[Apply Now] Director of AI Product Management in Japan: Everything You Need to Know
What you will do
Lead AI Product Strategy, Build Global-Standard Teams, and Shape the Future of Work
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming how people work, communicate, and make decisions.
This role is designed for senior product leaders who want to be at the center of that transformation, building AI-powered products, scaling product organizations, and driving business impact across industries.
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can combine product strategy, execution, organizational development, and cross-functional influence, while working at the frontier of Generative AI, LLM-based products, and AI-powered automation.
Role Overview
As Director of Product Management, you will guide the overall product vision, lead multiple product lines, and build and manage a high-performing product organization.
This role sits at the intersection of business strategy, technology, and customer success.
You will not just lead products. You will help define how product management operates at scale within an AI-driven business.
🎯 Core Responsibilities
1️⃣ Strategic Product Ownership
Define mid- to long-term product strategy aligned with business goals
Own prioritization and resource allocation across multiple product areas
Guide executive-level decisions through data, customer insights, and market research
Identify and validate new business opportunities, use cases, and product directions
2️⃣ Hands-On Product Development
Lead requirement definition, concept testing, and feature design
Collaborate closely with engineering to ensure feasibility, scalability, and delivery quality
Establish data-driven decision-making across the product organization
Embed customer feedback loops and market insights into the roadmap
3️⃣ Product Organization Leadership
Manage and mentor Product Managers and Project Managers (10+ members)
Build scalable workflows and processes for product discovery, planning, and delivery
Strengthen collaboration models between Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success
Create a culture of ownership, transparency, experimentation, and continuous improvement
4️⃣ Stakeholder & Customer Engagement
Lead user interviews and extract insights from real operational challenges
Align product direction with key business functions and external partners
Communicate product strategy clearly across technical and non-technical teams
Bridge technical understanding with real-world business needs
🌟 Why This Role Matters
This is a unique opportunity to combine growth-stage leadership, AI innovation, and organizational impact.
✨ Own both 0→1 innovation and 1→10 scaling phases
✨ Lead an AI product portfolio with real-world enterprise adoption
✨ Shape product culture, process, and capability in a growing organization
✨ Influence executive decisions and company-wide product direction
✨ Build a high-impact, multinational product organization
👥 Team & Product Areas You Will Influence
You will lead product teams building AI solutions across areas such as:
💬 AI Agents & Conversational Intelligence
🎧 Speech-Based AI Efficiency Tools
📊 AI Productivity & Knowledge Automation
🧠 AI-powered Business Process Optimization (HR / Operations / Service / Sales)
These products support real use cases such as workflow automation, employee enablement, decision support, and knowledge extraction—powered by LLMs, generative AI, and intelligent agents.
🧠 Ideal Candidate Profile
Experience & Track Record
✔ 5+ years in product management, including strategic ownership
✔ Experience leading digital, SaaS, AI, or enterprise-product teams
✔ Proven success in both product launch (0→1) and scaling (1→10) phases
✔ Experience collaborating closely with engineering, design, and business units
✔ Team management experience (10+ members)
Mindset & Capabilities
✔ Strategic yet hands-on, comfortable building and leading at the same time
✔ Customer-obsessed, highly analytical, and product-centric
✔ Able to bridge complex technical ideas with business and user value
✔ Naturally builds structures, processes, and people
💼 Work Environment & Culture
Hybrid work model (office and remote flexibility)
AI-first culture, fast-paced, highly collaborative, global-facing
Strong focus on learning, experimentation, and scalable thinking
🌐 Language Expectations
🗣 Japanese: Fluent — able to lead meetings and strategic discussions without misunderstandings
🌍 English: Business — capable of working with multinational teams, research, and documentation
💰 Compensation & Rewards
Competitive annual salary (senior leadership tier)
Performance-based bonuses
Stock option program (depending on stage and structure)
Fast career acceleration aligned with business growth
🎯 Selection Process (Typical Structure)
1️⃣ Application Screening
2️⃣ Product & Strategy Interviews (2–3 rounds)
3️⃣ Executive Interview
Reference checks and assessments may be conducted before final offer
🌎 Your Impact
In this role, you will help build intelligent products that change how organizations work—and help shape what product management looks like in the age of AI.
This is an opportunity to create something lasting:
An AI product that solves real problems.
A product team that scales from startup to enterprise.
A culture where excellence, creativity, and ownership thrive.
✨ If you want to lead with purpose, build products that matter, and grow alongside something big—this role offers that chance.
❓Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
💡 What makes this role different from a traditional Product Manager position?
This is a senior leadership role that goes beyond managing a single product. You will define cross-product strategy, build scalable processes, mentor Product Managers, and influence company-wide decision-making. You will be responsible for both product direction and organizational development.
🛠 How technical does this role need to be?
While you don’t need to be an engineer, you must understand AI concepts, product architecture, product feasibility, and technical trade-offs. The goal is to effectively collaborate with engineering and make informed decisions that balance product vision with technical reality.
🌍 Is this an individual contributor role or a people management role?
It’s both. While you will lead and scale a product organization, you are also expected to be hands-on—leading high-impact product initiatives, shaping strategy, and staying close to users, data, and real-world problems.
🤝 What kind of cross-functional collaboration can I expect?
You will work closely with Engineering, Design, Sales, Customer Success, Strategy, and Operations. You’ll also interact directly with customers and enterprise stakeholders to integrate real-world value into product development.
🚀 What stage is the organization currently in?
You will get exposure to both 0→1 innovation (creating new AI-based products) and 1→10 scaling (optimizing successful products for broader adoption and market impact). The organization is also actively building its product culture and processes—your influence here will be significant.
🌱 What is the team culture like?
The culture values ownership, rapid learning, experimentation, and transparent communication. It combines startup-style agility with the structure needed to scale product operations. The environment is international, bilingual, and innovation-driven.
🗣 What are the language requirements?
Japanese: Fluent (for strategic discussions and stakeholder alignment)
English: Business (for product documentation, research, and working with multinational members)
🏢 Is remote or hybrid work available?
Yes. The team uses a hybrid model, typically combining office collaboration days with remote flexibility to support deep work, documentation, and global team communication.
💰 What is the compensation structure?
The package is competitive at senior leadership level and typically includes:
Fixed annual salary
Performance-based bonuses
Stock option program (depending on company structure and impact)
Compensation is designed to reward long-term contribution and strategic influence.
🎯 What are the long-term career growth opportunities?
Depending on impact, this role can evolve into:
🔹 Head of Product / VP of Product
🔹 CoE/Product Strategy Lead across multiple business units
🔹 Country or regional Product Leadership roles
This position is designed for someone who can grow with the organization and help scale it—not just manage products.
📋 What does the selection process typically look like?
1️⃣ Document & portfolio screening
2️⃣ Product leadership & strategy interviews
3️⃣ Deep-dive discussion with engineering and executives
4️⃣ Final round (vision, leadership, culture)
Reference checks or case exercises may be included for senior candidates.
