Rakuten

About Rakuten Group

Rakuten Group offers a dynamic and globally-minded environment for ambitious individuals, driven by its core mission and values.

• Empowering Society through Innovation: Rakuten's mission is to contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Global and Diverse Workplace: Operating over 70 services in 30 countries and regions, Rakuten is a truly global company with over 30,000 employees from more than 100 nationalities. English is the official corporate language, fostering seamless collaboration across borders.

• Pioneering Technology Leader: We are at the forefront of technological innovation, including "AI-nization" (AI Integration) and the development of the world's first fully virtualized mobile network.

   

Rakuten's Commitment to Ukraine

Rakuten has demonstrated unwavering commitment to Ukraine throughout the ongoing conflict, actively supporting its people, economy, and future reconstruction. Our significant presence in Ukraine is highlighted by Rakuten Viber's remarkable 98% penetration rate. Further solidifying this dedication, Rakuten established a new office in Kyiv in January 2024.

Our efforts extend to:

• Rebuilding Infrastructure: Collaborating with VEON Ltd. on a memorandum of understanding to reconstruct Ukraine's infrastructure through advanced Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) and digital services.
• Humanitarian Aid: Launching the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Emergency Relief Fund and a charity T-shirt donation drive, raising over 1.3 billion yen for critical support.

About The Project: Supporting Ukraine's Tech Startups

Rakuten Group is committed to supporting Ukraine's people, economy, and post-war reconstruction. As part of this initiative, and in partnership with Brave1, a Ukrainian government institution fostering defense technology innovation, Rakuten is actively exploring and implementing support for Ukrainian startups. This includes potential collaborations with the Japanese government and other strategic partners.

Rakuten's mission is to contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship. Recognizing the rapid transformation of the global defense landscape driven by cutting-edge technology, Rakuten, as a global technology leader, is uniquely positioned to connect these advancements with the Japanese defense sector.

This project focuses on two key areas:

• Introducing Dual-Use/Defense Innovation to Japan: Leveraging Rakuten's expertise, we connect combat-proven dual-use and defense technological advancements from Ukraine with the Japanese defense sector. This initiative has garnered strong interest from key Japanese stakeholders, who recognize the significant value of these Ukrainian technologies.
• Market Entry and Business Development Support: Rakuten partners with Ukrainian dual-use and defense startups to facilitate their entry into the Japanese market. Our support encompasses communication with key Japanese stakeholders, project management assistance with the Japanese government (including regulatory and logistics support), and fostering long-term business development within Japan.

Through this project, Rakuten actively contributes to Ukraine's resilience and post-war reconstruction, while strengthening international collaboration in critical technological fields.

Responsibilities

The Business Development Lead will be instrumental in connecting Ukrainian defense technology innovation with the Japanese market, directly supporting Rakuten's commitment to Ukraine's reconstruction and technological advancement. This role demands a proactive individual capable of building strong relationships, driving project execution, and navigating international collaborations.

Key Objectives:

• Strategic Partnership & Market Introduction: Act as Rakuten's representative in Ukraine, fostering relationships with Brave1, government agencies, and high-potential startups to accelerate their introduction to the Japanese market.

• Communication & Project Acceleration: Serve as the primary liaison between Japan and Ukraine teams, providing hands-on, in-country support to ensure smooth communication and accelerate project progress.

   

Major Tasks:

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with defense/dual-use startups and key stakeholders (e.g., Brave1, government) in Ukraine through events, exhibitions, and direct visits.
• Startup Evaluation & Solution Identification: Based on identified Japanese client needs and the latest battlefield operations/trends, proactively identify promising startups and solutions. Conduct due diligence and technical evaluations, involving DD firms, interviews, assessments, and demo participation, and introduce them to the Japanese market.
• Partnership Negotiation: Collaborate with Japan's business and legal teams on partnership negotiations (e.g., NDAs, Strategic Partnership Agreements).
• Communication & Project Acceleration: Facilitate seamless communication between Ukrainian entities and the Japanese team for sales, marketing, and Ministry of Defense (MoD) project delivery. This includes meeting participation, information gathering, identifying and resolving blockers, and conducting in-country product/demo checks.

• Regulatory Support: Assist with in-country regulatory processes, such as export controls.

   

Project Oversight & Reporting: 

Monitor project progress, identify challenges, manage risks, and report on execution to ensure timely completion

• Policy & System Research: Research and report on best practices from Ukrainian and potentially European governments/industries (e.g., policies, systems, initiatives) that successfully facilitate the adoption of advanced technologies and the integration of startups within the defense sector, aiming to propose new policies/systems/initiatives for Japan.

Additional Contributions (as needed):

• Market & Technology Analysis: Research and analyze Ukrainian defense/dual-use technology trends, market needs, actual battlefield operational insights, and their suitability for the Japanese defense industry.
• Cultural Bridge: Facilitate smoother collaboration by advising on and mediating cultural and business practice differences between Ukraine and Japan.
• PR & Branding Support: Contribute to external communication efforts regarding project successes and Rakuten's impact.

• Internal Venture Investment Collaboration: Collaborate with Rakuten's venture investment arms to explore potential investment opportunities in promising Ukrainian startups.

   

This role reports directly to the Innovation Business Planning (Strategic Project Manager) in Japan. Occasional travel within Ukraine (1-2 times every few months) and to Japan (1-2 times per year) may be required, subject to candidate situation and travel restrictions.

Qualifications

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled professional to drive this critical initiative.

Hard skills:

• Military Experience: Prior experience in military or defense-related fields.
• Technical Background: Background in technologies like AI, UXV, or telecommunications.
• Business Development: 2-3+ years of international business development experience in venture funds or operating companies.
• Consulting Experience: 2-3+ years of project management or business development experience within a consulting firm.
• Government Relations: Experience promoting policy projects within government agencies, especially defense or international cooperation.
• Language Skills: Fluent/Native level English communication (written and verbal), with the ability to communicate effectively with Ukrainian government agencies and startups.
• Education: University degree or equivalent.
   

Soft skills:

• Mission Alignment & Passion: Deep empathy and passion for Rakuten's mission and the project's objective in Ukraine.
• Drive & Execution: Proven ability to proactively identify challenges, formulate solutions, and execute swiftly. A "Get Things Done" mindset is essential.
• Interpersonal Skills: Exceptional ability to build and maintain profound trust-based relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders, acting as a central hub.
• Cross-functional Teamwork: Capability to foster strong collaborative relationships across all levels, including remote teams.
• Complex Project Management: Experience managing multi-stakeholder projects with a track record of successful delivery.
• Cultural Adaptability & Resilience: Ability to quickly adjust to changing circumstances, maintain effectiveness amid ambiguity, and demonstrate perseverance in overcoming obstacles.

• Understanding of Defense/Dual-Use Technologies: Foundational understanding of relevant defense and dual-use technologies.

   

Work Style

We offer a flexible work arrangement designed to accommodate both the project's needs and the candidate's circumstances, while adhering to the following principles:

• Direct contract with Rakuten Advertising
• Work Location: Primarily remote work, based in Ukraine. This arrangement offers significant flexibility, recognizing the unique operating environment.

While primarily remote, the role may involve occasional in-country travel within Ukraine and potential travel to outside Ukraine (e.g., Japan), as outlined in the "Responsibilities" section. We are committed to finding a suitable and effective work setup for the right candidate.