Sr. Manager, Software Engineering

Job Description: Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to 2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has around 30,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. Job Summary: Rakuten Americas’ AI & Data Division (AIDD) is seeking a passionate and experienced Sr. Manager, Software Engineering to play a pivotal role in bridging business needs with cutting-edge AI capabilities. As part of AIDD, our mission is to build world-class AI experiences that serve as the digital core for Rakuten’s global ecosystem. In this role, you will lead a team of engineers to deliver high-quality, scalable, and innovative AI solutions that align with business objectives. You will take ownership of the planning, design, development, and deployment of global projects, ensuring timelines and quality standards are met. Key Responsibilities: Lead and mentor a high-performing team of software engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous learning. Drive the end-to-end software development lifecycle for AI-powered products and features, from architectural design and technical specification to implementation, testing, deployment, and ongoing maintenance. Define and implement technical strategies and best practices for building scalable, reliable, and secure AI systems. Collaborate closely with Product Management, Design, Data Science, and Research teams to translate business needs and research insights into actionable engineering roadmaps and deliver robust, user-centric AI solutions and products. Oversee project planning, resource allocation, and execution, ensuring timely delivery, adherence to quality standards, and effective mitigation of technical risks for global AI initiatives. Champion modern engineering practices including robust coding standards, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and comprehensive monitoring for AI/ML systems. Ensure operational excellence of deployed AI solutions, addressing performance, scalability, and stability requirements in a production environment. Communicate technical direction, progress, and challenges effectively to stakeholders across various departments and leadership levels. Recruit, develop, and retain top engineering talent across global teams. Collaborate effectively across time zones and cultures, managing distributed engineering teams. Be willing and able to travel for business, as required. Qualifications: Proven track record of successfully leading, mentoring, and scaling high-performing software engineering teams specifically focused on the development and delivery of AI/ML-powered products or platforms. Deep expertise in the full software development lifecycle (SDLC) within an AI/ML context, including architectural design, robust coding standards, CI/CD, automated testing, monitoring, and operational excellence for large-scale production systems. Strong technical acumen and hands-on experience in building and deploying AI/ML systems, with specific proficiency in areas such as Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Large Language Models (LLMs), conversational AI, search, or recommendation systems. Extensive experience with cloud technologies (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and architectural best practices for building scalable, reliable, and secure cloud-native AI applications. Exceptional leadership skills in fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement within engineering teams. Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders including Product Management, Data Science, AI Research, and Operations, to translate complex requirements into technical solutions and drive alignment in a matrixed, international environment. Strategic thinker capable of balancing big-picture technical vision with hands-on execution and detailed problem-solving. Excellent communication skills, able to articulate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. Experience operating effectively in fast-paced, international environments, comfortable managing global initiatives. Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Japanese is a plus. Minimum Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field. Master’s degree preferred. A minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, with at least 3+ years in a leadership role managing engineers. Demonstrated hands-on experience in the design, development, and deployment of AI/ML-powered software systems. Strong technical foundation and hands-on experience with Python and modern software development practices. Proven ability to lead teams toward high-impact technical outcomes. Experience working with or within Japanese organizations or teams preferred. Rakuten provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type.

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