Job Description

One of our clients is looking for an experienced Project Manager to lead complex technology and system modernization projects for major financial institutions in Japan. This is a client-facing Project Manager position combining requirements definition, solution planning, technical proposal activities, project setup, stakeholder management, and end-to-end project delivery. You will work directly with Japanese financial institutions while collaborating closely with a highly international engineering organization. Annual salary: JPY 7,500,000 – 15,000,000, depending on experience and skills. Hybrid work: approximately 3 days remote / week. International Engineering Environment / English used for technical communication. High-level Japanese communication skills N1 Level required or Equivalent About the Company Our client is a publicly listed Japanese technology company specializing in the modernization of mission-critical systems, particularly within the financial industry. The company helps transform legacy financial infrastructure using cloud-native technologies, modern software architecture, and AI-driven development. Its projects include next-generation core banking systems, digital banking platforms, financial APIs, payment systems, and large-scale system modernization initiatives. More than 80% of the company’s employees are Software Engineers, with team members representing more than 24 nationalities. The organization follows an engineering-first philosophy and provides an environment where Project Managers work closely with experienced Software Engineers and Technical Leads. About the Position As a Project Manager, you will act as the bridge between Japanese enterprise clients and multinational engineering teams. You will participate from the earliest stages of client engagement, understanding the client’s business, systems, organizational structure, and underlying challenges. From there, you will work with senior engineers and technical leads to develop appropriate solutions, including technical architecture, development approaches, and implementation roadmaps. After a project is awarded, you will help establish the project team, define scope and initial structure, and lead the project through delivery. This is therefore not a position focused only on schedule and task management. The role requires the ability to understand technology, communicate effectively with engineers, identify the client’s real business challenges, and lead complex projects involving multiple stakeholders. Key Responsibilities Understand clients’ business, systems, organizational structures, and underlying challenges Identify and structure business and system requirements Lead requirements definition and upstream project activities Plan and propose technology solutions addressing client challenges Work with engineering teams to develop technical architecture, development approaches, and project roadmaps Prepare and coordinate technical and business proposals Lead proposal activities for large and complex technology projects Coordinate internal engineers, external partners, and other stakeholders Support RFI and RFP activities Support vendor management and coordination Collaborate closely with Senior Engineers and Technical Leads to evaluate technical feasibility Establish project teams after contract award Define project scope, initial design, organization, and delivery structure Lead project execution and overall project management Coordinate multiple stakeholders across complex enterprise projects Bring client feedback and market requirements back to internal engineering teams Contribute to the improvement of the company’s solutions and services Team Environment Projects typically consist of small, highly skilled teams of approximately 5–8 members. A Senior Engineer is normally included in each project, allowing the Project Manager to work closely with experienced technical professionals. The engineering organization is highly international, and English may be used when communicating internally with engineers. Client proposals and negotiations are primarily conducted in Japanese. Conversational English is sufficient for many internal situations, while the international environment provides regular exposure to English. Project Examples Next-Generation Core Banking Modernization Development and modernization of mission-critical banking systems using modern cloud and software architectures. Financial APIs Development of public APIs providing financial functionality to third-party services. Frontend: TypeScript / Angular / Ionic Backend: Go / Kotlin / Spring Authentication & Authorization: OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect / Financial-grade API (FAPI) Payment Systems Development of an in-house payment platform supporting cashless payments and new merchant fee models. Backend: Go / Java Infrastructure: GCP / Microservices / GKE / Kubernetes Digital Financial Services Development of fully online financial services for major financial institutions. Frontend: TypeScript / Vue.js Backend: C# / .NET Core / ASP.NET Authentication & Authorization: OAuth 2.0 Core Banking Modernization Modernization of legacy core banking environments. Backend: Java / Kotlin / Spring Infrastructure: Azure / GCP multi-cloud Why Apply? This position is particularly attractive for experienced Project Managers who want to work closer to technology rather than focusing primarily on administrative project management. You will work directly with major Japanese financial institutions while collaborating with highly skilled Software Engineers and Technical Leads. The role provides end-to-end involvement, beginning with understanding client challenges and defining requirements, continuing through solution design and proposal activities, and ultimately leading actual project delivery. You will work on mission-critical systems where security, reliability, scalability, and engineering quality are extremely important. At the same time, these projects involve modern technologies including cloud-native architecture, microservices, APIs, Kubernetes, multi-cloud environments, and AI-driven development. For Project Managers who understand both business and technology and want to lead major system modernization initiatives, this position provides significant ownership and exposure to some of the most complex technology projects within Japan’s financial industry. Requirements Must Have Professional experience as a Project Manager and/or Software Engineer Strong understanding of how software development projects and technology organizations operate As a general guideline, approximately 10–15+ years of combined software development and project management experience Experience leading technology or software development projects Ability to understand both business objectives and technical requirements Strong business perspective, including the ability to understand the commercial purpose and business value behind a project Knowledge of standard project management practices such as PMP methodology, or equivalent practical project management experience High-level Japanese communication skills Ability to communicate logically with Japanese enterprise clients Ability to explain complex technical and business topics clearly to different stakeholders Knowledge of the financial industry and financial systems Nice to Have PMP certification or equivalent project management certification Experience leading projects with budgets around JPY 10M or more within an SIer or SES environment Experience managing large-scale projects involving complex stakeholder structures Experience participating in RFI/RFP and solution proposal activities Experience working with Software Engineers, Architects, and Technical Leads Experience with system modernization, cloud migration, or mission-critical systems Experience in banking, FinTech, financial services, or financial system development Business-level English Experience working in an international engineering environment Ideal Profile Strong intellectual curiosity and interest in emerging technologies Respects engineering expertise and enjoys collaborating closely with technical teams Able to understand technology and connect it to real client business challenges Enjoys becoming deeply involved in complex client problems Strong problem-solving mindset Comfortable working directly with enterprise clients Able to independently set ambitious goals and take ownership of results Comfortable coordinating multiple stakeholders in complex environments Interested in modernizing large-scale and mission-critical systems Comfortable working in a highly international engineering organization Benefits Working Environment & Benefits Annual salary: JPY 7.5M – 15M Hybrid work: approximately 3 days remote / 2 days at the office, depending on the project Fully flexible working hours with no core time Tokyo office: Akasaka, Minato-ku Kanazawa satellite office available Full social insurance Maternity and childcare support Professional certification support Book and learning-material purchase support Appropriate development devices and equipment provided International engineering environment Opportunities to collaborate closely with Senior Engineers and Technical Leads Opportunities to lead mission-critical financial technology and system modernization projects