Sr. Manager, Product - AI Experiences

Job Description:

Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global technology company that empowers individuals, communities, businesses, and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has grown to offer services across e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications. With more than 30,000 employees and operations in 30 countries and regions, Rakuten serves over 2 billion members worldwide. For more information, visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/

Job Summary:
Rakuten Americas’ AI and Data Division (AIDD) Americas is seeking an experienced and visionary Sr. Manager, Product – AI Experiences to drive and support AI powered product experiences across Rakuten International, while also building and improving the Rakuten Mobile AI Assistant in close partnership with Rakuten Mobile and marketing teams.

This is a foundational role at the center of Rakuten’s AI transformation. As a leader within AIDD, you will accelerate the adoption of AI technologies across search, recommendation, customer services, and customer engagement, and lead agent experiences. You will guide strategy, execution, and stakeholder collaboration for AI powered solutions that already reach millions of users, with the potential to impact billions globally.

In addition to your cross-Rakuten responsibilities, you will focus on the continued development of the Rakuten Mobile AI Assistant. This initiative has already launched but remains in an active growth phase. You will help shape its roadmap, identify new use cases, and deepen its business and user impact through close coordination with cross functional teams.

This is a unique opportunity to lead meaningful AI work at scale. You will work in a fast paced, international environment where innovation is encouraged and autonomy is supported. Rakuten’s commitment to AI is core to our business strategy and growth mindset. As our CEO has stated, “No AI, No Rakuten.” If you are passionate about building AI products that create tangible value for customers, and thrive in dynamic global settings, we encourage you to apply.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive and support AI product initiatives across Rakuten International, with a focus on scalable impact in customer experience, search, recommendation, and customer service
• Lead product strategy and development for the Rakuten Mobile AI Assistant in partnership with Rakuten Mobile and marketing teams
• Translate business needs and user insights into clear product roadmaps, milestones, and delivery plans
• Make thoughtful trade-offs between quality, speed, and scale, grounded in a deep understanding of AI technologies
• Partner with engineering, design, data science, and operation teams to deliver robust and user centric solutions
• Collaborate with cross functional stakeholders across multiple regions to ensure product alignment and adoption
• Track performance metrics, customer feedback, and experimentation results to drive continuous product improvement
• Hire, mentor, and lead a team of product managers and contributors, fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and ownership
• Represent AIDD in product reviews, roadmap planning, and leadership forums across the Rakuten Group

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must demonstrate excellence across the following domains. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Proven track record of launching and managing AI-powered products, particularly in search, recommendation, natural language processing, or conversational interfaces
• Proven ability to define and execute a compelling product vision and multi-year strategy for AI-powered products, translating complex AI capabilities into clear business value and user experiences.
• Deep understanding of AI/ML technologies (e.g., NLP, conversational AI, recommendation systems, search algorithms) and their practical application in product development.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business needs and user insights into clear product roadmaps, milestones, and delivery plans, making thoughtful trade-offs between quality, speed, and scale.
• Exceptional leadership skills, with proven success in hiring, mentoring, and leading high-performing product management teams and individual contributors towards high-impact outcomes.
• Strong technical acumen, enabling deep engagement and effective communication with engineering, data science, and AI research teams on technical concepts and trade-offs.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional alignment skills, with a track record of collaborating effectively across diverse teams and international regions.
• Strategic thinker with a strong ability to balance big-picture vision with hands-on execution and detailed product delivery.
• Demonstrated experience operating effectively in fast-paced, matrixed, and international environments.
• Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Japanese is a plus.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree in a relevant discipline preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in product management, including 3+ years in a manager or higher product management leadership role, demonstrating the ability to hire, mentor, and lead high-performing teams.
• Experience in AI-powered products and/or platforms.
• Demonstrated success in leading teams toward high-impact outcomes.
• Experience working with or within Japanese organizations or teams preferred.
• Agile Certified Product Manager and Product Owner (ACPMPO) certification preferred.

Five Principles for Success
Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.

Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate – Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team

At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the base compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation will vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role will be eligible for discretionary bonus, health, vision, dental insurance, 401k matching, PTO, Volunteer Time Off (VTO), and other employee benefits as the company implements.