Strategist

About this role

This role is a core member of the Business Strategy team supporting customer and technology transformation through digitalization, AI, and data-driven Customer Value Management platforms. The work supports personalized customer experiences, acquisition, retention, win-back, ecosystem cross-selling and upselling, and operational improvements across retail, web, marketing, and customer support channels.

The strategist owns new-business initiatives from initial idea through execution. Responsibilities include scanning global telecommunications, technology, and adjacent markets; identifying opportunities aligned with Rakuten Mobile’s priorities; preparing hypotheses and opportunity briefs; synthesizing market signals, competitive intelligence, and ecosystem synergies; and leading ideation workshops with stakeholders and senior leadership. The role also conducts market sizing using TAM, SAM, and SOM, segmentation, competitive landscaping, Porter’s Five Forces, and PESTLE. It benchmarks Rakuten Mobile against companies including KDDI, SoftBank, SK Telecom, T-Mobile, Alphabet, and Amazon, and tracks innovation in IoT, cloud, AI, and 5G monetization.

The role develops board-ready business cases covering commercial models, financial projections such as EBITDA, NPV, and IRR, risk assessment, and go/no-go decisions. It stress-tests models under multiple scenarios. Other responsibilities include identifying prospective partners, developing partner relationships, structuring commercial contracts and governance models, shaping product and service strategies, and managing the deal funnel from outreach and due diligence through launch.

After an initiative is approved, the strategist leads delivery across internal functions and external partners, defines KPIs and post-launch feedback loops, and applies milestone planning and RACI frameworks to move initiatives from strategy to revenue generation. The role prepares strategy documents and presentations for senior leadership, facilitates executive workshops, builds support for cross-departmental resources, and mentors junior analysts.

Applicants should have 5–8 years of progressive professional experience, preferably combining strategy consulting with industry experience. The posting seeks experience from a top-tier strategy consulting firm or equivalent in-house strategy or corporate development experience at a leading telecommunications or technology company. Candidates should have led new-business, growth-strategy, or partnership-development initiatives from ideation through execution; built financial models and business cases for new ventures or partnerships; managed multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment; and used AI as a tool to fulfill business objectives.

Preferred qualifications include experience in telecommunications, technology, media, or an adjacent digital industry; exposure to IoT, AI/ML products, OTT or content, AdTech, connected devices, or data monetization; experience in the Japanese market or broader APAC region; and a background in venture building, corporate innovation, or business incubation. Fluency in Japanese is also preferred. The stated work location is Tokyo, Japan.