Data & AI Strategist (Strategy & Operations, CDAO Office - Tokyo)

【Only applicants residing in Japan are eligible to apply.】

Overview

Money Forward is at a turning point as we aim for discontinuous growth beyond our current scale in the SaaS market, where we generate tens of billions of yen in revenue. At the center of this transformation is the “CDAO Office, Data & AI Strategy Department,” an organization reporting directly to the CDAO (Chief Data & AI Officer).

Our department designs company-wide strategies for leveraging data and AI and drives cross-functional projects across multiple business divisions.
Our mission is not simply to build AI models, but to build “organizational operations that can win with data and AI” and see strategy through to execution. From strategic planning that supports the CDAO’s decision-making to budget/resource management and leading complex, cross-team initiatives, stronger execution in organizational operations is increasingly required.

We are therefore looking for a professional who combines strong technology literacy with high business skills to act as the “chief of staff” for our Data & AI organization and support business growth.

Responsibilities and Duties

As a strategy staff member reporting directly to the CDAO, you will take ownership of corporate planning and organizational operations across the data/AI domain.

• Immediate mission: Build, operate, and standardize organizational management.
  • Enhance budget and P/L management across multiple organizations under the CDAO (e.g., DAPD, AIPD, AXFD).
  • Develop hiring strategy and manage headcount (optimize resources in collaboration with HRBP).
  • Shift from person-dependent operations to systematized processes that enable the organization to scale.
  • We have company-wide AI tools in place, so we also welcome proposals that leverage AI to dramatically improve your own work processes.
• Execute planning work as the “corporate planning” function for the data organization.
  • Support the formulation of company-wide data and AI strategy under the CDAO.
  • Create strategic materials for management offsites (1–2 times per year).
  • Conduct market research and data analysis to inform new business planning.
• Support technical strategy planning and research.
  • Support the creation of mid-to-long-term technical strategy roadmaps.
  • Research and analyze the latest AI trends and competitors’ data utilization.

Why This Role

• Front-row seat reporting directly to the CDAO: you can closely experience how company-wide data/AI strategy is formulated and executed, and deeply engage in that process yourself.
• A rare experience as “corporate planning for a data organization”: this is neither a pure analytics role nor planning for a single business unit. You’ll work across multiple businesses and create company-wide impact.

Required Skills and Experience

• 3+ years of experience in PMO / corporate planning / business planning at an IT consulting firm or an operating company.
• Hands-on experience in stakeholder management, P/L and budget management, and project management.
• Strong documentation skills to structure complex topics and communicate them in an understandable way.
• Strong interest in technology (respect for the latest AI technologies and engineering organizations).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience driving planning initiatives (e.g., corporate planning, business planning) in a fast-paced business environment (e.g., startups).
• Experience working on projects with engineers and/or data scientists.
• Experience with data extraction using SQL/BI tools, and/or building systems for KPI and numeric management.
• Experience in AI development and/or experience in using AI tools to improve development processes.
  • Money Forward recently announced our AI Strategy roadmap which focuses on improving AI-driven operational efficiencies, as well as integrating AI agents into our products to deliver better value to our users. (More information here)

Language Requirements

• Business level Japanese (equivalent to JLPT N2 or above)
  • Capable of smoothly handling complex coordination with diverse internal stakeholders in Japanese.
• Basic business level English (equivalent to TOEIC 700 or above)
  • There are opportunities to collaborate with global members in India, Vietnam, etc. Even if you are not fluent today, we welcome those who can read/write documents and are motivated to communicate in English in the future

If you do not have a qualification equivalent to TOEIC 700 or above, you will be required to take a company-designated test during the selection process.

• If you have other qualifications or experiences that demonstrate your English proficiency, please let us know.
• Examples include Eiken Pre-1st Grade, Eiken 2nd Grade (Eiken CSE Score 1950 or above), TOEFL iBT 60 or above, IELTS 5.0 or above, Cambridge English FCE, etc.

※Please note that the interviews in the selection process will be conducted in Japanese.

Who We’re Looking For

• Passion for systematization: willing to do hands-on operational work and enjoy transforming it into scalable processes anyone can run.
• Strong ownership: not waiting for instructions, but proactively identifying organizational issues and acting to solve them.
• Comfort with chaos: able to thrive in a high-uncertainty, fast-changing environment and enjoy shaping your role.

Work Environment

At Money Forward, we provide an environment where we can create world-class services together, and we are looking forward to welcoming you.

• Provided PC Specs: We provide PCs equipped with the latest CPUs (MacOS or Windows). Custom-made PCs tailored to business requirements and replacements with the latest OS are also possible.
• Systems to Enhance the Development Environment: Peripheral devices necessary for work (such as displays, mice, keyboards) can be purchased as office supplies. Generally, you can choose from standard products (catalog), and if conditions are met, you can apply for non-standard products as well.
• Money Forward Library: We have a library system where you can freely borrow books, ranging from technical books to management books. Desired books can be purchased at the company's expense.
• Referral Driven: We cover the cost of recruitment meals. There is a referral reward system.
• Conference Participation Support: The company partially covers participation in domestic and international conferences, such as RubyKaigi and Google I/O.