HOT Opportunity: Application & Tools Development manager

Location:
Tokyo, Japan

Employment Type:
Full-time

We are seeking a
Application team Manager
to lead a team of highly skilled technical professionals and drive the delivery of key applications, tools, and IT services supporting core development teams. This role is ideal for someone with a strong technical background in
Application/Tools Development
and a passion for
people leadership, innovation, and execution excellence
.

Job Purpose

As a leader within the Digital Engineering team, you will:

• Drive project delivery and ensure alignment with business and technology goals.
• Define and communicate technical strategy that supports future organizational vision.
• Build a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Empower team members to grow, experiment, and deliver high-quality solutions.

We are looking for a people-centric technical leader who is passionate about both technology and team development.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Delivery

• Lead a 5–6 member development team delivering IT tools, applications, and services for core engineering teams.
• Oversee project planning, execution, and on-time/on-budget delivery of high-quality solutions.
• Drive the execution of technical strategies and IT roadmaps.
• Translate business needs into actionable technical plans in collaboration with internal IT and vendor teams.
• Manage internal and external delivery resources.
• Review and approve vendor deliverables, ensuring quality through detailed technical evaluations.
• Serve as a people manager for the Digital Engineering team.

Technical & Strategic Execution

• Lead end-to-end delivery of technology solutions aligned with business objectives.
• Manage team capacity, resource allocation, and skills development.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between business stakeholders and technical teams.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Promote continuous improvement of tools, technologies, and development standards.
• Organize knowledge-sharing sessions, workshops, and innovation forums.
• Identify opportunities for automation, new tool adoption, and technical enhancement.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Business teams
• Architecture teams
• Solution Delivery
• Production Support
• Data & Platform teams
• Global delivery teams

Required Skills & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's or Master's degree (or equivalent)

Technical Qualifications

• Experience or understanding of areas such as: API Management, GenAI, DevOps, Cloud.
• Languages:
• Japanese:
  JLPT N2 / Business level or above
• English:
  Business fluent
• Programming: Java, .NET, OpenAPI, Swagger, GenAI concepts, GitHub Copilot, LLMs
• Web technologies: , Angular, or equivalent
• Databases: SQL / NoSQL
• Containers: Docker, LXC, Podman (any acceptable)
• Orchestration: Kubernetes, Docker Compose
• Strong understanding of SOAP & REST
• API Management: Apigee, API Gateway, APIM, or equivalent
• Messaging systems: RabbitMQ, Azure Service Bus, SQS, SNS, Event Grid, etc.
• Code quality tools: SonarQube, Fortify, or similar
• Soft skills: Strong communication, time management, rapid learning

Experience

• 10+ years of experience managing technology delivery and projects
• People management experience (2–6+ members)
• Experience improving efficiency, reducing cost, or driving organizational change
• Proven track record delivering complex or transformative programs
• Insurance industry experience (life, commercial, or consumer lines) is a plus