Director - Operations, North Asia (Japan and Korea)

Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kawasaki. Posted 26 days ago

The role

You will lead the end-to-end operational performance of customer service teams in Japan and Korea. You will also act as the senior external face for Agoda with government, industry bodies, and key partners in these markets.

What you will do

Own end-to-end operational performance of JP and KR customer service teams
Lead and develop Regional Managers and Team Managers across multiple sites
Set operational priorities and OKRs for North Asia
Partner with WFM, Analytics, Automation/ Tools and CX to drive data-led decisions
Represent Agoda in senior external meetings with government, industry associations, and key partners
Build and maintain senior-level relationships with external stakeholders
Partner with CSI, Legal, Regulatory, and Supply PMO on compliance and regulatory readiness
Champion localization excellence for customer and partner experience
Own escalation handling for high-severity JP and KR cases
Attract, develop, and retain strong operational leaders

Required qualifications

10+ years of people leadership experience in customer service operations, escalation management, or operational leadership
Fluency in Japanese (spoken and written)
Proven track record of leading large operational teams managing multi-site, multi-funnel customer service organizations
Strong external stakeholder management experience
Cultural fluency in the Japanese market
Analytical mindset
Executive presence and communication skills in both Japanese and English

Nice to have

Korean language proficiency (spoken and/or written)
Direct experience working with or representing companies in front of government/regulatory bodies
Background in OTA or travel platform operations
Experience managing BPO partnerships and vendor governance at a senior level
Familiarity with Agoda's product ecosystem or similar travel booking platforms

About the company

Agoda is part of Booking Holdings with a diverse team of over 7,000 people. The company connects people to destinations and experiences through hotels, flights, and experiences worldwide.