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Rakuten · 4 months ago

Director, Marketing Strategy & Operations

San Mateo, California

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$113K/yr - $211K/yr

8+ years exp

Rakuten International is a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a global technology leader, and they are seeking a Director of Marketing Strategy & Operations. This role serves as the strategic and operational hub of the Rakuten Rewards Marketing organization, ensuring alignment between marketing priorities and business outcomes while leading cross-functional initiatives and performance analytics.

E-CommerceElectronicsFinTechInternetPayments

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end marketing planning process (annual, quarterly, and in-quarter), including setting priorities, sequencing initiatives, and driving alignment across Brand, Growth, Product Marketing, Loyalty, Partnerships, and Retention

Translate business objectives into clear, actionable marketing strategies, with defined success metrics and resource implications

Pressure-test assumptions, surface trade-offs, and recommend where to invest, where to pull back, and why

Establish clear operating rhythms that connect strategy to execution (planning cycles, reviews, decision forums)

Define and own the marketing performance framework, including KPIs, dashboards, and leading indicators tied to growth, efficiency, and LTV

Partner with Analytics to move beyond reporting into insight generation—diagnosing performance, identifying root causes, and recommending action

Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and underperformance, and drive cross-functional resolution

Lead quarterly business reviews, executive readouts, and post-mortems with a focus on learning and course correction

Own the marketing investment framework, partnering with Finance to forecast spend, model scenarios, and ensure disciplined resource allocation

Evaluate ROI across channels, programs, and initiatives—making clear recommendations on optimization and reallocation

Develop forward-looking views on efficiency, scalability, and return, not just historical performance

Help leadership balance growth ambitions with financial discipline

Act as a trusted strategic partner to Marketing leadership, Product, Finance, Sales, and Analytics

Lead complex, ambiguous initiatives that cut across teams (e.g., GTM prioritization, operating model changes, tooling and process evolution)

Create clarity where there is ambiguity; bring structure to fast-moving problems

Synthesize complex analyses into clear, concise executive narratives

Lead with the 'so what' before diving into detail

Develop frameworks and point-of-view documents that guide decision-making at the CMO and executive level

Support the CMO in preparing executive and board-level discussions as needed

Qualification

Marketing StrategyPerformance AnalyticsCross-Functional LeadershipFinancial RigorExecutive CommunicationData AnalysisTeam AccountabilityStrategic PartnershipAmbiguity NavigationExcelPowerPointBI ToolsProblem Solving

Required

8–12+ years of experience in strategy, marketing operations, business planning, growth strategy, or management consulting, ideally in a consumer-facing digital business

Demonstrated ability to operate as a strategic thought partner to senior leaders

Strong analytical skills with a track record of turning data into decisions

Comfort navigating ambiguity, driving prioritization, and holding teams accountable

Advanced Excel and PowerPoint required

Exceptional written and verbal communicator with executive presence

Bachelor's Degree Required