Director, Engineering and Research

Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global technology leader that empowers individuals, communities, businesses, and society through e‑commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications services to over 2 billion members worldwide.

Job Summary: Rakuten Americas’ AI & Data Division (AIDD) seeks a Director of Engineering and Research to bridge cutting‑edge research with robust engineering. The role focuses on AI applications—including agent experiences, search, recommendation, personalization, and overall customer experience—to deliver meaningful impact for nearly 2 billion Rakuten users. The director will define and execute multi‑year technical and research roadmaps, lead interdisciplinary teams, scale operations, and oversee the full innovation lifecycle from prototype to production‑ready systems.

• Define and drive multi‑year technical and research roadmaps that align scientific discovery with scalable engineering implementation.
• Champion a culture of deep collaboration between research and engineering, breaking down silos to accelerate innovation and solution delivery.
• Guide architectural direction, modern engineering practices, and adoption of emerging technologies from internal and external research.
• Provide expert leadership on transitioning research prototypes to reliable, secure, production‑grade systems.
• Establish cross‑functional standards and processes that support both research excellence and engineering efficiency.
• Build, mentor, and scale high‑performing interdisciplinary teams, including ICs and managers.
• Lead talent strategies—recruitment, retention, performance management, and career development—for a diverse, technically excellent organization.
• Communicate vision, goals, and priorities across functions to ensure strong alignment and shared ownership.
• Optimize resource allocation across multiple product lines and initiatives, balancing delivery velocity with long‑term innovation and maintaining budgetary oversight.
• Partner with executive stakeholders in Research, Product, Business, and Operations to align technical direction and deliver integrated solutions.
• Drive cross‑functional initiatives, uniting research and engineering contributions toward shared business goals.
• Represent the team’s innovation and capabilities internally and externally, supporting strategic partnerships and business development opportunities.

• Exceptional leadership in defining, communicating, and executing multi‑year technical and research roadmaps for complex, large‑scale systems.
• Proven track record of building, coaching, and scaling interdisciplinary engineering and research organizations that deliver innovative, research‑informed software products.
• Deep expertise in architecting and operating scalable, secure, and resilient cloud‑native systems; strong foundation in research methodology and experimental design.
• Mastery of the full software development lifecycle, modern Dev Ops practices, and commitment to engineering quality and scientific rigor.
• Ability to align and influence executive stakeholders across Research, Product, Business, and Operations on strategic, cross‑functional initiatives.
• Strong technical acumen in AI/ML domains—LLMs, NLP, search, recommendation systems, and conversational AI.
• Comfortable leading through ambiguity in fast‑moving, international environments, managing globally distributed teams.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills; able to translate complex technical and scientific concepts across diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain top‑tier engineering and research talent, fostering a culture of innovation, psychological safety, and continuous learning.
• Experience or strong potential for engaging in strategic partnerships and business development initiatives.
• Fluency in English (Japanese a plus).
• Minimum Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (Master’s or Ph.D. preferred). 12+ years of progressive experience in software engineering and/or applied research, including 5+ years in senior manager or director‑level leadership roles. Significant hands‑on experience with…