Senior Project Manager / Project Leader – Financial Services

Senior Project Manager / Project Leader – Financial Services Technology

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Employment Type: Full-time
Work Style: Hybrid
Salary: Up to ¥15 Mil , depending on experience

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager or Project Leader to drive application development, system enhancement, and modernization initiatives within the financial services sector.

This role is suited to a hands-on project leader who understands Japanese business culture, can build trusted relationships with Japanese clients, and can lead technology teams through the full project lifecycle.

You will work closely with clients, business stakeholders, developers, and delivery teams to translate business requirements into practical technology solutions. The position offers the opportunity to contribute to important financial systems and long-term digital transformation initiatives in a Japanese business environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead application development and enhancement projects from requirements definition through design, development, testing, implementation, and delivery.

• Manage project scope, schedules, budgets, resources, quality, risks, and issues.

• Work closely with Japanese clients to understand business needs, clarify requirements, and agree on project priorities.

• Coordinate business stakeholders, technical teams, and external vendors to ensure successful delivery.

• Lead project planning, progress monitoring, reporting, and escalation management.

• Facilitate discussions between clients and technical teams to resolve issues and maintain alignment.

• Manage project documentation, milestones, dependencies, and change requests.

• Drive system migration, legacy system modernization, and digital transformation initiatives.

• Apply appropriate SDLC practices and project delivery methodologies, including Waterfall and Agile where relevant.

• Support team coordination, delivery quality, and continuous process improvement.

Requirements

• Native-level Japanese proficiency, with strong communication skills for client-facing project management.

• Strong project management or project leadership experience in IT application development or systems delivery.

• Experience managing the end-to-end software development lifecycle (SDLC).

• Solid understanding of project planning, schedules, budgets, risks, resources, and delivery quality.

• Experience working directly with Japanese clients and business stakeholders.

• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and coordinate business and technical teams.

• Strong problem-solving, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.

• Ability to work effectively within Japanese corporate and client environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in financial services, banking, credit cards, consumer finance, securities, or fintech.

• Experience managing application-side projects and system integration or migration initiatives.

• Experience with legacy system modernization and digital transformation.

• Familiarity with Waterfall project management and structured SDLC processes.

• Advanced English proficiency for communication with international teams and stakeholders.

• Experience leading project teams, delivery partners, or external vendors.

• PMP or another relevant project management certification.