Job Description:
Situated in the heart of Singapore's Central Business District, Rakuten Asia Pte. Ltd. is Rakuten's Asia Regional headquarters. Established in August 2012 as part of Rakuten's global expansion strategy, Rakuten Asia comprises various businesses that provide essential value-added services to Rakuten's global ecosystem. Through advertisement product development, product strategy, and data management, among others, Rakuten Asia is strengthening Rakuten Group's core competencies to take the lead in an increasingly digitalized world.
Rakuten Group, Inc. is a global leader in internet services that empower individuals, communities, businesses, and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content, and communications to approximately 1.7 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has nearly 32,000 employees and operates in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/.
As Business Development Lead, you will own revenue growth and strategic partnerships for Rakuten Asia's software and marketing ecosystem services — serving both Rakuten internal business units and external clients across the region. You will act as the primary bridge between Singapore and global stakeholders, including Japan HQ, and lead the full deal lifecycle from origination to close. This position is an Individual Contributor role, with the opportunity to take on a team lead function as the business scales.
Own and grow revenue from Rakuten internal business units and external clients across the region.
Develop and execute go-to-market strategies for software and ecosystem products, managing the full pipeline from lead generation to close.
Acquire and onboard new clients; drive cross-selling and upselling by collaborating with relevant product and commercial stakeholders.
Propose and negotiate pricing with clients, supporting budget alignment with internal stakeholders.
Lead end-to-end partnership development: identification, structuring, negotiation, and closing of alliance and commercial deals.
Serve as project lead for new product/service launches, alliance initiatives, and M&A-related business development activities.
Influence product roadmap and development priorities by synthesizing and feeding back client insights to internal product teams.
Act as the primary bridge between the Singapore office and Japan HQ / global entities across various projects and business priorities.
Manage communication and reporting to clients, management, and business partners on a monthly and quarterly basis.
Build and sustain strong relationships with senior business decision-makers and key internal and external stakeholders.
5+ years of experience in business development, sales, or commercial roles — experience in software/SaaS or digital advertising is a plus, though not required.
Demonstrated track record of building or scaling a product or business from an early stage, including experience across launch, growth, and maturity phases.
Proven ability to initiate, structure, and close complex deals involving multiple stakeholders.
Strong business acumen with quantitative and analytical skills; data-driven approach to revenue growth and client management.
Exceptional communication skills across cultures and organizational levels — written, verbal, and presentation.
Self-starter with a result-oriented, 'Get Things Done' mindset aligned with Rakuten Shugi (rakuten.com/corp).
Experience working across SEA markets preferred; Japanese language ability a plus.
Rakuten is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications regardless of sex, marital status, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious belief or age.