Job Description
Business Overview
The Technology Platforms Division (TPD) drives the growth of the Rakuten Ecosystem by delivering innovative, high-quality technology platforms characterized by integrated control and strategic partnerships.

Within TPD, the Telecom Business Application Supervisory Department (TBASD) develops and maintains a unified, high-quality Business Support System (BSS) for Rakuten Mobile. We deliver agile, scalable solutions across the customer lifecycle and continuously enhance system performance through close collaboration with stakeholders.

Department Overview
The Business Support System Operations Department (BSOPD) is responsible for operating a high-quality Business Support System (BSS) that integrates with the broader Rakuten Ecosystem, directly contributing to maximize Rakuten Mobile's business. These BSS platforms are critical for managing telecommunication business operations. Additionally, we provide excellent customer support and facilitate all BSS integrations.

Position
Why We Hire
We are looking for Entrepreneurial, Innovative, Growth-Oriented, and Customer-obsessed individuals to join our growing team to build the Telco of the Future.

We are a truly global organization, with team members from Japan, India, North America, South America, Europe, China, Korea, Australia, Africa, and more, shifting to a fast-paced, agile way of working.

Position Details

• Lead and personally drive resolution of the most complex and critical production incidents (multi-system failures, significant business impact) impacting front-end BSS applications and the end-user experience.
• Own the end-to-end incident management process for front-end applications, including defining escalation paths, communication protocols, and post-incident review frameworks.
• Strategically prioritize incidents based on business impact, customer experience, and revenue, guiding the team's focus.
• Design, develop, and oversee implementation of sophisticated temporary workarounds and data fixes within the front-end context, ensuring data integrity and a swift return to functionality.
• Champion and oversee problem management, identifying systemic issues, driving RCAs, and ensuring long-term solutions are implemented for recurring front-end failures.
• Conduct and mentor the team through in-depth Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for persistent and complex front-end application failures (expert-level analysis of UI logs, browser traces, network calls, API responses, and integration points).
• Identify and articulate underlying architectural, design, or integration flaws related to the front-end, translating technical findings into actionable recommendations for development and product teams.
• Provide expert technical mentorship, coaching, and guidance to L1 & L2 support engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and problem-solving.
• Act as the primary technical Subject Matter Expert (SME) and functional liaison for front-end BSS applications, collaborating extensively with Product, UX/UI, Development, IT, and external vendor teams.
• Define, establish, and maintain the highest standards for knowledge management within the front-end application domain (documentation, runbooks, advanced troubleshooting guides for L1/L2).
• Lead the architecture and implementation of robust, scalable monitoring solutions specifically for front-end performance and user experience (e.g., RUM, Synthetic Monitoring, APM for client-side).
• Drive and personally contribute to automation initiatives for critical operational tasks, diagnostic procedures, and data repair within the front-end application ecosystem.
• Provide critical technical feedback and strategic recommendations to Product and Engineering, directly influencing future front-end design, architecture, UI/UX, and feature enhancements.
• Manage incident backlogs, define and track key operational metrics (KPIs) for front-end application stability and performance, and implement solutions to enhance team efficiency.
• Conduct regular one-on-ones, performance reviews, and support career development for team members.
• Lead technical discussions and represent the support organization in architectural reviews and strategic planning meetings related to front-end applications.
• Author and critically review post-mortem reports and RCAs for significant, high-impact front-end incidents, ensuring technical rigor and driving continuous improvement.
• Participate in a leadership-level 24/7 on-call rotation for critical incidents, directing resolution efforts and personally engaging with the most challenging technical issues impacting customer-facing applications.
• Demonstrate a hands-on approach, actively working on complex technical issues rather than solely delegating.
• Adopt various tools to automate failures using machine learning techniques and notify discrepancies in the health of production and automation of health-restoration, with a focus on continuous measurement of risk and cost.
• Improve application stability and performance by observing patterns, recurring failures and/or issues, and advise application owners on permanent fixes accordingly.

Mandatory Qualifications

• Expert-level troubleshooting skills across various front-end technologies (e.g., JavaScript frameworks, HTML, CSS, browser developer tools, network inspection, API interaction).
• Proven experience with application monitoring tools (e.g., Splunk, Dynatrace, New Relic, Grafana) with a focus on user experience and front-end performance metrics.
• Deep functional understanding of business processes related to customer onboarding, account management, order capture, and service management within a BSS context.
• 8-10 years of progressive experience in a senior technical role (e.g., Senior Software Engineer, Technical Lead, L3 Support Engineer), specifically within the telecommunications sector with a strong focus on front-end BSS systems (e.g., eCare, POS, CRM).
• 5+ years of hands-on Java development experience building enterprise-grade applications, particularly within microservices or distributed systems architectures.
• 5+ years of extensive practical experience with Telecom BSS platforms and processes, with a strong focus on Order Management (solution design, integration, operational support).
• Experience with Couchbase & SQL databases , including designing/implementing NoSQL data models, optimizing N1QL queries and cluster performance, troubleshooting production issues, and leveraging various Couchbase services.
• Demonstrable experience with DevOps practices and tooling (e.g., Ansible, Jenkins for CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes), including automation of deployment, monitoring, and operational tasks.
• Prior experience in a leadership or mentorship capacity, guiding junior engineers or technical teams in complex problem-solving and best practices.
• Documented experience in conducting and leading Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for complex production incidents, identifying systemic issues, and driving preventative measures.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Operations, Network) to deliver robust solutions and resolve critical issues.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field.
• Proven experience with ITSM methodologies and ticketing tools such as ServiceNow or Jira.

Professional Competencies

• Problem-Solving: Exceptional analytical and troubleshooting capabilities to resolve complex, time-sensitive issues efficiently.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to articulate technical concepts clearly to diverse audiences.
• Adaptability: Ability to quickly learn and adjust to new technologies, processes, and a dynamic work environment.
• Customer Focus: A strong commitment to customer satisfaction and a sense of ownership over production incidents.

Desired Qualifications

• Proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Strong organizational skills & working experience with Japanese customers.
• Knowledge of industry standards and compliance requirements.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

Other Information
Additional information on Location
Rakuten Crimson House (Head office)

engineer #developmentsupport #technologyplatformdiv

Languages
English (Overall - 4 - Fluent), Japanese (Overall - 2 - Intermediate)