Principal Platform Strategist - Ecosystem Platform Supervisory Department (EPSD)

Job Description:

Business Overview

The Technology Platforms Division (TPD) drives the growth of the Rakuten Ecosystem by delivering innovative, high-quality technology platforms characterized by integrated control and strategic partnerships.

Within TPD, the Ecosystem Platform Supervisory Department (EPSD) develops scalable and reliable platforms that support the entire Rakuten Ecosystem globally, fostering a culture of ownership and data-driven decision-making.

Department Overview

Ecosystem Platform Supervisory Department is the backbone of Rakuten’s global digital experience. We manage seven mission-critical platforms—Membership, Point, Messaging, Point Campaign, Payment, Coupon, and Marketing Automation—that power our vast ecosystem. From enabling seamless payments to driving hyper-personalized marketing, our work is the bridge between our services and our users. If you are ready to work in high-scale, high-impact systems that define the future of the "Membership Economy," come build the core of Rakuten with us.

Position:

Position Details

As a Ecosystem Platform Strategist, you will be the "architect" of Rakuten Ecosystem platforms' future. Your focus is on the "Why" and "What" of our platform services. You will conduct deep market analysis, identify growth opportunities across the Rakuten ecosystem, and ensure our platform roadmap is strategically aligned with global business goals and business leaders.

<Responsibilities>

<Strategic Planning>

• Conduct in-depth research on market trends, competitor activities, and technology shifts to identify new opportunities for platform service expansion
• Benchmark Rakuten Ecosystem services positioning against Japan and Global ecosystem services competitor
• Own platform strategy that incorporates Rakuten business goals and industry competitor

<Cross-Division Alignment>

• Lead executive level strategic alignment across Rakuten Tech and various Rakuten business units (Fintech, E-commerce, Mobile) to ensure platform services provide maximum ecosystem value 

<Platform Vision & KGI/KPI Definition>

• Define the long-term platform vision and business objectives; translate high-level business goals into measurable KGIs/KPIs.

<Platform Go-to-market (GTM) strategy and planning>

• Develop executive-ready business cases, including commercial model design, financial projections, risk assessment, and go/no-go frameworks
• Stress-test commercial models under multiple scenarios to ensure alignment with market needs and revenue targets

Mandatory Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in management or strategy consulting, business development, or product strategy within an IT/Internet environment
• Exceptional logical thinking and ability to structure complex business problemsExpertise in market analysis and ability to synthesize large datasets into actionable business strategies
• Excellent Communication Skills: Ability to communicate effectively and build consensus with diverse stakeholders (e.g., business divisions, development, sales, management)
• Agility and Execution Power: Ability to act autonomously with a sense of urgency and persistently pursue results even in challenging situations
• Business level Japanese and English are a must 

#engineer #strategyplanning #technologymanagement #technologyplatformdiv

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