Intern - Security Operations

Job Description:

Rakuten International is a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a Japanese global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Headquartered in San Mateo, California with more than 4,000 employees worldwide, the Rakuten International business portfolio includes market leaders in e-commerce, digital marketing, advertising, communications and entertainment. We create products and services that provide exceptional value by aligning members and the businesses that want to engage them in a shared community.

Rakuten Advertising provides advertising technology and consumer insights to the world's leading brands and retailers. Working with agencies and brands around the world, Rakuten Advertising unites technology, client strategy and consumer insights to deliver advertising experiences that drive increased brand awareness and marketing performance. With access to Rakuten's diverse media properties and audiences, combined with an award-winning performance network and proprietary consumer research, Rakuten Advertising creates the right conditions to reach new customers and sustain long-lasting loyalty.

Job Summary:

The Security Operations Intern will support the security team in planning, tracking, and delivering security projects while helping design and implement process automations that improve the efficiency and consistency of day-to-day security operations. The intern will work closely with security engineers, analysts, and IT stakeholders to document requirements, streamline workflows, and assist in deploying lightweight automation solutions.

The Intern Experience: At Rakuten, we pride ourselves on giving interns a genuine, immersive experience that has a direct impact on company objectives. You will do meaningful work, and with us, you'll be a true member of the team. We are also invested in your growth as an individual and professional. That's why you can expect curated events such as professional development workshops, interactions with Rakuten leadership, and relationship building opportunities with other interns and professionals at the company. You can visit our company website and our Muse profile, to learn more about Rakuten's culture and values, as well as hear from previous interns.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in planning and tracking security initiatives (e.g., tooling rollouts, playbook updates, control improvements) using the organization's project management platform.
• Document current security operations processes, including incident response workflows, alert handling procedures, and access review steps, and help identify opportunities for standardization and automation.
• Support the design, testing, and rollout of process automations (for example, ticketing integrations, alert routing rules, simple scripts, or low-code workflow automations) under guidance from senior staff.
• Maintain and update project artifacts such as timelines, status reports, risk/issue logs, and stakeholder communications for security projects.
• Help define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics for security operations (e.g., mean time to acknowledge, mean time to resolve, ticket volumes, automation coverage).
• Assist in creating and updating operational documentation, runbooks, and standard operating procedures for automated and manual workflows.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (IT, DevOps, compliance, business units) to gather requirements, schedule meetings, and ensure follow-through on assigned security tasks.
• Participate in security team standups and project meetings, taking notes, capturing action items, and following up on owners and due dates.
• Support ad hoc process improvement and continuous-improvement initiatives within the SOC and broader security program.

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in information security, computer science, information systems, engineering, business, or a related field.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a structured way.
• Basic understanding of core cybersecurity concepts (e.g., threats, vulnerabilities, incidents, logging, access control) and interest in security operations.
• Familiarity with project management concepts (timelines, milestones, dependencies, risks, and status reporting).
• Comfort working with spreadsheets and/or basic data manipulation (e.g., sorting, filtering, simple formulas) to help track metrics and tasks.
• Ability to learn new tools quickly (ticketing systems, project management platforms, collaboration tools, and basic automation/low-code platforms).

• Exposure to project management methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, or Kanban through coursework or previous internships.
• Experience using project management or work-tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or similar) in a team environment.
• Basic scripting or automation experience (e.g., Python, PowerShell, Bash) or familiarity with low-code workflow tools (e.g., Microsoft Power Automate, Zapier, or similar).
• Familiarity with SIEM, ticketing, or ITSM tools (e.g., Splunk, Elastic, ServiceNow) is a plus, but not required.
• Strong attention to detail and an interest in process design, standardization, and continuous improvement.

• Degree in progress