the largest IT consulting companies in Europe, with more than 200,000 employees based in locations in over 40 countries.

As a global leader in consulting, technology services and digital transformation, they were established in 2013 as a Japanese corporation of the world's leading IT consulting company at the forefront of innovation, and they offer a wide range of integrated services with the highest level of technology and abundant expertise.