Geography Content Group Manager - Content Management Office, Travel & Mobility Business (C&M)

Job Description:

Business Overview

Rakuten Group offers over 70 services across a wide range of fields in Japan and overseas. These include internet services such as e-commerce, travel, and digital content; fintech (financial) services, including credit cards, banking, securities, e-money, and smartphone payment apps; mobile services, such as mobile carrier businesses; and professional sports.

By organically linking these services around a point- and service-based membership system, we have formed a unique "Rakuten Ecosystem" unlike any other.

*Rakuten Business in Numbers: https://global.rakuten.com/corp/careers/services/

Department Overview

Rakuten Travel, operated by Rakuten Group's Travel & Mobility Business, was established in 2001. We proudly boast the largest number of registered accommodations in Japan, with over 40,000 properties.

We are continuously expanding our business and striving to improve the quality of our services daily to meet various user needs related to travel, such as a wide selection of accommodations, destination information, and inspirational content. We also cater to the needs of our accommodation partners, helping them expand sales, promote their properties, and provide valuable data.

Rakuten Travel: https://travel.rakuten.co.jp/
Rakuten Travel Global: https://travel.rakuten.com/

Position:

Why We Hire

Rakuten Travel re-released its multilingual accommodation booking platform in 2022, providing a new and localized user journey for inbound travelers. The Geography Content Group is responsible for shaping geographical data not only in Japan but worldwide, collecting POI(Point of Interest) data, and analyzing the usage trends of geographical data in site searches.

Our long-term vision is to provide Rakuten Travel users with a search experience that caters to all their needs from a geospatial information perspective, whenever they travel anywhere in the world. To achieve this vision, we are looking for a talent who can lead a team with specialized knowledge, while maintaining the quality of geographical content on the site.

Joys of working at Rakuten Travel
- Contribute to a global product for travelers around the world
Empower countless people to experience the wonders of Japan and beyond. Simplify international travel and let your voice shine through in content that will promote travel to Japan.

- Contribute to the creation of global geographical data as a pioneer global OTA in Japan.
Being involved in forming the foundational data at the early stages of service development, influencing how travelers perceive Rakuten Travel's services,and strengthening the impact of the Geography Content Group.

- Develop your translation skills and grow with a diverse workforce
Expand your linguistic talent and various soft skills while collaborating with teammates from over 15 countries.

- Take advantage of Rakuten Group's substantial resources & technology
Experience rapid development and easy access to top-notch technologies thanks to our parent company's strong status within Japan. Enjoy frequent opportunities to develop more than just linguistic skills; members of Rakuten Travel's business units benefit from in-house trainings in HTML, SQL, AI, marketing, and more.

Position Details

Our long-term vision is to be a one-stop shop for all businesses within Rakuten Travel to localize their platforms for international users. To make this vision a reality, we're seeking additional talent that can help ensure the quality, consistency, and unified brand tone of all English content under our scope.

As the Manager of Geography Content Group, you will ensure that Rakuten Travel’s products are commercially ready, accurate, and appealing to the target audience. In this position, you will combine technical expertise, leadership skills, and a passion for delivering high-quality geographic content to enhance the travel experience for Rakuten Travel’s users.

You are proactive, inquisitive, and able to work flexibly in a changing environment. You are also passionate about providing quality experiences to stakeholders.

- Drive the vision and the strategy of geography content usage.
- Independently manage the team of several members
- Develop the organizational structure and recruit internal and external resources
- Ensure the accuracy, consistency, and quality of geospatial data
- Continuously improve the quality of geospatial data for Rakuten Travel users
- Communicate requirements to stakeholders, triage issues, and propose solutions
- Collaborate with other teams (e.g., Product, UX Design) to deliver user-friendly geographic information.

Work Environment

• Organizational Structure
• - Travel & Mobility Business: ~800 employees
• - Content Management Office: ~16 employees
• - Geography Content Group: 2 employees
• - Age Range: 20s to 30s
• - New Graduate to Mid-career Hire Ratio: 1:1
• Average Daily Overtime
• 0.5-1 hrs/day
• Examples of mid-career hires' backgrounds
• - Experience working directly in the travel industry
• - Civil Engineer at a Ward Office
• - Supply and Demand Coordination at a Japanese Manufacturer
• Career path examples of successful mid-career hires
• - Promoted to Vice Manager of the team within two years

Mandatory Qualifications:

• - Fluency in English (TOEIC Score: 800 or higher)
• - Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in GIS, Geospatial Science, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, or related field.
• - At least 5 years working experience in map or online service industry
• - At least 5 years of experience with data visualization and/or cartography
• - Proficiency in GIS tools and mapping software (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS Google Earth, or similar)
• - At least 2 years of experience with people management
• - Ability to prioritize and manage project deadlines
• - Ability to work collaboratively across functional teams
• - Strong geographic knowledge 

Desired Qualifications:

• - Business-level Japanese
• - Experience in the online travel industry.
• - Familiarity with free-source data such as OpenStreetMap.
• - Familiarity with Python, SQL, R, or JavaScript for GIS automation and analysis.
• - Experience with project management tools (e.g., JIRA).
• - Experience with data analysis or visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
• - Strong interest in global travel

Other Information:

Additional information on Location

• Rakuten Crimson House
• 1-14-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Additional information on English Qualification

• TOEIC Score exceeding 800 (or similar level of English ability) or a University Degree earned in an English-speaking country.
• Proof of qualifications will be required by the time of the job offer.
• If no evidence is available to prove the qualifications denoted above, taking an IP test, organized by Rakuten, during selection process is required.
• Rakuten Group, Inc. Homepage Link
• - Benefits:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/benefit/
• - Recruitment Information:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/information/ * Employment type is detailed
• - Rakuten Culture:https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/culture/

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