Strategist (RMI Strategy & Data Dep)

Job Description:

About Organization

Our department drives customer and technology transformation through digitalization, AI, and data-driven Customer Value Management (CVM) platforms. We enable personalized customer experiences and accelerate acquisition, retention, win-back, ecosystem cross/up-selling, and operational excellence across retail, web, marketing, and customer support channels.

Job Duties

As a core member of the Business Strategy team, you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of new business initiatives, acting as a strategic leader from ideation to execution.

• New Business Ideation & Opportunity Discovery:

  • Proactively scan global telco, tech, and adjacent market landscapes to identify high-potential opportunities aligned with Rakuten Mobile’s strategic priorities.

  • Develop structured hypotheses and opportunity briefs, synthesizing market signals, competitive intelligence, and ecosystem synergies into actionable concepts.

  • Lead ideation workshops with internal stakeholders and senior leadership to move concepts into a prioritized initiative pipeline.

• Market & Competitive Intelligence:

  • Conduct rigorous market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM), segmentation, and competitive landscaping (Porter’s Five Forces, PESTLE).

  • Benchmark Rakuten Mobile’s positioning against global telcos (e.g., KDDI, SoftBank, SK Telecom, T-Mobile) and tech platform companies (e.g., Alphabet, Amazon).

  • Track innovation in IoT, cloud, AI, and 5G monetization strategies to unlock new revenue streams.

• Business Case Development & Financial Modelling:

  • Develop board-ready business cases, including commercial model design, financial projections (EBITDA, NPV, IRR), risk assessment, and go/no-go frameworks.

  • Stress-test commercial models under multiple scenarios to ensure alignment with market needs and revenue targets.

• Partnership Identification, Structuring & Negotiation Support:

  • Identify and cultivate relationships with prospective partners across target verticals.

  • Structure innovative commercial contracts, partnership governance models, and product/service strategies.

  • Manage the deal funnel from initial outreach through due diligence to final launch.

• End-to-End Project Delivery & Execution:

  • Own the full initiative lifecycle, acting as project lead across internal functions and external partners.

  • Define KPIs and feedback loops post-launch to refine and optimize business performance.

  • Apply structured project management disciplines (milestone planning, RACI frameworks) to drive initiatives from strategy to revenue-generating reality.

• Strategic Presentations & Executive Communication:

  • Develop insight-led strategy documents and high-impact presentations for senior leadership.

  • Facilitate executive workshops to drive alignment on strategic direction and commercial decision-making.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Internal Influence:

  • Serve as the primary strategy interface for key stakeholders, building coalitions to support cross-departmental resource commitments.

  • Mentor junior analysts, fostering a culture of analytical rigor and structured problem-solving.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5–8 years of progressive professional experience, with a strong preference for candidates combining strategy consulting with industry experience.

• Strategy consulting experience at a top-tier firm or equivalent in-house strategy/corporate development experience at a leading telco or tech company.

• Demonstrated track record of leading new business, growth strategy, or partnership development initiatives from ideation through execution.

• Hands-on experience building financial models and business cases for new ventures or partnerships.

• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

• Experience using AI as a tool to fulfill business objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within the telecommunications, technology, media, or adjacent digital industry.

• Exposure to one or more of the following verticals: IoT, AI/ML products, OTT/content, AdTech, connected devices, or data monetization.

• Experience in the Japanese market or broader APAC region.

• Background in venture building, corporate innovation, or business incubation.

• Fluency in Japanese.

Languages: