Sr. UX Designer

Job Description:

Rakuten Group, Inc. is a global leader in internet services, offering a dynamic ecosystem of over 70 services across e-commerce, FinTech, digital content, and communications. Founded in 1997, Rakuten's mission is to empower people and society through innovation and entrepreneurship. With a vision of driving disruptive innovation globally, Rakuten integrates various services under a unified brand, supported by a unique ecosystem model that leverages data and AI. The company's popular "Rakuten Points" program and "One ID" system enhance user engagement, providing seamless access to its diverse services.

Headquartered in Japan, Rakuten has achieved 27 consecutive years of revenue growth and is recognized for fostering a diverse and inclusive corporate culture, with English as its official language since 2012. In recent years, Rakuten has focused on AI and sustainability initiatives, aiming to drive further technological advancements and achieve carbon neutrality.

• Lead UX strategy and design concept development for key projects, balancing KPI achievement with enhanced user experience. This may include projects related to AI-driven products and services.
• Design user interfaces that are intuitive, visually appealing, consistent with brand guidelines and with a focus on usability and accessibility.
• Create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes to effectively communicate design ideas.

• Plan, conduct, and analyze user research, including usability testing, user interviews, surveys, A/B testing, and other research methods.
• Translate research findings into actionable design recommendations.
• Analyze user data and feedback to identify areas for improvement and optimize design performance.

• Create, edit, and manage web content to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with brand voice and organizational objectives.
• Administer content workflows to ensure timely and accurate delivery of web materials.
• Coordinate publishing schedules to align with marketing campaigns and business objectives.
• Edit web copy to maintain consistency with brand voice, style guides, and quality standards.
• Apply knowledge of SEO best practices to optimize web content for search visibility and rankings.

• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including product managers, engineers, AI specialists, marketing stakeholders, and legal teams, to ensure alignment on UX goals. Collaboration with diverse stakeholders is essential, including Japan-based teams. Incumbent will need to have a deep understanding of Japanese business etiquette communication style, and decision making processes.
• Communicate research findings and design solutions effectively to stakeholders.
• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Ensure the quality of the user experience through usability testing, heuristic evaluations, and other quality assurance activities.
• Collaborate with international teams to align and drive UX quality assurance initiatives.

• Knowledge of and strong understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, and information architecture.
• Strong writing, grammatical, and proofreading skills with the ability to be creative in writing product descriptions and user interface copy.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate research findings into actionable design and content recommendations.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate research findings and design/content solutions to stakeholders.
• Knowledge of SEO best practices and web analytics tools such as Google Analytics is a plus.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams and functions.
• Ability to speak, write, and communicate in both English and Japanese.

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience as a UX Designer or in a related role.
• Experience partnering with Product, Engineering, Research, and Marketing to craft broader product strategies.
• Proficiency in UX design tools such as Figma, FigJam, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar.
• Native-level Japanese language proficiency is required. This role involves frequent communication and collaboration with our Tokyo Headquarters and core Japanese business units, which includes frequent and nuanced interactions with our Japan-based engineering, product, and marketing operations.

• Experience working in an international environment.
• Proven experience conducting a variety of user research methods (e.g., usability testing, A/B testing, user interviews, surveys).