📍 Job Overview

Job Title: SRE / Site Reliability Engineer – Leisure Product Department (LPD)
Company: Rakuten
Location: Tokyo, Tōkyō, Japan
Job Type: On-site
Category: DevOps, Infrastructure
Date Posted: 2025-06-16
Experience Level: 2-5 years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

Key Responsibilities: Design and develop features for lifestyle and leisure-related services, maintain and support existing systems, handle releases to production environments, and perform load/performance tests.
Key Skills: Web application development, system architecture, large-scale system maintenance, troubleshooting, CI/CD processes, Docker, Kubernetes, monitoring tools, and performance testing.
Growth Opportunities: Work with diverse teams, learn about various services, and contribute to the growth of the Leisure Product Department.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role focuses on maintaining and improving the reliability of existing systems while also contributing to the development of new features. This requires a strong understanding of system architecture and experience with large-scale systems.

💻 Primary Responsibilities

System Development & Maintenance: Design and develop features for lifestyle and leisure-related services, maintain and support existing systems, and handle releases to production environments.
Performance Testing: Perform load and performance tests on high-access systems to ensure optimal user experience.
Collaboration: Work with members from other development teams, product managers, UX/UI designers, and QA engineers to deliver high-quality services.
Problem-Solving: Troubleshoot issues and find solutions to maintain and improve system reliability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a growth mindset to continuously improve systems and find innovative solutions to technical challenges.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

Experience: At least 2 years of experience in web application development, with a focus on system architecture and large-scale system maintenance.

Required Skills:

Web application development
System architecture
Large-scale system maintenance and troubleshooting
CI/CD process development and operation
Docker and Kubernetes in a production environment
Monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana) and logging & alerting tools (Elasticsearch, Stack)
Performance testing using tools like JMeter
Growth mindset

Preferred Skills:

Experience as an SRE or DevOps engineer
Experience with Kafka, Redis, MySQL, and public cloud platforms (Azure, GCP)
Experience working with large teams and other organizations
Experience mentoring engineers

📝 Enhancement Note: While not required, experience in SRE or DevOps roles and working with large teams can provide valuable context and skills for this position.

📊 Web Portfolio & Project Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate experience with web application development, system architecture, and large-scale system maintenance.
Showcase proficiency in CI/CD processes, Docker, Kubernetes, monitoring tools, and performance testing.
Highlight any experience with Kafka, Redis, MySQL, and public cloud platforms.

Technical Documentation:

Provide detailed documentation of your development processes, including version control, deployment processes, and server configuration.
Include testing methodologies, performance metrics, and optimization techniques used in your projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this role involves working with large-scale systems, it's essential to showcase your ability to document and manage complex systems effectively.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: ¥5,000,000 - ¥7,000,000 per year (Based on experience and market standards for SRE roles in Tokyo)

Benefits:

Competitive salary and bonus structure
Comprehensive health insurance and retirement plans
Generous vacation and leave policies
Opportunities for professional development and training
A dynamic, multicultural work environment

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexible scheduling for deployment windows and maintenance tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary range is estimated based on market standards for SRE roles in Tokyo, considering the required experience level and the company's size and industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

Company Culture:

Industry: Rakuten is a global leader in e-commerce and internet services, focusing on lifestyle and leisure-related services.
Company Size: Medium to large (Over 15,000 employees worldwide)
Founded: 1997, with a strong focus on innovation and technology

Team Structure:

The Leisure Product Department (LPD) consists of diverse teams working on various lifestyle and leisure-related services.
Teams are cross-functional, including developers, designers, product managers, and QA engineers.
The department has an open and flat atmosphere, encouraging collaboration and exchange meetings with other groups.

Development Methodology:

Agile/Scrum methodologies are used for project management and development processes.
Code reviews, testing, and quality assurance practices are in place to ensure high-quality deliverables.
Deployment strategies, CI/CD pipelines, and server management are essential aspects of the role.

Company Website: Rakuten

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's global presence and focus on innovation provide unique opportunities for professional growth and exposure to diverse projects.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Web Technology Career Level: Mid-level to senior SRE or DevOps role, responsible for maintaining and improving the reliability of large-scale systems while contributing to the development of new features.

Reporting Structure: The SRE will report directly to the team lead or manager within the Leisure Product Department (LPD).

Technical Impact: The SRE will have a significant impact on the reliability, performance, and scalability of lifestyle and leisure-related services, ensuring optimal user experience and business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

Technical Growth: Deepen your expertise in system architecture, large-scale system maintenance, and performance optimization.
Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior engineers and contribute to the growth and success of the Leisure Product Department (LPD).
Career Progression: Potential to advance to senior SRE or DevOps roles, team lead positions, or other technical leadership opportunities within Rakuten.

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's global presence and diverse service offerings provide ample opportunities for career growth and professional development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Modern, collaborative office space with state-of-the-art technology and tools.

Office Location(s): Rakuten Crimson House, Tokyo, Japan

Workspace Context:

Collaboration: Open and flat team structure, encouraging cross-functional collaboration and exchange meetings with other groups.
Development Tools: Access to modern development tools, multiple monitors, and testing devices.
Work-Life Balance: Flexible scheduling for deployment windows and maintenance tasks, with a focus on work-life balance.

Work Schedule: Standard business hours with flexible scheduling for deployment windows and maintenance tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's multicultural work environment offers unique opportunities to learn from and collaborate with diverse teams and individuals.

📄 Application & Technical Interview Process

Interview Process:

Technical Assessment: Online coding challenge or take-home assignment focusing on system architecture, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
System Design: Discussion on system design, scalability, and high availability for large-scale systems.
Behavioral & Cultural Fit: Assessment of communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the team and company.
Final Evaluation: Review of technical skills, cultural fit, and potential for growth within the role and organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight your experience with web application development, system architecture, and large-scale system maintenance.
Demonstrate your proficiency in CI/CD processes, Docker, Kubernetes, monitoring tools, and performance testing.
Showcase any experience with Kafka, Redis, MySQL, and public cloud platforms.

Technical Challenge Preparation:

Brush up on your system architecture, troubleshooting, and performance optimization skills.
Familiarize yourself with Rakuten's services and the Leisure Product Department (LPD) to better understand the context and requirements of the role.
Practice explaining technical concepts and trade-offs clearly and concisely.

ATS Keywords: (Organized by category)

Programming Languages: Java, Python, Bash, SQL
Web Frameworks: N/A (Focus on backend and infrastructure)
Server Technologies: Docker, Kubernetes, Kafka, Redis, MySQL
Databases: MySQL, Redis
Tools: JMeter, Prometheus, Grafana, Elasticsearch, Stack, CI/CD tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD)
Methodologies: Agile, Scrum, CI/CD
Soft Skills: Problem-solving, communication, collaboration, adaptability
Industry Terms: SRE, DevOps, infrastructure, system architecture, large-scale systems, performance optimization, troubleshooting

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's interview process focuses on technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit, with a strong emphasis on system architecture and large-scale system maintenance.

🛠 Technology Stack & Web Infrastructure

Backend & Server Technologies:

Docker: Containerization platform for packaging, shipping, and running applications.
Kubernetes: Container orchestration platform for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.
Kafka: Distributed event streaming platform for building real-time data pipelines and applications.
Redis: In-memory data structure store, used as a database, cache, and message broker.
MySQL: Open-source relational database management system.

Development & DevOps Tools:

CI/CD Tools: Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD (for automated testing, building, and deployment)
Monitoring Tools: Prometheus (for system monitoring and alerting), Grafana (for data visualization and dashboard creation)
Logging & Alerting Tools: Elasticsearch, Stack (for centralized logging, search, and alerting)

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's technology stack focuses on scalability, high availability, and performance, with a strong emphasis on containerization and orchestration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Web Development Values:

Reliability: Maintain and improve the reliability of large-scale systems to ensure optimal user experience and business growth.
Performance: Optimize system performance and scalability to handle increasing user demand and traffic.
Collaboration: Work effectively with cross-functional teams, including developers, designers, product managers, and QA engineers.
Innovation: Continuously improve and innovate to stay ahead of industry trends and user expectations.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Close collaboration with various teams, including product managers, UX/UI designers, and QA engineers.
Code Review Culture: Regular code reviews to ensure high-quality deliverables and knowledge sharing.
Knowledge Sharing: Encourage continuous learning and mentoring to foster a culture of growth and development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's team culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning, with a strong focus on maintaining and improving the reliability of large-scale systems.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Technical Challenges:

System Architecture: Design and maintain scalable, high-availability systems to support growing user demand and traffic.
Performance Optimization: Continuously optimize system performance and scalability to ensure optimal user experience and business growth.
Troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve complex issues in large-scale systems, often under high-pressure situations.
Emerging Technologies: Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends in the web development and infrastructure landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Technical Skill Development: Deepen your expertise in system architecture, large-scale system maintenance, and performance optimization.
Emerging Technologies: Explore and adopt emerging technologies and trends in the web development and infrastructure landscape.
Leadership Development: Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the growth and success of the Leisure Product Department (LPD).
Career Progression: Advance to senior SRE or DevOps roles, team lead positions, or other technical leadership opportunities within Rakuten.

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's technical challenges and growth opportunities focus on maintaining and improving the reliability, performance, and scalability of large-scale systems, with a strong emphasis on innovation and continuous learning.

💡 Interview Preparation

Technical Questions:

System Architecture: Describe your approach to designing and maintaining scalable, high-availability systems for large-scale applications.
Performance Optimization: Walkthrough your process for optimizing system performance and scalability, with a focus on real-world examples and trade-offs.
Troubleshooting: Share your experience with diagnosing and resolving complex issues in large-scale systems, highlighting your problem-solving skills and approach.
Emerging Technologies: Discuss your familiarity with emerging technologies and trends in the web development and infrastructure landscape, and how you stay up-to-date.

Company & Culture Questions:

Rakuten Culture: Explain what you understand about Rakuten's culture and how you think you would fit into the team and organization.
Team Dynamics: Describe your experience working in cross-functional teams and how you contribute to a collaborative and innovative work environment.
Growth Mindset: Share an example of a significant challenge you faced in your previous role and how you approached it, demonstrating your growth mindset and problem-solving skills.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

System Architecture: Highlight your experience with designing and maintaining scalable, high-availability systems, using relevant examples and case studies.
Performance Optimization: Demonstrate your proficiency in optimizing system performance and scalability, with a focus on real-world examples and trade-offs.
Troubleshooting: Showcase your ability to diagnose and resolve complex issues in large-scale systems, with a focus on problem-solving skills and approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Rakuten's interview process focuses on technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit, with a strong emphasis on system architecture and large-scale system maintenance.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this SRE / Site Reliability Engineer – Leisure Product Department (LPD) position at Rakuten:

Tailor Your Portfolio: Highlight your experience with web application development, system architecture, and large-scale system maintenance, with a focus on CI/CD processes, Docker, Kubernetes, monitoring tools, and performance testing.
Optimize Your Resume: Emphasize your relevant technical skills, experience, and achievements, with a focus on system architecture, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
Prepare for Technical Interviews: Brush up on your system architecture, troubleshooting, and performance optimization skills, and practice explaining technical concepts and trade-offs clearly and concisely.
Research Rakuten: Familiarize yourself with Rakuten's services, the Leisure Product Department (LPD), and the company's culture and values to ensure a strong cultural fit and understanding of the role's requirements.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and web development/server administration industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

SRE/ Site Reliability Engineer – Leisure Product Department(LPD)