Strategist (RMI Strategy & Data Dep)

About Organization

Our department drives customer and technology transformation through digitalization AI and data-driven Customer Value Management (CVM) platforms. We enable personalized customer experiences and accelerate acquisition retention win-back ecosystem cross/up-selling and operational excellence across retail web marketing and customer support channels.

Job Duties

As a core member of the Business Strategy team you will own the end-to-end lifecycle of new business initiatives acting as a strategic leader from ideation to execution.

• New Business Ideation & Opportunity Discovery:

  • Proactively scan global telco tech and adjacent market landscapes to identify high-potential opportunities aligned with Rakuten Mobiles strategic priorities.

  • Develop structured hypotheses and opportunity briefs synthesizing market signals competitive intelligence and ecosystem synergies into actionable concepts.

  • Lead ideation workshops with internal stakeholders and senior leadership to move concepts into a prioritized initiative pipeline.

• Market & Competitive Intelligence:

  • Conduct rigorous market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM) segmentation and competitive landscaping (Porters Five Forces PESTLE).

  • Benchmark Rakuten Mobiles positioning against global telcos (e.g. KDDI SoftBank SK Telecom T-Mobile) and tech platform companies (e.g. Alphabet Amazon).

  • Track innovation in IoT cloud AI and 5G monetization strategies to unlock new revenue streams.

• Business Case Development & Financial Modelling:

  • Develop board-ready business cases including commercial model design financial projections (EBITDA NPV IRR) risk assessment and go/no-go frameworks.

  • Stress-test commercial models under multiple scenarios to ensure alignment with market needs and revenue targets.

• Partnership Identification Structuring & Negotiation Support:

  • Identify and cultivate relationships with prospective partners across target verticals.

  • Structure innovative commercial contracts partnership governance models and product/service strategies.

  • Manage the deal funnel from initial outreach through due diligence to final launch.

• End-to-End Project Delivery & Execution:

  • Own the full initiative lifecycle acting as project lead across internal functions and external partners.

  • Define KPIs and feedback loops post-launch to refine and optimize business performance.

  • Apply structured project management disciplines (milestone planning RACI frameworks) to drive initiatives from strategy to revenue-generating reality.

• Strategic Presentations & Executive Communication:

  • Develop insight-led strategy documents and high-impact presentations for senior leadership.

  • Facilitate executive workshops to drive alignment on strategic direction and commercial decision-making.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Internal Influence:

  • Serve as the primary strategy interface for key stakeholders building coalitions to support cross-departmental resource commitments.

  • Mentor junior analysts fostering a culture of analytical rigor and structured problem-solving.

Minimum Qualifications

• 58 years of progressive professional experience with a strong preference for candidates combining strategy consulting with industry experience.

• Strategy consulting experience at a top-tier firm or equivalent in-house strategy/corporate development experience at a leading telco or tech company.

• Demonstrated track record of leading new business growth strategy or partnership development initiatives from ideation through execution.

• Hands-on experience building financial models and business cases for new ventures or partnerships.

• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced ambiguous environment.

• Experience using AI as a tool to fulfill business objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within the telecommunications technology media or adjacent digital industry.

• Exposure to one or more of the following verticals: IoT AI/ML products OTT/content AdTech connected devices or data monetization.

• Experience in the Japanese market or broader APAC region.

• Background in venture building corporate innovation or business incubation.

• Fluency in Japanese.