Marketing & Growth Strategy Specialist - Marketing Communication Section, Golf Business(C&M)

Job Description:

Business Overview

The Golf Business, part of the Commerce & Marketing Company at Rakuten Group, operates "Rakuten GORA," one of the largest golf course reservation platforms in Japan. We are committed to pioneering the future of the golf industry through a diverse range of services.

Guided by our mission to "make everyone who enjoys or supports golf happy" and to "pave the way for the future of golf through innovation," we are actively diversifying our business across both B2C and B2B sectors, moving beyond traditional reservation services. Our team, comprised of members with diverse backgrounds, works together to drive business growth and revitalize the golf industry as a whole.

Department Overview

Rakuten GORA serves as a premier platform supporting the golfer's lifestyle, standing as one of Japan’s largest golf course reservation sites. Our approach to marketing goes far beyond simple ad operations. The core appeal of this role lies in the ability to lead marketing strategies at the heart of the business-leveraging Rakuten Group’s vast big data (Rakuten IDs) to drive data-driven strategies that influence golfer behavior and create entirely new golf experiences.

Position:

Why We Hire

Rakuten GORA is currently in a phase of significant business expansion. With the diversification of golf demand, our key priorities are enhancing engagement among existing users, acquiring new customer segments, and maximizing Customer Lifetime Value (LTV). We are seeking a high-impact, "ready-to-go" professional who can leverage their marketing expertise to drive initiatives with speed and agility.

We are looking for a core team member who can fully utilize Rakuten Group’s extensive assets to lead the next stage of our service growth.

Challenge on a Massive Scale: Gain access to behavioral data from millions of golfers, allowing you to design and execute large-scale, high-impact marketing initiatives.

Strategic Scope Beyond Silos: Move beyond specific channels. You will build and execute strategies with a "holistic optimization" mindset, integrating Web marketing and CRM to drive KPIs across the entire service.

Leverage the Rakuten Ecosystem: Create unique marketing initiatives that are impossible elsewhere by tapping into the powerful synergies of the Rakuten Group’s vast ecosystem.

Rapid Decision-Making & Impact: Thrive in an environment where results are instantly measurable. Experience the direct impact of your hypotheses and actions as they translate into tangible business growth.

Position Details

You will be responsible for formulating and driving marketing strategies to enhance the user experience on Rakuten GORA and maximize key metrics such as reservation volume and total user base. We do not expect expertise in every single area listed below; rather, we are looking for a candidate who understands the strategic value of these channels and can effectively integrate them into cohesive, execution-oriented strategies.

• Web Marketing Strategy Formulation & Execution:

Optimize advertising operations (Search, SNS, Display, etc.) and manage marketing budgets.

• CRM & Retention Marketing:

Develop and execute precision-targeted campaigns (e.g., email, app push notifications) leveraging Rakuten IDs.

Design initiatives to boost user loyalty and re-engage inactive users.

• Strategic Project Management:

Go beyond specialized domains to identify core business challenges and lead cross-functional initiatives by collaborating with stakeholders in Product Development, Sales, and Corporate Planning.

Work Environment

• Total Headcount: 10 members (Senior Manager: 2 members Manager: 2 members)
• Age Range: Primarily in their 30s.
• Background: 20% New Graduates / 80% Mid-career hires.

We welcome talent from a wide range of industries. Our current team members come from diverse professional backgrounds, including automotive manufacturing and the education sector, proving that industry-specific experience is not a barrier to success here.

Case Study: A male employee in his early 30s joined us from the automotive industry in a Sales role. Within three years, he was promoted to Sales Leader, and he is currently serving as a Team Leader in the Marketing Department, demonstrating a clear path for professional growth and internal mobility.

Mandatory

Qualifications:

• Practical Experience in Digital Marketing (3+ years):
• Proven experience in managing the end-to-end process-from strategy formulation to execution-in at least one of the following areas: Web advertising (Search, Display, SNS, etc.), SEO, Affiliate marketing, or CRM (email marketing, app push notifications, etc.).
• Data-Driven Decision-Making:
• Ability to conduct current-state analysis, identify issues, and validate hypotheses based on quantitative data using tools such as Google Analytics, other analytical platforms, or internal databases.
• Strong ability to drive projects toward achieving business KPIs.
• Business-Level Logical Thinking:
• Ability to structure complex issues, prioritize tasks effectively, and derive actionable solutions even in ambiguous or uncertain business environments.
• Other Information:
• Additional information on Location
• Rakuten Crimson House
• 1-14-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
• Additional information on English Qualification
• TOEIC Score exceeding 800 (or similar level of English ability) or a University Degree earned in an English-speaking country.
• Proof of qualifications will be required by the time of the job offer.
• If no evidence is available to prove the qualifications denoted above, taking an IP test, organized by Rakuten, during selection process is required.
• Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Homepage Link
• Benefits: https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/benefit/
• Recruitment Information: https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/information/ * Employment type is detailed
• Rakuten Culture: https://corp.rakuten.co.jp/careers/culture/
• #business #DigitalMarketing #CRM #commerce  #RakutenGORA