Bilingual COO Opportunity @ Growing EdTech AI Company Full-time Job

Bilingual Chief Operating Officer (COO)Location: Tokyo (with frequent travel to SE Asia) Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Role SummaryThe COO is the CEO's key execution partner, responsible for transforming strategy into operational excellence and scalable business outcomes. This role oversees end-to-end operations across Product Development, Engineering, Delivery, QA, Customer Success, Revenue Operations, and Corporate Operations. The COO ensures predictable delivery, operational discipline, and sustainable growth while managing cross-border teams and meeting Japanese enterprise client expectations.Key Responsibilities1. Strategy, Planning & ExecutionTranslate corporate vision into annual operating plans, OKRs, and KPIs.Establish operating cadence: weekly/monthly reviews, dashboards, and performance tracking.Align priorities across Sales, Product, Engineering, Delivery, and Corporate functions.2. Delivery & Customer SuccessStandardize implementation methodology for enterprise SaaS/LMS/SMS/AI solutions.Ensure on-time, on-budget delivery with clear SOWs and profitability per project.Build Customer Success and Support functions to reduce churn, improve adoption, and expand revenue.Implement SLAs, ticketing systems, and root-cause analysis processes.3. Product & Engineering OperationsPartner with CPO/CTO to align roadmap with commercial commitments and reduce over-customization.Implement disciplined release cycles (quarterly releases, QA, change control).Strengthen offshore engineering velocity, predictability, and quality; optimize cost and utilization.4. Revenue OperationsBuild pipeline-to-delivery coordination with Sales.Implement pricing guardrails, margin controls, and contract governance.Tie delivery capacity forecasting directly to sales cycles.5. Finance, Governance & RiskTrack unit economics by project, client, and product module.Tighten cost controls and improve forecasting accuracy for ARR, PS revenue, and resource utilization.Ensure compliance with Japanese governance standards and enterprise risk management.6. People & CultureBuild strong mid-level management layers in Japan and overseasDrive accountability culture and data-driven decision-making.Mentor leaders and foster a calm, structured, and predictable operating environment.Required ExperienceFluency in Japanese and English12-20 years in enterprise software/SaaS operations, with 5-10 years in senior leadership roles.Proven experience managing Japanese enterprise clients and offshore development centers Strong background in project delivery (ERP/LMS/SMS/SI) and scaling Series A-C companies.Ability to manage 100-300+ distributed team members.Preferred QualificationsExperience in LMS/SMS, or AI-enabled products.Familiarity with Japanese procurement, RFPs, and compliance requirements.Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or Computer Science.Personal AttributesLow-ego, high-ownership operator who thrives in fast-paced environments.Comfortable diving deep into technical details when needed.Excellent communicator and cross-cultural leader.Structured, resilient, and solution-oriented.