MD Buyer / Brand Consulting - FMCG Sales Department (C&M)

Job Description:

Business Overview

Our Consumer Goods & General Home Electronics Direct Business operates a first-party retail business on Rakuten Ichiba, where we procure and stock products to sell directly to customers.

Beyond managing retail operations—such as product selection, pricing, inventory, and logistics—we also provide advertising and marketing support by leveraging Rakuten Ichiba’s purchasing data and customer touchpoints.

A key feature of this business is our ability to combine various Rakuten Group media and services to drive brand and business growth through an integrated approach that covers the entire customer journey—from brand awareness, understanding, and interest to actual purchase and repeat business.

It is a vital business for the growth of the entire Rakuten Group.

Department Overview

As part of the Rakuten Group’s first-party business, the FMCG Sales Department operates multiple shops on Rakuten Ichiba—including "Rakuten 24"—that handle FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) products such as baby supplies, pet products, and beverages.

This first-party business generates some of the highest sales volumes on Rakuten Ichiba and serves as a crucial touchpoint with a vast number of users through high-frequency purchase categories.

The department is structured around four category-specific sales sections (Grocery, Pet, Cosme & Pharmacy, and FMCG) and a Business Development Section responsible for media and solution development.

In each sales section, Merchandisers (MDs) and Brand Consultants work toward shared business goals, driving the business forward by combining their respective areas of expertise.

Position:

Why We Hire

While benchmarking against e-commerce retailers like Amazon, our key objective is to further grow this first-party business—which boasts one of the largest sales volumes on Rakuten Ichiba—while simultaneously enhancing profitability and evolving into a model for sustainable growth.

We are recruiting to strengthen our organizational structure in line with business expansion and the broadening of our partnerships with manufacturing vendors.

• Immense autonomy and a tangible sense of achievement in a large-scale business:

You can directly translate your strategic decisions into business results and generate significant impact within a business boasting one of the largest sales volumes on Rakuten Ichiba.

• Co-creating business through collaboration with top manufacturers:

You can share medium-to-long-term growth goals (JBPs) with leading domestic and international FMCG manufacturers and take on the challenge of building new growth models by leveraging Rakuten’s data and ecosystem assets.

• Diverse career paths to deepen and broaden expertise:

While honing expertise in either Merchandising (MD) or Brand Consulting, you can collaborate across functions to gain insights into adjacent areas, enabling flexible career development that may include future role changes.

Position Details

We are recruiting for the following two roles within the FMCG Sales Department.

Please specify your preferred position (MD/Buyer or Brand Consultant) when applying.

*Please note that during the selection process, we may propose or offer a position different from your preference based on your experience, career aspirations, and aptitude.

*Role changes may occur as part of your career development after joining the company.

① Merchandising (MD) Buyer

• Product Selection and Sales Strategy Execution:

Handle everything from product selection to procurement, pricing, and promotional planning; formulate and execute sales strategies based on customer needs and the competitive landscape.

• Inventory Management and Supply Chain Optimization:

Forecast demand trends and manage ordering and inventory with autonomy; collaborate with the logistics department to ensure stable supply and supply chain efficiency.

• Maximizing Business Profitability through P&L Management:

Manage and improve the P&L for assigned product categories; aim to maximize sales and profits through strategic decision-making.

② Brand Consulting

• Strategic Planning and Execution for Brand Growth:

Analyze manufacturer challenges and formulate/execute strategies and initiatives to drive brand and product growth on Rakuten Ichiba.

• Advertising Planning and PDCA Cycles Driven by Data:

Plan and manage advertising campaigns utilizing Rakuten’s purchasing and behavioral data as well as various media channels; execute the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) from performance verification to improvement.

• Maximizing Business Profitability through P&L Management:

Manage and improve the P&L for assigned manufacturers and brands; aim to maximize overall business profit by supporting sales expansion.

• Expanding Marketing Scope:

Leverage assets within the "Rakuten Ecosystem" to comprehensively address manufacturers' marketing challenges.

• Category Strategy and Business Planning:

Analyze market, customer, competitor, and purchasing data to formulate category and brand strategies covering both short-term and medium-to-long-term horizons.

Develop business plans and action plans based on various KPIs, including Gross Merchandise Sales (GMS), profitability, investment acquisition, and logistics.

Formulate short- and long-term strategies and tactics to improve sales and profits; execute and verify these with business partners while driving the PDCA cycle.

• Building Partnerships with Manufacturers and Acquiring New Manufacturers:

Establish Joint Business Plans (JBP) with business partners, including major national manufacturers... Formulate a plan and drive a comprehensive project that engages not only the sales and e-commerce divisions but also senior management and the marketing department.

Go beyond short-term transactions to jointly formulate and execute strategies and action plans aimed at expanding sales and profits over the medium to long term.

Develop new manufacturer relationships—handling everything from initial contact at trade shows to negotiations for product adoption, terms of trade, and account setup.

• Development of new business models

Leverage existing business relationships to collaborate with manufacturers on product development and the creation of new marketing methods, thereby driving sustainable business growth. Work Environment

Work Environment

• FMCG Sales Department: Approx. 100 employees (MD/Buyers: ~30; Brand Consultants: ~30)
• Age Range: Late 20s to early 30s
• Team members bring diverse industry experience—including manufacturing, retail, wholesale, advertising agencies, and e-commerce—leveraging their unique insights to succeed.
• Staff have experience in various roles such as MD/Buyer, Sales, E-commerce Management, and Marketing.

Mandatory

Qualifications:

• At least 2 years of professional work experience.
• Practical experience in roles such as MD, Sales, Sales Planning, Business Planning, or Marketing within sectors like retail, manufacturing, e-commerce, advertising, or consulting.
• Skills in negotiation and communication with internal and external stakeholders, as well as project management/execution capabilities.
• Experience identifying issues based on data and metrics, devising solutions, and implementing improvements.
• Ability to define issues independently and drive initiatives to completion while engaging relevant stakeholders.
• Desired

Qualifications:

• Experience in retail or e-commerce regarding MD, buying, category management, P&L management, etc.
• Experience in sales or sales planning within manufacturing or wholesale sectors.
• Experience in manufacturing roles such as sales, e-commerce, brand marketing, shopper marketing, or sales planning.
• Experience in advertising agencies, media, digital marketing, or marketing consulting.
• Experience planning strategies and initiatives based on data analysis.
• Skills in analysis and document creation using tools like Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• A balance of logical and creative thinking.
• Ability to think and act with a perspective that considers both the customer and the business as a whole.
• Ability to embrace change and act quickly.
• Others Information:
• Additional information on Location
• Rakuten Crimson House
• 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
• If no evidence is available to prove the qualifications denoted above, taking an IP test, organized by Rakuten, during selection process is required.
• #business #consultingsales #commerce #Rakuten24