Job Description:

Rakuten International is a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a Japanese global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Headquartered in San Mateo, California with more than 4,000 employees worldwide, the Rakuten International business portfolio includes market leaders in e-commerce, digital marketing, advertising, communications and entertainment. We create products and services that provide exceptional value by aligning members and the businesses that want to engage them in a shared community.
 

Rakuten is the most rewarding way to shop, giving millions of members Cash Back when they buy from their favorite brands. As a leading shopping platform, Rakuten partners with thousands of top brands across apparel, beauty and wellness, grocery, travel, on-demand services, subscriptions, and dining, helping members save on everyday purchases. Since 1999, Rakuten members have earned more than $4.6 billion in Cash Back, making it the largest Cash Back platform of its kind. Learn more at Rakuten.com.

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director, FP&A to lead our financial planning and analysis functions.  Reporting to the CFO of Rakuten Rewards, this critical leadership role will partner closely with executive leadership, marketing, sales, and other departmental heads to drive financial performance and optimize resource allocation

The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of financial modeling, forecasting, and business analytics. You will be a hands-on leader, capable of building and developing high-performing teams, while also providing strategic guidance and actionable insights to support the company's objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of the company's financial planning processes, including annual budgeting, long-range strategic planning, and monthly forecasting.
• Serve as a trusted financial advisor to executive leadership and department heads, providing critical financial insights, variance analysis, and recommendations to drive performance and achieve strategic goals.
• Develop and maintain sophisticated financial models (e.g., P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, unit economics, ROI, LTV) to support strategic initiatives, investment decisions, and scenario planning.
• Oversee the preparation and presentation of comprehensive financial reports, dashboards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to the executive team highlighting trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization, revenue enhancement, and process improvements across the organization.
• Review and evaluate contracts, proposals, and agreements to assess financial implications, ensure alignment with budgetary constraints, and verify compliance with organizational financial policies. Collaborate with legal, procurement, and department heads to provide financial analysis and recommendations prior to contract approval and execution.
• Drive the continuous improvement of FP&A systems, tools, and processes to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability including AI.
• Partner with the Strategic Business Operations team for special projects requested from international parent company
• Create a collaborative, engaging, and results-oriented team environment that encourages continuous learning and professional growth.
• Drive effective collaboration and communication between the FP&A team and other departments.
• Manage the company’s sales compensation process, including plan design, modeling, administration, and performance tracking.  Partner with Sales Leadership to analyze incentive effectiveness and recommend adjustments to drive performance and profitability

Qualifications:

• Strategic Thinker: Proven ability to think strategically, translate business objectives into financial plans, and provide actionable insights.
• Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of GAAP, financial modeling techniques, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Analytical Prowess: Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex data into clear, concise, and actionable recommendations.
• Leadership & Communication: Strong leadership skills with a proven ability to build, motivate, and manage high-performing teams. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial information to diverse audiences.
• Systems Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., Oracle), and Microsoft Excel.  Experience with business intelligence and analytics platform (e.g., Tableau)
• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and evolving environment with roll up your sleeves attitude

Minimum Requirements:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field. MBA or CPA preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.

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Five Principles for Success
Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.

Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate – Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team

Rakuten provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. Rakuten considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, provincial or local laws.

As part of our Rakuten interview process, we encourage applicants to use their own words, rather than AI-generated content. Tell us your story in a way that's personal and authentic.

At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the base compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation will vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role will be eligible for discretionary bonus, health, vision, dental insurance, 401k matching, PTO, Volunteer Time Off (VTO), and other employee benefits as the company implements.