Interim IT Business Applications Manager

Project Overview

We are a consulting service team within EY Japan Consulting that specializes in helping organizations solve business challenges through Work Design consulting. Our approach focuses on improving how work is performed across people, processes, and systems. We support clients by reviewing how teams operate, documenting processes, clarifying responsibilities, improving coordination, and helping organizations build sustainable ways of working.

We are seeking an experienced Technology Applications Manager to support a temporary technology leadership and operational improvement engagement in Tokyo. The engagement will focus on maintaining continuity across back-office and retail applications, supporting the local applications team, coordinating with external vendors and international technology teams, and improving documentation and role clarity.

This is a hands-on, project-based role where the successful professional will help maintain stable technology operations during a temporary leadership gap. The role requires someone who can work independently, coordinate technical and business stakeholders, manage priorities and vendors, and organize information that may currently be incomplete or spread across different locations.

How You Would Contribute (Scope of Work)

As part of the engagement, you would apply your technology applications and leadership experience through activities such as:

Supporting the day-to-day coordination of back-office and retail applications.

Providing practical leadership support to the local applications team.

Monitoring operational priorities, system issues, and project activities.

Coordinating with local, regional, and global technology teams.

Managing communication and follow-up with external technology vendors.

Supporting applications related to enterprise resource planning, warehouse management, order management, retail operations, payments, and business reporting.

Helping resolve or escalate application issues that may affect business operations.

Reviewing current processes, responsibilities, and support arrangements.

Clarifying ownership across local teams, international teams, and external vendors.

Documenting recurring activities, system knowledge, key contacts, dependencies, and open issues.

Organizing existing technical and operational documentation.

Identifying missing, outdated, or inaccessible documentation.

Improving the visibility of team priorities, responsibilities, and ongoing work.

Supporting knowledge transfer and handover to a permanent leader or successor.

Identifying practical opportunities to improve coordination, documentation, and ways of working.

Communicating technical information clearly to both technical and business stakeholders.

Ideal Experience

• We are particularly interested in professionals with experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Technology applications management.
• Technology team leadership.
• Application support and service management.
• Project or program management.
• Vendor management.
• Back-office applications.
• Retail technology applications.
• Enterprise resource planning systems.
• Warehouse management systems.
• Order management systems.
• Point-of-sale or payment systems.
• Business intelligence or reporting applications.
• Application support in a multinational company.
• Coordination between local and international technology teams.
• Process documentation and knowledge management.
• Role and responsibility mapping.
• Technology operations in retail, consumer goods, beauty, luxury, or a related industry.
• Japanese language fluency.
• Business-level English communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Strong understanding of application operations and support.
• Ability to lead and coordinate a small technical team.
• Experience managing multiple vendors and service providers.
• Ability to organize priorities, issues, dependencies, and follow-up actions.
• Practical knowledge of enterprise resource planning, warehouse, order management, retail, payment, or reporting systems.
• Ability to review current processes and explain how work is performed.
• Strong documentation and knowledge-transfer skills.
• Ability to turn informal or incomplete information into clear, structured materials.
• Ability to clarify responsibilities across internal teams and external providers.
• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited documentation.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and business stakeholders.
• Experience with shared documentation platforms is preferred.

Engagement Style

You would work collaboratively with EY consultants, the client’s technology team, external vendors, and international stakeholders. The engagement combines practical operational support with improvements to documentation, coordination, and role clarity.

The role does not include formal client management authority. Final decisions, contract approvals, payments, hiring decisions, and other formal approvals will remain with the client.

The exact focus areas may evolve as the project progresses depending on operational priorities and project requirements.

Working Model

• Hybrid working arrangement.
• Regular onsite presence in central Tokyo will be required.
• Higher onsite presence may be needed during the initial onboarding period.
• Collaboration with both Japanese-speaking and English-speaking stakeholders.
• The engagement is expected to start as soon as possible.
• The initial contract period is expected to be approximately one to two months, with possible extension depending on project needs.

Company Information

• Company: EY Strategy and Consulting Co., Ltd.
• Address: Hibiya Mitsui Tower, Tokyo Midtown Hibiya, 1-1-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006 Japan
• Work Location: Within the 23 wards of Tokyo
• Contract Type: Quasi-Mandate Contract（業務委託）