Senior Engineering Manager - Conversational Experience Department (CXD)

Job Description:

About Rakuten

Rakuten Group, a global leader in internet services headquartered in Japan, empowers individuals, businesses, and society through innovative services and technologies. Our Technology division is spearheading initiatives that integrate cutting-edge solutions to enhance user experiences and facilitate business growth.

Department Overview

The vision of the Conversational Experiences Department (CXD) is to change the world’s view of what is possible with AI by creating incredible experiences that ‘just work’. We propose, design, and build AI experiences that bring joy and value to Rakuten businesses, and our mission is to bring these experiences to the world. We build Conversational AI products such as chatbots, voice assistants, and semantic search. We have been employing Large Language Model (LLM) technology for several years, and are on the cutting edge of Japanese language solutions.

Our mission is to actualize 'shopping is entertainment' and maximize the value of Rakuten ecosystem through the delivery of super personal assistants.

Position:

Why We Hire

We are seeking a Senior Engineering Manager with a proven hands-on ability in software architecture and design. This role requires an individual capable of overseeing the development of sophisticated, scalable cloud-based solutions that meet rigorous production service level objectives (SLOs) and quality standards. The ideal candidate will have a solid background and understanding in Deep Learning, NLP, LLM, and conversational AI, paired with a strong capacity for rapid learning and adaptation. The successful candidate will work closely with our Senior Production Manager and Solution Architect to drive the development and implementation of innovative AI-driven customer communication solutions.

Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage a team of less than 10 engineers as a first line manager, providing guidance, 
mentoring, and support to ensure high performance and professional growth.
- Maintain significant hands-on involvement in the architectural decisions and advanced coding practices to ensure engineering excellence.
- Ensure the engineering team delivers high-quality software solutions that adhere to defined production SLOs and maintain high standards of quality and reliability.
- Foster a culture of technical excellence and innovation, continually enhancing team capabilities and workflows.
- Promote and implement best practices in software engineering, including continuous integration, continuous deployment (CI/CD), and automated testing.
- Collaborate extensively with product management and architectural teams to ensure a seamless alignment between engineering output and overall business strategy.
- Oversee the scalability of cloud architectures to support expanding business needs and ensure robust and resilient service delivery.
 
Mandatory Qualifications:
- A minimum of 8 years of experience in a software engineering including 3 years in leadership role, with hands-on expertise in software architecture and design.
- Strong technical foundation and a solid background and understanding in Deep Learning, NLP, LLM, or conversational AI.
- Demonstrated ability to learn rapidly and adapt to new technologies and challenges.
- Fluent in English, capable of effective cross-functional communication.
- Strong leadership qualities and a knack for inspiring teams to deliver innovative software solutions.
 
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- Extensive hands-on experience in Python and software development.
- Expertise in cloud technologies and architectural best practices focused on scalability and reliability.
- Familiarity with agile development methodologies and a proven track record of leading teams to deliver innovative software solutions.
- Japanese language proficiency.

What We Offer:

- Competitive salary package and comprehensive benefits.

- Opportunities for professional growth and advancement in a leading global technology company.

- Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and the chance to work on projects that impact millions of users worldwide.

- A collaborative, innovative, and intellectually stimulating work environment.

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Languages:

English (Overall - 4 - Fluent), Japanese (Overall - 4 - Fluent)