Company: Rakuten Kobo

Location: Toronto, ON

Expected salary:

Job date: Sun, 08 Jun 2025 05:41:10 GMT

Job description: Job Description:Here at Rakuten Kobo Inc. we offer a casual working start-up environment and a group of friendly and talented individuals. Our employees rank us highly in terms of commitment to work/life balance. We realize that for our people to be innovative, creative and passionate they need to feel valued and supported.If you’re looking for a company that inspires passion, personal, and professional growth – join Kobo and come help us on our mission of making reading lives better.The Role:Rakuten Kobo Inc. is seeking a Manager, Data Innovation & Research (DIR) to join our Big Data team for 12-months to support a personal leave. The DIR team plays a critical role within the company: you will have access to rich datasets being generated by millions of readers across the globe as they interact with our website, apps, e-Readers, partner integrations, marketing platforms, and our CRM channels. You’ll be tasked with leveraging massive data in our Google Cloud platform to innovatively solve business problems leading to make easier for Kobo decision makers as well as our worldwide readers.To succeed in this role, you will leverage your experience of delivering insightful analysis and championing revenue-driving projects in the context of ecommerce. You are able to look at business value in each initiative and prioritize what matters most to the company as well as our readers. You are a storyteller who is equally comfortable developing a technical roadmap as you are presenting findings to our executive team.The Skillset:Must Haves

• M.Sc. or greater in Statistics/Mathematics, computer science and Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of experience developing and communicating advanced analytics in the context of ecommerce.
• Deep expertise and minimum 5 years of experience in developing and measuring recommendation systems, machine learning and deep learning models, especially transformers, natural language processing techniques, large language models, and general familiarity with the latest agentic AI developments.
• 3+ years building data and analytics solutions in Google Cloud platform and have deep expertise in BigQuery, VertexAI, and MLOps frameworks for developing and deploying machine learning models.
• Strong SQL skillsets to join & analyze complex sets of data using SQL, GraphQL, Python
• A methodical approach to breaking complex and abstract problems into discreet work packages.
• Experience in reading, understanding, and translating legacy code base of ML models and data pipelines from Hadoop ecosystem into modern cloud stack
• Deep expertise in Python for data science and AI.
• A zealous advocate for data-driven decision making.
• A track record of successfully leading, mentoring and coaching a team of highly talented and high-impact senior data science and AI experts.

Bonus

• Familiarity with marketing and CRM ecosystems.
• Expertise in causal AI and knowledge graph

The Perks:

• Flexible hours and hybrid working environment with minimum 2 days in office
• Subsidized in-office lunches
• Full benefits starting from your first day
• Monthly commuting allowance for those who are hybrid
• Lifestyle spending account
• Talent and development training budget
• Free Kobo device + free weekly e-book or audiobook
• Weekly Kobo Tech University sessions
• Dog friendly office

About Rakuten Kobo Inc.
Owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten and headquartered in Toronto, Rakuten Kobo Inc. is one of the most advanced global ecommerce companies, with the world’s most innovative e-reading services offering more than 6 million eBooks and audiobooks to 30 million + customers in 190 countries. Kobo delivers the best digital reading experience through creative innovation, award-winning e-readers, and top-ranking mobile apps. Kobo is a part of the Rakuten group of companies.Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations for candidates with disabilities participating in the selection process are available on request. Any information received related to accommodation needs of applicants will be addressed confidentially.Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted.Beware of fraudulent job offers claiming to be from Rakuten. Rakuten does not send unsolicited job offers or request money during the recruitment process. Learn more: https://rakutenemploymentalert.com/#RKIND

Job Summary for Manager, Data Innovation & Research at Rakuten Kobo Inc.

Company Overview:
Rakuten Kobo Inc. is a global leader in e-commerce, offering innovative e-reading services with over 6 million eBooks and audiobooks. Located in Toronto, the company fosters a casual start-up environment and values work/life balance and employee growth.

Role Overview:
Kobo is seeking a Manager for a 12-month term in their Data Innovation & Research (DIR) team to support a personal leave. The role involves utilizing extensive datasets from millions of users to drive business insights and improve decision-making.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyze large data sets within Google Cloud to solve business challenges.
• Communicate findings effectively to the executive team.
• Prioritize initiatives that add value for both the company and users.

Required Qualifications:

• M.Sc. or higher in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, or related field.
• Over 8 years in advanced analytics, particularly in e-commerce.
• Strong experience (5+ years) in machine learning, recommendation systems, and familiarity with AI developments.
• Proficiency in Google Cloud tools (BigQuery, VertexAI).
• Excellent SQL, GraphQL, and Python skills.
• Experience in transitioning legacy ML models to cloud environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of marketing and CRM systems.
• Expertise in causal AI and knowledge graphs.

Perks:

• Flexible hours with a hybrid work model.
• Subsidized lunches, full benefits, commuting allowances, and a lifestyle spending account.
• Opportunities for personal development and access to Kobo products.

Candidate Support:
Kobo emphasizes inclusivity and offers accommodations for candidates with disabilities during the recruitment process.

Note:

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to transparency in its hiring process and warns against fraudulent job offers.