Account Manager

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.

Summary:

In the role of Account Manager at Rakuten Advertising, you will be instrumental in managing and executing affiliate marketing strategies for a diverse portfolio of clients. Your mission will be to build strong client relationships, analyse performance data to support strategic decisions, and identify growth opportunities within your accounts.

Working closely with internal teams and clients, you will contribute to the development and optimisation of affiliate programs that align with business goals and market trends. This role offers the chance to collaborate across functions, share insights, and participate in projects that enhance our brand and business growth.

Join our dynamic team to kickstart your career in affiliate marketing, where your contributions will directly impact our clients' success and Rakuten Advertising's growth.

Key Responsibilities:
Client management

• Manage a portfolio of clients, executing affiliate marketing strategies effectively to meet established goals.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients through regular meetings, emails, calls, and support tickets, acting as the primary point of contact.
• Apply analytical skills to assess performance data and make informed decisions to support client objectives.
• Seek opportunities for growth and upselling within client accounts, responding to client needs and market opportunities
• Address and resolve client disputes, aiming for satisfactory outcomes and maintaining positive client relationships.

Affiliate Program Strategy:

• Assist in the creation and delivery of affiliate marketing strategies for clients, ensuring they meet client goals and market demands.
• Help manage client affiliate budgets and forecasts, aiming for optimal resource allocation and ROI.
• Perform market trend and competitor strategy analyses to support the adjustment of client strategies.
• Work in collaboration with clients to tailor affiliate programs that meet their business objectives.
• Support the ongoing evaluation and optimisation of affiliate program performance, using Rakuten Advertising's tools and technologies.

Collaboration:

• Work with internal teams across different regions to support affiliate initiatives and share insights.
• Contribute to identifying partnership opportunities with publisher services that can enhance business growth.
• Share and adopt best practices within the affiliate team, contributing to a learning environment.
• Participate in cross-functional projects, offering affiliate marketing insights to support broader company goals.
• Assist the marketing team in promoting business events and enhancing the Rakuten Advertising brand.

Administration:

• Review client contracts and billing mechanisms regularly to ensure understanding and compliance.
• Address billing issues and escalations, collaborating with the finance team for timely resolutions.
• Assist in troubleshooting technical issues for clients, coordinating with the tech support team for effective solutions.
• Contribute to revenue and forecasting efforts for client portfolios, maintaining accurate and detailed records.
• Document client performance and activities in internal systems, ensuring data is accurate and accessible for ongoing analysis.

Qualifications:

• Strong customer services skills: Negotiation, diplomacy, able to translate client requirements into technical specifications.
• Experience in strong client relationships, reinforced by building trust, advising and upselling.
• Exemplary written and oral presentation skills and a talent for presenting.

Minimum Requirements
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential
functions.

Technical

• 3+ years of digital marketing experience including client service (agency, client or consulting)
• BA degree in a Marketing field preferred
• Competent in Microsoft Office programs - particularly Excel (intermediate) and PowerPoint
• Experience in strong client relationships, reinforced by building trust, advising and upselling
• Good project management skills
• Web literate (tracking analytics and methods)

Personal effectiveness

• Highly organised, self-motivated, good time-management, able to prioritise
• Think creatively, has a problem-solving approach and uses professional judgment
• Proactive - continually looking for ways to grow and improve within own role
• Work well under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Inquisitive approach to continuously learning on the job

Communication

• Strong customer services skills: Negotiation, diplomacy, able to translate client requirements into technical specifications
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Confident interpersonal skills

Results focus

• Detail-orientated
• Analytical and Strategic Marketing: Demonstrate success in measuring results and setting, meeting, and exceeding aggressive quantitative goals.
• Proof that you can set and surpass KPI targets

Teamwork

• Reliable and able to work independently on targets
• A real team player that is able to integrate and work closely with an enthusiastic team

Understanding of business

• Strong understanding of digital marketing concepts / solutions, particularly Affiliate Marketing

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