Manager, IT Systems

Introduction

The IT Manager, Japan provides IT leadership and operational support to enable business growth, improve processes, and enhance productivity for Japan-based users and operations. This role serves as the key liaison between Japan business teams and Global IT, ensuring alignment between local requirements and global IT standards, policies, and initiatives.
Reporting to the US-based Senior Director of IT and Chief Information Officer, the IT Manager collaborates with internal teams and external vendors to oversee a broad range of IT infrastructure and applications, while maintaining strong governance, security, and compliance standards.

Responsibilities

IT Leadership & Governance

• Act as the primary representative of Japan IT, bridging local business needs and global IT policies.
• Communicate IT issues, risks, and business impacts clearly, and determine appropriate response strategies.
• Consolidate Japan business requirements and escalate to Global IT when necessary.
• Define priorities and manage the overall Japan IT roadmap.
• Make local decisions and adjustments when rolling out global IT initiatives.
• Ensure alignment between global standards and Japan-specific requirements.
• Ensure IT governance from security, compliance, and risk management perspectives.

Vendor, Budget, and Team Management

• Select, manage, and evaluate external vendors, including contracts, service quality, licenses, and maintenance costs.
• Plan and manage IT budgets (OPEX and CAPEX).
• Lead and manage Japan IT team members and outsourced vendors.

Infrastructure & Operations Oversight

• Maintain managerial-level, hands-on understanding of IT infrastructure, network, and server operations.
• Assess scope and business impact during network or server incidents and outages.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of vendor and internal response actions.
• Act as the accountable IT owner in Japan, including escalation and stakeholder communication.

Service Desk Operations Leadership

• Lead Tier 1 and Tier 2 service desk operations.
• Ensure ticket quality, prioritization, and efficient day-to-day operations.
• Analyze incident and inquiry trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Define and govern role allocation with global IT teams and external service providers.

Application & Integration Support (Japan Scope)

• Oversee operational support for Japan-specific business applications and integrations, including:
• EDI platforms (e.g., OpenText, EOS Meijin, REDI Suite)
• Warehouse (3PL) system integrations and logistics IT
• Oracle EBS (backup support)
• eCommerce platforms (e.g., ebisumart, OMS – backup support)
• Salesforce (Japan local environment)
• Understand data flows, integrations, and business impact across systems.
• Coordinate technical discussions with business partners and vendors.
• Lead issue triage and stakeholder coordination during incidents.

Process Improvement & Automation

• Drive business process automation using Python or similar tools.
• Implement data processing, integrations, monitoring, and notification solutions.
• Reduce repetitive manual work and improve operational efficiency.

Requirements

Experience & Knowledge

• Broad understanding of enterprise IT systems and integrations, including EDI, eCommerce, warehouse systems, Salesforce, core business systems, and IT infrastructure.
• Managerial-level hands-on understanding of infrastructure, networks, and server operations (operations and troubleshooting).
• Strong understanding of business processes and data integrations, even when not directly performing hands-on development or operations.
• Ability to assess business impact, cost, and risk based on technical and business input.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong ability to translate between business requirements and appropriate IT solutions.
• Experience evaluating incident impact and leading response actions.
• Proven vendor management and budget management experience.
• Strong analytical skills to assess service desk performance and operational trends.
• Excellent communication skills in Japanese and English to explain complex IT topics to non-technical stakeholders.

Leadership & Ownership

• Ability to act as the accountable IT owner for Japan operations.
• Experience working with global IT organizations and aligning local needs with global standards.
• Strong decision-making skills in dynamic and incident-driven environments.