Our client is a well-established global asset management organization with a strong presence in Japan and across international markets. As part of its continued investment in technology and operational excellence, the firm is seeking a Senior Manager, Information Technology to strengthen its local IT capabilities and support ongoing business growth.

This is a high-impact role within a lean, hands-on team, offering visibility across local and regional stakeholders and the opportunity to shape the Japan office’s IT landscape.

 About the Role

The Senior Manager will play a critical role in enhancing and stabilizing the Japan IT environment. This position requires deep expertise in at least one core IT domain—ideally infrastructure—combined with strong project leadership capabilities.

Operating within a small team, the successful candidate must be comfortable balancing strategic initiatives with day-to-day operational responsibilities. The role involves close collaboration with regional and global IT teams, business stakeholders, and external vendors to ensure alignment with broader technology strategies while addressing local business needs.

The ideal candidate demonstrates a proactive, ownership-driven mindset and the ability to contribute across multiple IT domains without creating silos.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute local IT projects, including infrastructure upgrades, system migrations, and security-related initiatives, in alignment with regional and global strategies.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate IT risks, including infrastructure aging, cybersecurity, compliance, and governance concerns.
• Act as the primary liaison with external vendors, ensuring effective delivery, service quality, and ongoing support.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert across key IT domains such as infrastructure, cloud platforms, workplace technologies, and information security.
• Partner with business teams to introduce and implement emerging technologies (e.g., AI and automation) to enhance operational efficiency.
• Mentor and guide junior IT team members, fostering knowledge sharing and capability development.
• Maintain IT documentation, operational procedures, and adherence to corporate IT and security policies.
• Support business-critical applications in the Japan office, coordinating with regional teams or vendors when required.
• Oversee IT asset management, procurement processes, and invoice coordination.
• Provide hands-on IT administrative and operational support as needed.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in IT roles, including infrastructure, systems operations, or project management, ideally within an international or matrixed environment.
• Proven experience successfully leading IT projects end-to-end.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise IT infrastructure, including server environments, networks, and cloud-based productivity platforms.
• Foundational expertise in information security, including access management, vulnerability management, IT risk and governance, and third-party security oversight.
• Experience managing and coordinating external vendors.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify root causes and implement practical solutions.
• Experience mentoring or developing junior team members.
• Fluent Japanese (native level) and business-level English (reading/writing and conversational).
• Experience supporting or developing business applications is advantageous.
• Exposure to AI technologies or enterprise business platforms is a plus.
• Financial services industry experience is preferred.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable operating in a small team with broad responsibilities.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to build strong relationships across local and regional stakeholders.
• Adaptable and growth-oriented, with the ability to evolve alongside business and technology demands.

Why Apply

• Opportunity to take ownership of the Japan IT environment within a respected global organization.
• High visibility role with direct interaction across business units and regional/global IT leadership.
• Broad scope covering infrastructure, security, applications, and emerging technologies.
• A collaborative and agile working environment where individual impact is tangible.
• Strong potential for professional growth and regional exposure.

This role is well-suited for a technically strong, hands-on IT leader who thrives in dynamic environments and is motivated to drive meaningful improvements across both infrastructure and business-facing technology domains.