Head of Product Development 12884

The company is a Deep AI Tech Startup with the mission to Save human lives and expand equality with AI. They research and develop AI systems for the manufacturing, mobility, and healthcare domains. They believe that in order to implement AI systems in mission-critical domains, AI systems must have a high degree of explainability, interpretability, quality control, and security. They use advanced XAI (explainable AI) and QAAI (quality assurance for AI) technologies to realize social implementation of AI technologies in mission-critical domains.

They’re an AI startup founded by researchers from the University of Tokyo and Inria, a French research institute. The founder of the company, has been conducting research on AI at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology of the University of Tokyo, Yahoo Japan Research Labs, Inria, etc. He specializes in multimedia deep learning and has presented his research at top international conferences such as WWW and RecSsy, and has patented his work.
More than 80% of their engineers/researchers are foreign nationals who have conducted research in AI and computer science at top schools such as the University of Tokyo, Inria, Cambridge, Oxford, and Seika University, etc. They highly value diversity and Inclusion in their working environment and they respect each other's cultural backgrounds.

【About the company】
The company develops an AI operational management solution, along with AI systems for manufacturing, mobility, and healthcare sectors. In critical areas where errors can have serious consequences, AI systems require high levels of transparency, interpretability, quality control, and security. They use advanced explainable AI (XAI) technology and Quality Assurance for AI (QA4AI) methods to implement AI safely in such mission-critical fields.
Their team is diverse, with over 80% of our engineers and researchers coming from various countries all over the world. Many have conducted AI and computer science research at leading institutions such as the University of Tokyo, Inria, Cambridge, Oxford, and Tsinghua University. They value diversity and inclusion, operating as an international company that respects and learns from different cultures and perspectives.

【About the role】
You will be entrusted with the role of Team Manager for the whole Product Development team. The PD team is working on implementing their in-house software to enable the introduction of AI solutions in mission-critical applications in the context of manufacturing and logistics. In this role, you will have the opportunity to supervise the whole PD team and interface with the Business department as well as with clients. You will be getting direct feedback from business stakeholders and clients, and you will be translating this feedback into actionable commitments on the product roadmap. Your responsibility will be to ensure that the operation of the whole PD team proceeds smoothly, that the product is developed according to the roadmap, and that the quality that they provide meets the expectations of the clients and the business team. You will be one of the key decision-makers in the direction of the service, leading the cutting-edge research and development that we are integrating into the product.

【Specific duties include】
・Supervise the entire PD team, while coordinating with business stakeholders and clients to realize client-centric product development.
・Take charge of the decision-making regarding the roadmap of the product; ensure team commitment to goals, and deliver results within promised deadlines.
・Interface with clients to understand their requirements and translate them into actionable objectives for the PD team.
・Manage and mentor the PD team, fostering innovation, collaboration, and good practices.
・Maintain deep knowledge of AI technologies and trends to guide product solutions.
・Ensure high ROI of the PD team, as well as optimal and efficient resource allocation across client-facing proof-of-concept projects.
・Communicate progress, results, and insights to company leadership as well as business stakeholders and clients.
・Work with other departments (biz, sales, operations) to align PD efforts with overall company goals.
・This role offers significant discretion and challenges under a lean structure, but it is a crucial position that influences the product quality of a rapidly growing startup and contributes to building a passionate organization. Even if you lack experience in a global environment, they welcome individuals with enthusiasm and leadership qualities.

Application Overview
Employment Type：Full-time employee (Contract work negotiable)
Expected annual income: 6.23 million yen to 15.3 million yen (including bonuses)
- Determined based on experience and skills, according to company regulations
- Includes overtime pay for 45 hours
- Payment on the 25th of the following month for the previous month's work
Probation Period：Yes (typically 3 months, no change in conditions during probation)
Work System：
■ Work hours and system
- 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (60-minute break)
　*Flexible start time: 8:00 AM - 11:30 AM, end time: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
　*8 hours per day
■ Monthly salary breakdown
- Base salary: 384,123 yen to 943,353 yen
- Fixed overtime pay: 135,043 yen to 331,647 yen
■ Evaluation
- Twice a year *Salary revision once a year (May)
■ Bonuses
- Twice a year (July/December, full-time employees only)
- Determined based on company regulations, considering semi-annual evaluations and performance
■ Overtime, late night, and holiday work
- Available *According to company regulations and individual labor contracts
■ Holidays
- Statutory holidays: Sundays / Designated holidays: Saturdays, Japanese national holidays
- Company-designated holidays (e.g., Obon holidays, as per company regulations)
- Special leave for celebratory or mourning occasions
■ Paid Leave
- Granted according to Labor Standards Act, starting 6 months after joining
Work Location：Remote work (office attendance possible)
Head office location：Tokyo
*Smoking environment: Indoor smoking prohibited (designated indoor smoking areas available)
Benefits
- Health insurance, welfare pension, employment insurance, workers' compensation insurance
*Enrolled in Japan Health Insurance Association
Other：Visa acquisition support ,Access to Udemy online courses, Book purchase allowance

【Requirements】
・5+ years of experience in project management or product management
・Experience in team leadership or management
・Experience in client communication in business settings in Japanese
・Practical experience as a software engineer or knowledge of programming
・Willingness to engage with clients
・Business-level Japanese and a level of English sufficient for internal communication

【Nice to have】
・Research and development experience in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), or deep learning (DL)
・Experience communicating with clients in Japan's manufacturing, automotive, or healthcare industries
・PhD in computer science (CS), artificial intelligence (AI), or machine learning (ML)
・Expected level：L4~L6