Intellectual Property Governance Specialist

This role leads intellectual property governance for the Money Forward group, with trademarks and brands as the main focus alongside trade secrets and copyrights. The IP Strategy Office treats intellectual property broadly, including technology, data, know-how, brands, and services, and works with business strategy and research strategy. The position supports a fintech business with more than 60 products and overseas development bases.

Responsibilities include designing and operating the trademark portfolio, leading domestic and international trademark filings, rights acquisition and renewals, and responding to imitation services, unauthorized use, bad-faith applications, domains, and impersonation accounts. The role also leads the development and operation of a group-wide compliance framework for confidential information and trade secrets, coordinating with relevant departments on information handling under the company’s confidentiality rules.

As overseas development bases expand, the position designs group-wide IP governance and promotes the protection and effective use of intellectual assets across borders through communication in English. It also develops and delivers IP training for each base with overseas development members, leads internal education to improve IP literacy, and responds to internal copyright consultations. Future involvement in the core of organizational operations is expected depending on experience and interests.

Required qualifications include approximately seven or more years of practical experience in trademarks and brands, including leadership of brand strategy in an operating company beyond applications and rights acquisition. Business communication ability in English and experience using AI to improve work efficiency are also required. Preferred experience includes trade-secret or copyright work, planning and delivering internal training or study sessions, external IP relations or contracts, collaboration with brand or marketing teams, work in multinational or multicultural teams, leadership or management, and a patent attorney qualification.

The position is a full-time employee role in Minato, Tokyo. The probationary period is three months from the start date.

The work style is hybrid: two office days per week are generally required, three or more are recommended, and the days vary by team and business circumstances. Selection consists of document screening, a first selection, a final selection, and an offer meeting; a reference check may be conducted around the interviews.