Program Manager, eKYC and Digital Trust Identity - Membership Platform Department (MPD)

Job Description

Business Overview

The Technology Platforms Division (TPD) drives the growth of   Rakuten's 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   a nd reliable platforms that support the entire Rakuten   Ecosystem globally, fostering a culture of ownership and data-driven   decision-making.

Department Overview

The Membership Platform Department (MPD)   is responsible for   the development and maintenance of scalable platforms that provide membership   services, profile   m anagement, and fraud prevention across services within the   global Rakuten Ecosystem.   We are focused on creating next-generation membership   services to support our users across the world.

Position:

Position Details

As a Program Manager on the Certified Identity ( eKYC ) team,   you will drive the execution of complex, cross-functional programs that span   product development, external vendor relationships, government engagement, and   client business development. This is a leadership role for someone who can   manage ambiguity, align diverse stakeholders, and keep strategic initiatives on   track from planning through delivery.

Responsibilities

・ Own and drive complex cross-functional programs across product, engineering, legal, and business teams   maintaining   roadmap visibility and unblocking execution

・ Manage relationships and negotiations with key technology vendors and platform partners; oversee contract and SLA management in coordination with legal and procurement

・ Serve as the team's point of contact with Japanese government agencies (including J-LIS, the Digital Agency, and relevant regulatory bodies) for certifications, licensing, and regulatory approvals

・ Draft, review, and manage NDAs, business agreements, and implementation contracts working closely with internal legal, compliance, and IP teams

・ Identify and develop prospective enterprise clients for the   eKYC   platform; drive lead generation, qualification, and commercial onboarding both within Rakuten Group and externally

・ Represent the team in financial and IP discussions; coordinate with internal business units, legal, finance, and marketing to align priorities and decisions

Mandatory Qualifications:

・ 10+ years of experience in program management (not project lead) and 5+ years of experience in product management in a technology-driven, diversified global enterprise

・ Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional programs with multiple internal and external stakeholders, driving alignment and delivery under ambiguity.

・ Experience negotiating and managing B2B or B2G contracts in Japan, including NDAs and commercial agreements

・ Strong business judgment — able to assess trade-offs, escalate the right issues, and make decisions with incomplete information

・ Full professional bilingual fluency in Japanese and English

・ Proactive, self-driven — able to   initiate   and complete programs with minimal supervision.

Desired Qualifications:

We recognize that the digital identity landscape is complex. While we   don’t   expect you to be an expert in every area,   we’d   love to hear from you if you have experience in any of the following:

・ Navigating the Japanese Regulatory Landscape: Familiarity with My Number/JPKI,   eKYC /AML regulations (like the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds), or APPI data privacy standards.

・ Digital Identity & Technology: Hands-on experience with identity verification flows (NFC, liveness detection, OCR) or international standards like NIST SP 800-63 or ISO/IEC 29115.

・ Business Development & Strategy: Experience in SaaS business development, enterprise licensing, or managing technical vendor relationships.

・ Operational Excellence: An ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams, and experience using tools like Jira or Confluence to keep projects on track.

#engineer #producer #technologyplatformdiv

Languages:
English (Overall - 3 - Advanced), Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)