Description

Job Description
This position is primarily responsible for delivering projects related to IT system infrastructure transformation, based on the business and technology strategies of our Direct Business Division and Claims Service Division. The role covers the entire project lifecycle - from initiation, execution, and release, through to operational stabilization - while managing stakeholder expectations and leading teams composed of internal members (business and IT) and partner vendors.

Main Responsibilities

1. Project Initiation - Consolidating sponsor and user expectations, creating a project charter, and officially starting the project.
2. Project Execution - Developing and implementing a project execution plan.
3. Project Closure - Summarizing lessons learned, conducting evaluations, and formally closing the project.
4. Resource Management - Overseeing resources (including vendors) and team building.
5. Communication Management - Ensuring smooth communication and maintaining a productive work environment.
6. Solution Evaluation - Proposing, evaluating, and selecting appropriate solutions.
7. Cost & Procurement Management - Monitoring budgets, forecasts, and managing procurement.
8. Risk & Issue Management - Identifying, analyzing, and resolving risks and issues.
9. Problem-Solving - Conducting root-cause analysis and implementing solutions.

In addition to the above, there will be opportunities to engage with cutting-edge technologies such as Agile Development, DevOps, Cloud, and AI, as the company actively promotes their adoption. We also welcome candidates who take initiative in proposing and implementing improvements to enhance workplace culture and employee well-being.

Program / Project Management Support

• Assisting with program and portfolio management, including prioritization.
• Preparing project-related governance reports.
• Supporting project execution, monitoring risks/issues, reporting, and cost tracking.
• Transitioning deliverables (applications, operational changes) to IT operations.

Vendor Management

• Supporting all aspects of development from environment setup to production release.
• Managing vendor deliverables and progress.
• Reviewing design, test results, and other outputs as Project Manager.

Post-Release Operations

• Handling system failures and inquiries.
• Investigating impact scope and developing recovery plans.
• Supporting root-cause analysis and solution design.
• Responding to user QA after release.

Required Experience & Skills

• Bachelor's degree or higher.
• Fluent in Japanese and English (Advanced level also considered).
• Excellent communication skills with end users.
• Strong analytical ability using various data (e.g., KPIs in system development or operations).
• Experience in schedule planning/management and vendor/offshore management (5+ years, from development to production release).
• Team-building ability and flexible communication style.
• Solid understanding of SDLC processes.
• Ability to prioritize effectively.

Technical Skills

• 5+ years' experience in project management (mid- to large-scale projects lasting 6 months-2 years).
• 3+ years' practical experience in Agile development.
• 6-8 years' hands-on SDLC experience including:
  
  
  • Requirements definition (business/system) creation or review (1+ years).
  • Solution architecture design based on requirements (1+ years).
  • Basic/detailed design (2+ years).
  • System development and testing (1-2 years).
  • Test scenario/test case design and review (1-2 years).
• 3+ years' experience in one or more of:
  
  
  • Web application development.
  • Development using relational databases.
  • Cloud service implementation/development.
  • Test automation implementation.
  • Maintenance/operations including incident handling.

Preferred Experience & Skills

• 3+ years' experience in financial systems development/maintenance (insurance systems experience a plus).
• Implementation/management of open-contract systems such as Guidewire.
• Development/management of CRM platforms such as MS Dynamics or Salesforce.
• Deep knowledge of application servers, DB servers, and related technologies.
• Hands-on or management experience with AWS/Azure (serverless architectures preferred).
• Development/management experience with Salesforce, Azure, or other cloud platforms.
• Experience building test automation frameworks and execution environments.
• Knowledge/experience with test automation tools (e.g., Selenium, UFT).
• Team leadership experience in test automation.
• Experience using AI for automation in project management or system development.