About this Revenue Manager, Budget Planning and Cost Control Section -Cost Management Strategy Department (RS Business Strategy & Portfolio Div) role at Rakuten
Job Description:
About Organization
Rakuten Symphony is at the forefront of revolutionizing the telecommunications industry, building the future of mobile networks with our innovative, cloud-native, and Open RAN solutions. Our mission is to empower operators globally to deliver cutting-edge services efficiently and at scale.
The Cost Management Strategy Department within the Symphony Business Strategy & Portfolio Division is pivotal in driving financial excellence and cost competitiveness across our diverse portfolio of cloud, OSS, RAN, and internet service offerings. We are responsible for Revenue Forecasting & Modelling, Sales Performance & Revenue Analysis, Pricing, Profitability & Contract Advisory, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Data Analysis, Reporting & BI Tools, and Order-to-Revenue Lifecycle Management. The team partners closely with engineering, procurement, delivery, and Business Units to deliver financial insights that power strategic decision-making and operational efficiency.
Job Duties
We are seeking an experienced revenue leader to own the financial strategy, analytics, and commercialization of our new initiatives and growth areas. This role is central to architecting and maintaining driver-based revenue models and portfolio dashboards, forecasting and tracking projected revenue generation, and analyzing conversion from pipeline and pilots into commercial solutions. You will be instrumental in assessing overall revenue contribution, ROI, and unit economics, identifying key revenue drivers and bottlenecks, aligning delivery milestones with revenue recognition requirements, and producing executive-ready insights and recommendations.
Key Roles & Responsibilities:
Revenue Forecasting & Strategic Modeling:
Lead the development and governance of robust short-term and long-term revenue forecasting frameworks.
Drive extensive scenario planning and sensitivity analysis for best-case, worst-case, and most-likely outcomes, incorporating macroeconomic, industry, and customer-specific factors.
Review forecast variances and provide executive-level insights with clear articulation of underlying business drivers (e.g., regulatory changes, customer delays, market disruptions).
Ensure cross-functional collaboration with sales, marketing, and delivery leadership to validate assumptions and align forecasts with business priorities.
Order-to-Revenue Lifecycle Governance:
Oversee and track the conversion of order intake into revenue recognition, ensuring compliance with accounting standards and company policies.
Partner with PMO and delivery teams to align project milestones with revenue recognition criteria, addressing complexities in multi-year projects, managed services, and recurring revenue models.
Establish governance frameworks to monitor revenue leakage, delays, and risks across large and strategic contracts.
Strategic Commercial & Financial Advisory:
Partner with Sales Teams, Business Controllers, and CXO stakeholders to define revenue and margin targets during budgeting and planning cycles.
Provide executive-level financial validation of high-value commercial proposals, translating complex deal structures (discounts, financing, subsidies, deferrals) into accurate revenue impact.
Lead deep-dive analyses into revenue drivers, profitability trends, and growth opportunities, presenting strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
Develop and present comprehensive dashboards, KPIs, and board-level reports highlighting revenue performance and actionable insights.
Market Intelligence & Competitive Strategy:
Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments to anticipate potential impacts on revenue streams.
Benchmark against competitors’ pricing strategies, product positioning, and market share to inform revenue strategies and long-term planning.
Partner with Strategy and Product Management teams to ensure competitive alignment and revenue maximization.
Process Excellence & Data Governance:
Lead process improvement initiatives to enhance accuracy, speed, and efficiency of revenue forecasting and planning.
Champion the adoption of business intelligence tools, automation, and advanced analytics to strengthen reporting capabilities.
Ensure strong data governance, integrity, and consistency across all revenue-related systems (ERP, BI tools, data warehouses).
Minimum Qualifications
Experience: 15–20 years of progressive experience in financial planning, revenue management, and commercial finance, preferably within the telecommunications, IT services, or technology industries.
Education: BE/MBA in Finance or an equivalent advanced degree.
Leadership & Strategic Impact: Demonstrated success in leading revenue planning functions, influencing C-level stakeholders, and driving strategic business decisions.
Core Expertise:
Revenue Forecasting & Strategic Modeling.
Order-to-Revenue Lifecycle Governance.
Ability to partner with Sales/CXO to define revenue/margin targets.
Market Intelligence & Competitive Strategy.
Technical Proficiency: Proven expertise in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, etc.), advanced Excel/financial modeling, and business intelligence tools.
Soft Skills: Strong stakeholder management and communication skills with the ability to influence decisions at the executive level. Exceptional analytical rigor, problem-solving ability, and attention to detail, with a proactive and strategic mindset.
Preferred Qualifications
Professional certifications such as CPA, CMA.
Languages:
English (Overall - 4 - Fluent)