Sr. Consultant, 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 and marketing 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:

Responsible for leading the development and execution of complex analytical initiatives that address significant client issues or opportunities. This role acts as a subject matter expert, proactively identifying trends and issues utilizing an advanced range of analytical techniques and tools. The Senior Consultant drives insights generation, fosters deeper client relationships, and provides expertise and direction on analytical solutions/services both internally and externally, contributing significantly to client strategy. This role also plays a key part in mentoring and guiding less experienced team members.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead complex client analytics projects from definition to delivery, taking ownership of project management, client relationship building, and successful execution of externally focused analytic deliverables.
• Design and oversee the development of sophisticated analytical solutions to address complex client problems.
• Provide expert guidance on advanced analytical techniques, data modeling, and experimental design to project teams.
• Lead client workshops and strategic discussions to uncover business needs and translate them into analytical opportunities.
• Mentor mid and junior-level consultants, fostering their growth in analytical techniques, client engagement, and problem-solving.
• Contribute to the strategic direction and capability development of the Advanced Analytics team by sharing innovative approaches and solutions.
• Present analytical findings and strategic recommendations to client management and internal stakeholders.

Specific tasks:

• Client & Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Conduct in-depth discovery sessions with client teams to thoroughly understand business challenges and analytical requirements.
  • Present analytical insights and recommendations to client management, effectively communicating complex concepts and their business implications.
  • Collaborate with Client Services to manage client expectations and ensure high satisfaction throughout project lifecycles.

• Project Leadership & Solution Design:
  • Initiate and lead the end-to-end execution of complex analytical projects, ensuring alignment with client objectives and delivery timelines.
  • Architect and implement sophisticated analytical solutions.
  • Oversee the development of comprehensive dashboards and reports, ensuring they deliver actionable insights for client decision-making.

• Mentorship & Team Development:
  • Provide hands-on coaching and technical guidance to Junior Consultants and Consultants on project execution and analytical methodologies.
  • Review and provide constructive feedback on analytical deliverables from junior team members to ensure quality and accuracy.
  • Lead internal knowledge-sharing sessions on advanced analytical techniques and best practices.

Required Skills and Experience:

Candidate will have at least 3 years of experience in advanced analytics, with significant experience in a client-facing consulting or strategic analytical role. Proven track record of leading complex analytical projects and driving measurable business outcomes. Bachelor's degree required.

• Expert Analytical Skills - Mastery in analyzing and synthesizing highly complex information to identify root causes, anticipate future trends, and develop innovative strategic solutions. Exceptional ability to translate ambiguous business challenges into precise analytical frameworks and actionable strategies.
• Advanced Technical Abilities - Expertise in SQL for complex data extraction and manipulation is required. Strong proficiency in advanced Excel (including VBA/macros). Demonstrated expertise with at least one major BI tool (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, MicroStrategy) for advanced dashboarding and data visualization. Proficiency in a statistical programming language (e.g., Python, R) for advanced analytics, modeling, and automation is highly desired. Familiarity with big data platforms or cloud analytics environments (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus.
• Strategic Client & Relationship Management - Proven ability to independently manage and cultivate strategic client relationships at senior levels. Expert at navigating complex stakeholder environments, building consensus, and influencing decision-making. Acts as a trusted advisor and thought partner to clients and internal leadership.
• Advanced Organizing and Planning - Exceptional ability to independently plan, organize, and prioritize multiple concurrent, complex projects, effectively managing resources, deadlines, and conflicting priorities to achieve strategic objectives.
• Strategic Adaptability - Demonstrated ability to thrive in highly ambiguous and rapidly changing environments, proactively identifying and solving complex problems with innovative and strategic solutions.
• Executive Communication & Presentation - Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to craft compelling narratives, deliver impactful presentations to management-level audiences.
• Team Leadership & Mentorship - Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, foster collaborative working relationships, and actively mentor and develop junior and mid-level team members. Actively contributes to team knowledge sharing and elevates collective capabilities.
• Advanced Critical Thinking - Exceptional ability to apply logic and reasoning to critically evaluate complex situations, identify underlying assumptions, and develop robust, evidence-based solutions.
• Proactive Contingency Planning - Expert at anticipating potential risks and challenges, and proactively developing comprehensive contingency plans to ensure project success and mitigate potential disruptions.
• Deep Business Acumen - Profound understanding of the business model, competitive landscape, industry trends, and client strategies. Utilizes this knowledge to drive analytical insights and strategic recommendations.
• Strategic Focus (Keeping on Point) - Great ability to identify and prioritize mission-critical tasks and strategic initiatives, effectively filtering out noise and focusing on activities that deliver maximum value and impact.
• Influencing and Negotiation Expertise - Mastery in promoting ideas, persuasively shaping stakeholder opinions, and skillfully negotiating win-win solutions in complex business scenarios.
• Strategic Detail Orientation - Combines meticulous attention to detail with a strategic perspective, ensuring accuracy and completeness while maintaining focus on overarching goals. Exceptional ability to manage multiple complex tasks efficiently.
• Leadership by Example - Consistently serves as a role model for the organization's values, demonstrates accountability, and inspires confidence and trust across the team and with clients.

Five Principles for Success
Our 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 - Kaizen
Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best
Hypothesize - Practice - Validate - Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory
Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile
Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team

Rakuten 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.

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 $65,529.00 - $112,644.00 annually