Why BAT Japan — and what you get
You'll own a full market's services rather than a slice of a global tower, which means the decisions are yours and the consequences are visible. You get an annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility); health cover, transport support and a flexible holiday plan; and English and Japanese language training. Development runs on a defined career framework with published capabilities per role and grade, plus online learning and structured leadership programmes.
Tokyo, Japan · Full-time · Manager
Own the technology services a whole market runs on — and simplify them while they're running.
BAT is a global multi-category consumer goods business. Our purpose is to create A Better Tomorrow™, with a vision to build a smokeless world — as at 31 December 2025, 34.1m consumers used our Smokeless Products, generating 18.2% of Group revenue. A change that size puts real pressure on the technology underneath it. This role is about keeping that technology dependable while actively making it simpler.
The role
You're the service line manager for our sites and local applications in Japan, and the main point of contact for local vendors. Two jobs run in parallel: keeping services stable, secure and meeting their agreed service levels; and leading the simplification and modernisation work that reduces how much there is to keep running. You'll also be the escalation point when something breaks and senior people want an answer.
What you'll own
Service performance against agreed service levels — monitoring it, reviewing it, and improving it rather than reporting on it
Lifecycle plans, optimisation roadmaps and risk analysis for the technology assets in your scope
The service catalogue and its documentation — architecture, network and server diagrams, inventories and service instructions, kept genuinely current
Vendor and supplier contracts: reviewing whether they actually support the service levels we've promised the business
Escalations end to end — coordinating the right people and driving to resolution, not to a status update
Security and compliance across your services, and readiness to execute continuity plans if you need to
Simplification and transformation initiatives, including the transition into steady-state operation that most projects handle badly
Cost efficiency — finding it, arguing for it, and moving towards a model where the business pays for what it uses
What you'll bring
A genuine understanding of the business you support and how technology contributes to it — this role fails if it's run as pure IT
Methodical problem-solving and the composure to stay calm when a service is down and the room isn't
The ability to explain something technical to someone who isn't, without condescension
Comfort operating autonomously where the answer isn't defined yet
Useful, not essential: team leadership experience; hands-on work with automation, APIs, connected devices or large-scale data
Qualifications
A degree in computer science, information technology, systems or network administration, or a closely related field
5+ years in a multinational organisation, with working knowledge of ITIL v4, Lean, Agile and secure development practices
We're a Global Top Employer for the ninth consecutive year, certified across five regions and a record 44 countries. Whoever you are and wherever you're from, you can belong here — our teams span many nationalities, ages, genders and professional backgrounds, supported by networks including Women in Leadership and B-United, our LGBTQ+ and allies network. Through our Global Returners programme we also support people restarting their careers after time away from the workforce. If you need any adjustments to perform at your best during the recruitment process, tell us and we'll arrange them.
We are BAT, a leading global consumer goods company driven by a clear purpose: to create A Better Tomorrow™ by Building a Smokeless World.
Founded in 1902, we’ve grown into a truly international business, operating across six continents with a presence in over 180 markets. Our strategic ambition is to become a predominantly smokeless business by 2035**, helping adult smokers transition to scientifically substantiated, reduced-risk*† alternatives.
With a powerful portfolio of global brands, a future-focused strategy, and around 50,000 talented people worldwide, we are committed to accelerating Tobacco Harm Reduction and making cigarettes a thing of the past.
As a leading FTSE company, our operations span three key regions:
🌍 United States of America
🌍 Americas & Europe (AME)
🌍 Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA)
Together, we are building A Better Tomorrow™.
* Based on the weight of evidence and assuming a complete switch from cigarette smoking. These products are not risk free and are addictive.
**Please refer to the cautionary statement contained in the Annual Report and Form 20-F 2024 on p.447 for additional information regarding BAT’s future performance: https://www.bat.com/ar/2024/index.html
† Our Vapour product Vuse (including Alto, Solo, Ciro and Vibe), and certain products, including Velo, Grizzly, Kodiak, and Camel Snus, which are sold in the U.S., are subject to FDA regulation and no reduced-risk claims will be made as to these products without agency clearance.
