Engineering Manager (AI)

Tokyo
Remote OK - Anywhere in Japan
Full-time
May 29, 2024

Are you looking

To make meaningful changes at the fastest-growing tech company in Japan?
For a fair, highly flexible, inclusive working environment where anyone, regardless of their background, can make an impact?
To build the next bold idea in customer acquisition and revenue growth through conversational commerce technology
For a place where things are not just fast - but they happen now?

We Are Zeals - “Designing conversations. Driving conversions.”

Zeals is not another chatbot. Our automated chat solution and conversational technology change how consumers purchase or act online. Zeals converts customers who appear "unengaged" to become "valuable" through designed chat on Messaging Apps. Using AI-powered, human-designed conversation flows across chat platforms, Zeals enables brands to build personalized, automated conversations with their consumers and develop a deeper understanding of their preferences while creating a delightful, seamless shopping experience. Our last 3 years have been phenomenal. We have captured the heart of many businesses in Japan, with over 480 enterprises relying on our chat commerce offering to boost their mobile business.

The goal is simple: to “revolutionize hospitality on the Internet” by unlocking digital customer service experiences that were limited to physical stores previously.

Just Getting Started…

With more than 480 enterprise companies worldwide already utilizing our product, we are perfectly poised to seize market share and fuel exponential growth in the US market, with an eye on global expansion. Investors have taken note of our potential, leading us to recently secure nearly $40 million in funding, backed by Salesforce Ventures.

Your Typical Day With Us

As an Engineering Manager (LangAI) with us, your core objective is to spearhead the advancement of innovative language AI technologies while nurturing dynamic teams to reach ambitious goals. We are seeking an experienced engineering leader to manage a team of 6 engineers working on AI-powered chatbots. You will lead ML engineers, MLOps engineers, and backend developers to build and launch industry-leading conversational AI. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

Recruit, mentor, and grow a high-performing engineering team
Drive engineering priorities, budgets, roadmaps, and goals
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration between engineering, product, and design
Continuously improve team productivity, code quality and velocity

What You’ll Need

5+ years managing data scientists or ML engineers
Deep understanding of conversational AI and NLP
Successful track record shipping machine learning products
Excellent communication, leadership, and coaching abilities

What Makes You Stand Out

Japanese language proficiency at a business or native level
Understanding of cultural differences
Knowledge and experience in chatbots, AI, marketing, and SaaS products

Don’t just take our word for it

Zeals has received the LinkedIn Top Startups award twice in a row. We believe this is a testament to our growth and our ability to attract great talents–who could potentially be your colleague!

Ready to roll up our sleeves

We obsess over bringing hospitality to everyone–be it our customers or you! You’re an individual with unique needs. So, While we can’t attract you with ping-pong tables or all-you-can-drink espresso bars, we promise you a once-in-a-lifetime experience and co-workers that you can brag about to your friends, family, or anyone you meet the next time you go out for a party! . As an employer we are ready to roll-up our sleeves and change the status quo if it means to make your experience better!

Salary Range : competitive (performance review every 6 months)
Performance review: twice a year
Holidays: 10 days paid holidays during the first year, weekends off, national holidays, summer and winter break.
Visa support: We sponsor visas for the right candidates. You can expect full visa support from our professional HR team.
Education support: Udemy, Frontend Masters
Flexible working: Highly flexible, remote-first international organization

For Japanese residence: Work from anywhere, interim work from overseas, full flex time

Housing allowance (within 1.5KM away from office)

Club activity allowance

Shuffle Lunch allowance (Cross department lunch)
Zeals Bar (bi-monthly free flow beer party)

APPLY NOW ➜

About Zeals

株式会社Zealsは、業界トップクラスの“チャットコマース”事業を主力に、“接客DX”事業にも注力し、「おもてなし」という日本文化の強みをデジタル化する挑戦を通じてクライアントの事業変革に貢献しています。

チャットコマース事業

チャットコマース『Zeals（ジールス）』とは、「ネットにおもてなし革命を！」をコンセプトにした、ユーザーがAIと会話しながら商品を購入したり予約したりできるサービスです。

ユーザーはLINEやFacebookなどのチャットアプリを通じ、従来は実店舗に限られていた接客体験を、Webやアプリケーション上で体験できます。チャットボットによる“ヒアリングファースト”な接客体験により、通常のLPと比較して約5倍の購買率向上を実現。旅行、化粧品、サロン、金融業界などに幅広く導入頂き、約400社のお客さまの売上増をお手伝いしています。

日本では「チャットボットはカスタマーサポートを自動化するのに使うもの」という認識が一般的ですが、海外ではチャットボットをコマース・マーケティングに活用する事例が多く生まれてます。

中国で人気のwechat上には800万体のチャットボットがマーケティングに活用されており、アメリカでもConversational Commerceと呼ばれるチャットボットを活用してマーケティングを行うサービスが増えています。チャットコマースはまさにこの"会話を通じて商品を買っていただく"ことに特化したチャットコマースを提供する業界初のサービスです。

接客DX事業

チャットボットをコアとして、ビデオツール等お客さまの課題に応じた手法を組み合わせ、実店舗での接客をデジタル空間で実現する一気通貫したサービスです。AIと人のハイブリッドにより最適化された接客体験をユーザーへ提供することで深いインサイトやニーズ、悩みに応えます。

今後は、チャットコマース事業と接客DX事業を主軸に様々な業界でのオンライン接客を広げ、海外展開や音声への拡張を目指します。また、現在の主軸事業の他にも、ビジョンに沿った新規プロダクトの開発やコアテクノロジーの開発を進め、日本が誇るおもてなし文化に新たな人と人とのつながりを創造します。

ここに注目！

Zealsは、テクノロジーを通じて新たな人と人のつながりを創造し、世界に通用する革命を起こすことを目指しています。この大きな志を達成するために働く人への投資を惜しみません。徹底した自社開発を行っており「テクノロジーに対する理解と投資」重視しています。2021年4月には総額18億円の資金調達を完了し、今後は更に積極的にテクノロジー、そして人に投資をしていく方針です。来年には、現在の2倍のエンジニアを採用する予定です。

企業カルチャーの特徴としては、Zealsは典型的な日本の会社ではありません。日本の伝統的な階層形システムや生産性より労働時間を重視するような働き方は全くありません。例えば、ZealsのCTOは20歳で就任しています。年齢ではなく、能力とやる気のある人に積極的にチャンスを与える文化があります。また、18ヵ国以上のバックグラウンドを持つグローバルメンバーなど、多様なメンバーが揃うフラットな環境です。フレックス制度、リモートワーク制度などが充実しており、柔軟な働き方も可能です。積極的に新しい技術を取り入れる社風があり、新しいテクノロジーが大好きなメンバーが集まっています。

グローバルかつ、エンジニアドリブンな企業であるZealsのカルチャーに共感いただける方にぜひジョインいただきたいと思っています！

Japanese Language Policy
At ZEALS, the product and technology team members primarily speak English (dev-related discussions happen in English on Github or Slack). There might be occasional discussions in Japanese, but most Slack messages are in English (or both languages).

As for meetings, all dev-related discussions take place in English. Given the above, Japanese skills are not required for most positions in the Product & Technology departments. However, one unique aspect of ZEALS’ culture is the desire to increase teamwork and engage with each other, which is why many Japanese members are working on their English skills while many non-Japanese members also work to improve their Japanese skills.

In order to build a truly global team, ZEALS has many multilingual members that proactively support the rest of the team to ensure smooth communications.

Even outside of the Product & Technology departments, all important company-wide announcements are made in both English and Japanese. For example, hiring announcements, new product launches etc. are generally announced in both Japanese and English.

Also, simultaneous interpretation for presentations at large meetings and events is provided to ensure that everyone gets the information they need.
Paid Leave
- All Japanese public holidays off
- 10 days of PTO (awarded 3 months after joining)
- Summer Holidays, Year-end Holidays, Childcare Leave, Congratulations/Bereavement Leave
Benefits
Here are some examples of the benefits which full-time employees can receive:

💻 Loaned Laptops

🇯🇵 Translation Support (EN<>JP)

👶 Shorter Work Hours for Employees Taking Care of Children

👶 Parental Leave

👕 Flexible Dress Code

💜 Social Security / Insurance Benefits Included

🏥 Healthcare Insurance, Periodic Health Checks

💚 Pension Insurance

🚃 Commuter Reimbursement
Remote Work
Although ZEALS requires you to either be in or relocate to Japan, once you’re here, you can choose whether you work from home or in the office.
- Full-time employees in Japan can work from home or come to the office. Transportation reimbursement to and from the office is available and people living close to the office can receive a housing allowance.
- If you’re not based in Japan yet, you can work from overseas while we help you obtain a Japanese working visa.
Work style
ZEALS is flexible when it comes to working hours. They have core time from 1:00pm to 3:00pm JST, but otherwise you’re free to set up your day however you want to meet the monthly working hour requirements.
Values

FROM ZEAL

< Passion >
Good things come from giving it your all

BET ON PARADOX

< Unorthodox >
Never settle for the established norm

UNITED WILL

< Team >
Teamwork is the heart of achievement

Office

The ZEALS office is in the heart of Tokyo, situated in Meguro, near Gajoen, a famous hotel known for hospitality. You can work from the office at a desk as well as use small booths or meeting rooms. You can hook your laptop to large screens and sit in Ergohuman chairs. Lounge areas and standing tables are also available. Everyone is free to choose the work style that works best for them, either full-remote or in the office.