Project Manager - Store AI Solution Section, Incubation Office, Incubation Business

Job Description: Business Overview Rakuten Group offers more than 70 services in Japan and overseas, including internet services such as e-commerce, travel and digital content; fintech services such as credit cards, banking, securities, electronic money and smartphone payments; mobile services including a mobile carrier business; and professional sports. By organically connecting these services through a membership centered on Rakuten members, we have built a unique "Rakuten Ecosystem." * Rakuten's business in numbers https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/services/ Department Overview The Incubation Division launches, develops and promotes new businesses within Rakuten Group. You can work in a start-up-like environment within the scale of a large company. It is an ideal environment for those who excel at taking things from 0 to 1 and want to take on challenges. Store AI Solution Section launched its new service, "Rakuten Anshin Signage" (safety-signage.rakuten.co.jp), on June 4, 2025. We have only just started this business, aiming to establish a presence in AI camera analysis field, where market growth is expected to continue. It is an ideal environment for those who want to think for themselves and drive the business forward. Position: Why We Hire The Store AI Solution Section is driving two pillars of business, crime prevention solutions and multi-camera tracking (MCT), both centered on behavior detection using AI cameras. As the business grows, we are filling a vacancy for a Project Manager who bridges business requirements and development, and we are looking for someone who will also define and launch the product management function itself within the team. Set development priorities in line with business objectives, and move the product forward through equal-footing discussions with external development partners. Will you help us shape the mindset and way of working to do that? The business has just launched a new service, so you can define the team's new product management function yourself and create its standard way of working. ・You will discuss development priorities and the roadmap in close contact with the head of the business. ・You will gain experience discussing and negotiating on equal footing with specialized external development partners. ・You can experience everything end to end, from business requirements to requirements definition, development and quality management, and build your career as a manager who leads product development. ・This is an ideal environment for those who want to pivot from a tech-oriented career toward a more business-oriented role. Through initiatives with Rakuten Group companies and their store networks, you can be involved in creating new AI camera solutions. Position Details For the product group centered on behavior detection using AI cameras (crime prevention solutions and multi-camera tracking), you will translate business requirements into system requirements and functional specifications, and lead overall development in collaboration with external development partners. This role does not carry out technical development or implementation itself; it moves stakeholders and advances product development in line with business objectives. You will also define and launch the product management function within the team. ・Business requirements definition and business translation (understanding business strategy and customer needs, translating them into system requirements and functional specifications, defining requirements and specifications, clarifying acceptance criteria, designing business processes) ・Defining and launching the product management function ・Converting operational issues (e.g., insourcing existing operations, introducing AI operation support tools) into development requirements ・Drafting the feature development roadmap, deciding development priorities and managing the backlog ・Optimizing development costs and cost of goods sold (COGS), in collaboration with the PMO and delivery teams ・Managing external development partners (negotiating development policy, specifications and schedules; evaluating and judging the validity of technical proposals; managing progress, quality, cost and risk; optimizing the division of responsibilities) ・Establishing mechanisms for quality management and incident response (not hands-on work, but policy setting and process streamlining) ・Planning and driving development of the generalization project, multi-camera tracking (MCT), and the introduction and accuracy improvement of AI operation support tools ・Optimizing equipment and system configuration and reducing costs (e.g., center-edge architecture) ・Managing and facilitating development meetings with external development partners ・Managing and supervising software tools such as face recognition tools and CMS ・Root-cause analysis and resolution of product-related incidents ・Incubation Office Mgr. and Store AI Solution Section Senior Mgr.: reporting and approval ・Sales/Customer Success: gathering customer requests ・Data Analytics/Security Operation/Delivery: turning operational issues into requirements ・PMO Group: business requirements review ・External development partners: negotiation with the development contractor Work Environment The Store AI Solution Section consists of the Sales, Data Analytics, Business Operation and PMO groups. ・Number of members:10-15 ・Age range: Primarily in their 30s and 40s ・New graduates/mid-career ratio: Currently, all employees are mid-career hires Members come from a variety of backgrounds, including major telecommunications, food wholesale, manufacturing, finance and consulting companies. Mandatory Qualifications: ・Experience as a PM/PL in system development projects ・Experience in business requirements definition, system requirements definition and specification design ・Experience managing external development vendors and development partners ・Experience collaborating with both business and engineering sides Desired Qualifications: ・Project management experience at a system integrator ・Experience in IT consulting, system planning, or IT planning at an operating company ・Experience in product management or as a product owner ・Basic knowledge of engineering and system architecture ・Experience in AI/IoT/SaaS/cloud service development projects ・Knowledge and experience of development methods such as agile and scrum ・Someone who can structurally understand business issues and translate them into system requirements ・Someone who can discuss and negotiate on equal footing with development partners who have technical expertise ・Someone who can decide priorities based on both technical feasibility and business impact ・Someone who finds more value in moving stakeholders and advancing product development than in developing hands-on ・Someone who proactively finds issues and drives decisions even in highly uncertain environments Other Information: Additional information on Location Rakuten Crimson House 1-14-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Related Pages ・Employee Benefits: https://global.rakuten.com/corp/careers/benefit/ ・Employee Conditions: https://global.rakuten.com/corp/careers/information/ ・Culture: https://global.rakuten.com/corp/careers/culture/ #business #AI #director #projectmanager #groupcompanydiv Languages: English (Overall - 2 - Intermediate), Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)