Director, Advanced Analytics

Job Description:Rakuten International is a division of Rakuten Group, Inc., a Japanese global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Headquartered in San Mateo, California with more than 4,000 employees worldwide, the Rakuten International business portfolio includes market leaders in e-commerce, digital marketing, advertising, communications and entertainment. We create products and services that provide exceptional value by aligning members and the businesses that want to engage them in a shared community.Rakuten Advertising provides advertising technology and consumer insights to the world’s leading brands and retailers. Working with agencies and brands around the world, Rakuten Advertising unites technology, client strategy and consumer insights to deliver advertising experiences that drive increased brand awareness andmarketing performance. With access to Rakuten’s diverse media properties and audiences, combined with an award-winning performance network and proprietary consumer research, Rakuten Advertising creates the right conditions to reach new customers and sustain long-lasting loyalty.Job Summary:The Director, Advanced Analytics leads and develops one or more teams of Advanced Analytics practitioners, typically managing Managers and/or senior individual contributors, and holds accountability for the performance, capability, and output of the wider group they lead. The role extends beyond team management: the Director owns the development of analytical products, tools, and capabilities and drives their rollout and adoption globally, translating the strategy and operating priorities set by Advanced Analytics leadership into delivery plans, standards, and roadmaps. The Director collaborates broadly and at a senior level across Client Services, Sales, Product, Engineering, and other functions to position and prioritize analytics work, and represents Advanced Analytics in cross-functional forums. While the role carries greater scope and strategic weight than the Manager and Senior Manager roles, the Director remains close to delivery and retains a hands-on, execution-focused approach, acting as the bridge between day-to-day operations and the high-level strategy set by VP-level leadership.Responsibilities:Lead, manage, and develop one or more teams of Advanced Analytics practitioners, typically through Managers and/or senior individual contributors, holding accountability for their performance, engagement, and development.Own the roadmap, development, and quality of analytical products, tools, and capabilities that differentiate Rakuten Advertising's offering, and drive their rollout and adoption globally.Allocate resource and manage capacity across the teams and work-streams under their remit, balancing recurring commitments, project demand, and strategic initiatives.Own the quality, consistency, and timeliness of analytical output across their remit, setting and enforcing standards before release to clients and stakeholders.Set objectives for and develop Managers and senior individual contributors, coaching them on people leadership, delivery ownership, and stakeholder management.Own workforce planning across their remit, forecasting demand, identifying capability gaps, and building the case for investment in headcount or tooling.Establish and maintain senior, cross-functional relationships with Client Services, Sales, Product, Engineering, and other functions, positioning Advanced Analytics' capability and negotiating priorities.Translate the strategy and operating priorities set by Advanced Analytics leadership into concrete plans, standards, and ways of working for the teams they lead.Drive adoption of Advanced Analytics methodologies, tools, and self-service solutions across internal stakeholder groups, acting as a senior sponsor for change.Act as a bridge between operational delivery and the strategic direction of the function, escalating and resolving issues that require senior judgment.Represent Advanced Analytics in senior internal and client-facing forums, and deputize for VP-level leadership as required.Specific Tasks:Team & Organizational Leadership:Lead and develop Managers and/or senior individual contributors, conducting regular one-to-ones, objective setting, and performance reviews.Build organizational capability by identifying skills gaps across teams and directing training, coaching, and recruitment plans.Own recruitment and structure decisions for the teams under their remit, including role design and level.Coach Managers on people leadership, delivery ownership, and stakeholder management, and support their career development.Manage underperformance and recognize strong performance consistently across the group, in line with company policy.Delivery & Capacity Management:Maintain visibility of workload, pipeline, and risk across all teams in their remit, reallocating resource to priorities as needed.Set and enforce quality standards for analytical deliverables, reviewing high-visibility or high-risk work directly.Track delivery performance against service levels across the group, identifying systemic issues and directing corrective action.Own the resolution of significant escalated delivery issues, including client-facing recovery at a senior level.Product & Capability Development:Own the roadmap for analytical products, tools, and self-service solutions, prioritizing development against business value.Lead the global rollout and adoption of new analytical capabilities, partnering with regional teams to adapt tools and processes to local needs.Define the standards, templates, and methodologies used across Advanced Analytics, and govern their consistent application.Identify where automation or new capability is required, and build the business case for investment.Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Management:Act as the senior point of contact for Client Services, Sales, Product, Engineering, and other functions on the scope, capacity, and priorities of Advanced Analytics.Negotiate and prioritize competing demands from cross-functional stakeholders, escalating trade-offs to Advanced Analytics leadership where required.Represent Advanced Analytics in senior internal forums and significant client engagements.Provide input to Advanced Analytics leadership on strategy, planning, and the evolution of the function's service offering.Required Skills and Experience: Candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in analytics or reporting, including at least 5 years managing teams, with experience managing Managers or senior individual contributors and leading product or tool development through to adoption. Successful candidates may bring experience from an agency, client, or consulting environment. Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in a quantitative field or a management qualification is a plus. Leading Managers & Organizational Leadership – Proven ability to lead and develop Managers and senior individual contributors, building organizational capability and creating an environment in which teams do their best work.Performance Management & Development – Ability to set meaningful objectives, deliver candid feedback, and coach Managers and senior practitioners, supporting career progression across a leadership team.Strategic Capacity & Resource Planning – Ability to forecast demand and plan resource across multiple teams and workstreams, balancing operational delivery against strategic initiatives.Delivery Ownership & Quality Assurance – Accountability for the quality, consistency, and timeliness of output across a broader portfolio, with the judgment to set standards and intervene on high-risk work.Product & Solution Ownership – Ability to define, prioritize, and drive the development and global rollout of analytical products, tools, and capabilities.Analytical Skills – Strong ability to analyze and synthesize information to understand issues, identify options, and challenge analytical approach and conclusions at a senior level.Technical Abilities – Working proficiency in SQL and advanced Excel. Practical experience with a major BI tool (e.g., Strategy/MicroStrategy, Tableau, Power BI, Looker). Familiarity with Python or R and with cloud data platforms (e.g., BigQuery) is a plus. Sufficient technical depth to direct and evaluate work across multiple teams.Managing Diverse & Senior Relationships – Ability to build and manage relationships across functions and levels, including senior stakeholders, finding common ground quickly and treating differences fairly and equitably.Organizing and Planning – Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work across multiple teams and workstreams, balancing resources, skills, priorities, and timescales to achieve objectives.Communicating Effectively – Writes and presents effectively to senior and cross-functional audiences; adjusts to fit the audience and the message; communicates decisions and their rationale clearly at all levels.Judgment and Decision Making – Ability to consider the relative costs and benefits of significant decisions, including under time pressure, incomplete information, and organizational complexity.Driving Execution & Change – Ability to assign clear authority and accountability, direct change across multiple teams while maintaining operating effectiveness, align efforts across functions, and tackle problems directly.Strategic Thinking – Ability to translate high-level strategy into operational plans, and to represent operational realities and constraints back into strategic discussions.Leads by Example – Serves as a visible role model for the organization's values; takes responsibility for delivering on commitments; develops others; gives proper credit; acknowledges and learns from mistakes. Five Principles for SuccessOur worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - KaizenPassionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the bestHypothesize - Practice - Validate – Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territoryMaximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smileSpeed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your teamRakuten provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. Rakuten considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, provincial or local laws.As part of our Rakuten interview process, we encourage applicants to use their own words, rather than AI-generated content. Tell us your story in a way that's personal and authentic.At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the base compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation will vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role will be eligible for discretionary bonus, health, vision, dental insurance, 401k matching, PTO, Volunteer Time Off (VTO), and other employee benefits as the company implements.USD $113,724.00 - $212,220.00 annuallySummaryLocation: Chicago, IllinoisType: Full time