Job Opening at Rakuten Group, Inc. — Tokyo, Japan

About The Role

Job Description:

Business Overview

Rakuten Group offers over 70 services globally across diverse sectors, including internet services like e-commerce, travel, and digital content; fintech services such as credit cards, banking, securities, electronic money, and smartphone payment apps; mobile services including telecommunications; and professional sports.
By organically connecting these services through a membership base centered on Rakuten members, we have built a unique "Rakuten Ecosystem" that is unparalleled.

*Rakuten by the Numbers
https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/services/

Department Overview

Rakuten Travel aims to be the world’s No. 1 Online Travel Agency (OTA), providing a diverse range of services that enrich people's lives through travel.
As one of the largest travel booking platforms in Japan, we provide our users with a vast array of choices to find their ideal trip, while offering our partners solutions that maximize their reach and streamline business operations.
We are proud to be at the forefront of digital transformation in the travel industry.

Our Fraud Prevention department plays a vital role in building a safe and secure foundation that supports this growth.
To leap forward as a world-class platform, we leverage data analytics and AI technologies to build robust systems that proactively prevent fraudulent and inappropriate activities.
By maintaining a healthy and trustworthy marketplace, we are dedicated to sustaining the long-term business growth of Rakuten Travel.

Rakuten Travel: https://travel.rakuten.co.jp/

Position:

Why We Hire

As Rakuten Travel strives to become the world’s No. 1 Online Travel Agency (OTA), the methods of fraudulent and inappropriate activities are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated.

Our mission is to analyze and mitigate risks on our massive platform, ensuring a "world-class foundation of trust" where both users and partners can conduct transactions with complete peace of mind.

We are currently in a critical phase of evolving our traditional operational framework by driving the "advancement and automation of detection" through the power of big data and AI. We are looking for a Project Leader who will go beyond mere monitoring to lead the core of Rakuten Travel’s "trust" through strategic rule design and systemic innovation.

As we aim to become the world’s No. 1, we are seeking individuals who can leverage their expertise in data analysis and risk management to tackle unprecedented challenges. Join us in building a "safer future" where travelers around the world can enjoy their journeys with absolute confidence.

・Business and Organizational Phase
As Rakuten Travel aims to become the world’s No. 1 OTA, we are in a transformative phase of elevating our fraud prevention systems to a "world-class" standard. You will not only protect our existing operations but also have the opportunity to architect new systems from scratch, incorporating cutting-edge technologies like anomaly detection to drive the "advancement and automation of detection." It is a dynamic phase where you can play a central role in rebuilding the foundation of our organization.

・Autonomy and Organizational Culture
As a Project Leader, you will have the autonomy to drive the organization through your own strategies, engaging with business units and development teams. Your analyses and proposals will directly influence the service quality and trustworthiness of Rakuten Travel. You will work in an environment where you can feel the business growth firsthand and make a significant, tangible impact.

・Career Growth and Professional Development
Beyond the rare experience of managing risks at one of the world’s largest OTAs, you will gain advanced data analysis skills and the ability to manage large-scale projects. Looking ahead, you will be able to pursue a wide range of career paths, whether as a specialist in risk management, a business manager, or a leader in global security strategy.

・Competitive Edge (Leveraging Rakuten Group’s Assets)
Our greatest strength lies in our access to the vast travel transaction data and diverse assets within the Rakuten Ecosystem. You will gain uniquely valuable experience by designing and executing highly sophisticated risk strategies on a platform of a scale that is unmatched by our competitors.

Position Details

To achieve Rakuten Travel’s goal of becoming the world’s No. 1 Online Travel Agency (OTA), you will oversee the detection, analysis, and prevention of fraudulent and inappropriate activities. This role goes beyond simple monitoring; you will build a world-class, safe, and secure transaction foundation by visualizing risks through data analysis, improving detection models using AI, and designing cross-departmental policies.

<Key Responsibilities>
・Risk Analysis & Strategy Formulation (Identifying issues from a management perspective)
Deeply understand and interpret the "raw data" from the front lines of fraud and inappropriate activity. Identify high-impact issues from both organizational and company-wide perspectives, and formulate policies and rules for long-term risk mitigation based on trend analysis.

・Business Process Transformation (Hypothesis testing and systemic innovation)
Rapidly iterate through hypothesis-testing and execution cycles to derive highly effective solutions. Lead the elimination of siloed workflows and drive automation and standardization to build "sustainable systems" that maximize organizational productivity and detection accuracy.

・Project Leadership (Stakeholder management and executive reporting)
Act as the project lead, bridging the gap between development teams and business units. Logically report on improvement processes and outcomes to management and executives, and visualize how your team's initiatives contribute directly to Rakuten Travel’s mission and goals.

・Partnership Management with Outsourced Teams
Ensure and improve operational quality through close communication with our outsourced partners. Go beyond simple task delegation by building strong, trust-based partnerships to maximize the performance of the entire organization.

<Key Project Examples>
・3D Secure implementation support
・Implementing fraud-prevention systems and establishing monitoring structures for a new service

<Key Stakeholders>
・Product/Development Teams: Defining requirements, coordinating, and collaborating on new developments and system improvements for detection tools.
・Rakuten Travel Business Division: Proposing risk mitigation measures and supporting the maintenance and improvement of service quality through reporting on monitoring operations.

Work Environment

<Team Structure>
Total Team Size: 5 members (including 1 Manager and 1 Vice Manager)
Age Range: Primarily in their 20s and 30s
Background Composition: 80% New Graduates / 20% Mid-career Hires

<Background of Mid-Career Hires>
・Financial Services: Experience in retail banking, focusing on high-stakes face-to-face transactions and risk assessment.
・Consulting & Sales Support: Experience in providing consultative sales support and business growth strategies for the food and beverage industry.

<Career Path Example of Successful Mid-Career Hires>
・Growth into Leadership: Joined as a team member and successfully advanced into a management role, currently leading the team to achieve high-impact results.

Mandatory Qualifications:

<Ideal Candidate Profile>
・Ambitious & Resilient: Passionate about striving toward the goal of becoming the "World’s No. 1," with the mindset to embrace and overcome complex challenges.
・Proactive & Transformative: A self-starter capable of navigating a rapidly changing environment, defining your own scope of work, and driving organizational advancement.

<Job category / skills / experience>
・Professional Experience: 4+ years of full-time professional experience.
・Project Management or Leadership Experience (1+ year)
Proven track record of driving projects forward by effectively engaging and aligning internal and external stakeholders.
・Problem-Solving Experience
Experience in identifying current challenges and planning, proposing, and executing solutions in areas such as Sales, Customer Success, Operations Planning, or Risk Management.
・Data-Driven Decision Making
Experience in creating improvement proposals and reporting materials based on quantitative evidence, utilizing tools such as Excel (VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, Data Visualization, etc.).

Desired Qualifications:

<Job type/industry experience>
・OTA Industry Experience: Professional experience working within an Online Travel Agency (OTA).
・Risk Management & Compliance: 1+ year of experience in risk management, fraud prevention, or compliance-related fields.
・Quality Assurance & Process Improvement: Experience in Quality Assurance (QA) for customer support or operations centers, or experience in Business Process Reengineering (BPR).

<Skills/Experience>
・Practical experience in data extraction and analysis using SQL (over 1 year)
・Experience participating in projects implementing AI/machine learning systems and improving detection models.
・Experience leading management of contracted service providers and driving standardization and automation of operations.
・Experience preparing presentation materials using PowerPoint and other tools, as well as presenting to management and stakeholders.

<Ideal Candidate Profile>
・Exceptional Communication Skills

Ability to build consensus and facilitate smooth collaboration with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and expertise (e.g., product/development teams, business divisions, and external partners).

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:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/benefit/
・Recruitment Information:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/information/ * Employment type is detailed
・Rakuten Culture:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/culture/

#business #informationsecurity #privacygovernance #OperationalImprovement #commerce #RakutenTravel