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 Cloud Platform Supervisory Department (CPSD) develops and manages Rakuten's state-of-the-art cloud platform, empowering global scalability and accelerating innovation across its diverse business units.
The Infrastructure Services Department (INSD) at Rakuten delivers high-quality data center and network services to all Rakuten Group companies globally. We empower Rakuten's innovation with a stable, high-performing, secure, and cost-competitive infrastructure. By proactively addressing challenges and ensuring Rakuten has the infrastructure services it needs to thrive, we enable global business success.
As Rakuten's data center footprint continues to grow, so does the complexity of the operations required to support it. The Data Center Management Group serves as DCOS's primary forward-facing interface with internal business partners - coordinating hardware installations, managing service requests, and shaping the policies that govern how the DC serves the broader Rakuten organization. To meet this growing demand, we are expanding our management structure and looking for a dedicated Group Manager to lead this team, drive operational maturity, and build the project and risk management frameworks that will position the group for long-term success.
Position Details
The Data Center Management Group Manager leads a team of engineers who serve as the primary operational interface between Rakuten's internal business partners and the physical data center. The team is responsible for everything from the rack inward: executing hardware installation, managing network cabling, processing user service requests, and ensuring contracted site staff are performing to standard. Through your direct reports, you will also exercise oversight of a large on-site contractor workforce.
Beyond day-to-day operations, this role exists specifically to mature the group's project and risk management capabilities. You will implement structured planning processes, build policies and runbooks, and lead root cause analysis and countermeasure development following operational misses. A key part of this role is working in close partnership with senior section leadership and peer group managers to align on priorities, share operational insights, and contribute collectively to the overall mission of DCOS.
Key Responsibilities
1. Business Partner Request & Project Coordination
- Serve as the escalation and approval point for all incoming service requests from internal business partners
- Own the end-to-end lifecycle of hardware installation requests: intake, scheduling, rack and power allocation, network cabling, and delivery confirmation
- Coordinate with business partners to manage expectations around timelines, resource availability, and change risk
- Lead planning and execution for DC expansion and infrastructure projects affecting the group
2. People & Contractor Management
- Directly manage a team of engineers, including goal-setting, performance reviews, coaching, and career development
- Through your direct reports, oversee the work quality and productivity of a large on-site contractor workforce
- Identify and close skill gaps within the team, with a focus on project management, documentation, and long-term planning
- Partner with HR on headcount planning, onboarding, and offboarding processes
3. Risk Management & Operational Resilience
- Build and maintain risk registers for DC operations, identifying single points of failure and leading mitigation efforts
- Lead structured root cause analysis (RCA) following operational incidents or service disruptions
- Develop countermeasures and ensure corrective actions are tracked, implemented, and verified
- Drive a culture of proactive risk identification within the team, reducing reactive escalations to senior leadership
4. Policy Development & DC Standards
- Own the creation, review, and maintenance of Data Center operational policies and procedures for the group
- Ensure contractor and staff activities comply with internal DC standards and applicable regulations
- Develop and deliver training materials to group members and on-site contractors
- Maintain the group's documentation portal and ensure runbooks are current and accurate
5. Monitoring, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Review and own the group's weekly and monthly operational reports; present key findings and trends to section leadership
- Drive kaizen initiatives: identify inefficiencies in request handling, installation workflows, and contractor management, and implement improvements
- Investigate and introduce new tools, automation, or BI reporting capabilities that improve the group's visibility and operational efficiency
- Support internal and external DC audits, including security audits
Mandatory Qualifications:
- More than 7years of people management experience, with a track record of managing technical teams in an infrastructure or operations environment
- Demonstrated experience in structured project management (planning, scheduling, risk tracking, stakeholder communication)
- Proven ability to build and implement operational policies, runbooks, or SOPs
- Experience leading root cause analysis and developing corrective action plans
- Strong verbal and written English communication skills at business proficiency level or above (TOEIC 800+ required for non-native speakers; native or near-native proficiency strongly preferred)
- Japanese language proficiency sufficient for business conversations, negotiations, and written communication
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience managing contracted or third-party workforces in addition to direct employees
- Background in IT infrastructure, data center operations, server hardware, or network cabling environments
- PMP certification or equivalent project management qualification
- Experience with BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) or operational dashboard development
- Familiarity with DC standards and compliance frameworks (e.g., Uptime Institute, ISO, OHSAS)
#engineer #technologymanagement #technologyplatformdiv
Languages:
English (Overall - 3 - Advanced), Japanese (Overall - 3 - Advanced)
SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 150 offices and 120,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges, and its ADRs trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SMFG).
Americas: https://www.smbcgroup.com/
EMEA: https://www.smbcgroup.com/emea/
APAC: https://www.smbc.co.jp/asia/
Tokyo: https://www.smfg.co.jp/english/
