Technical Engineer, Second Line Support, BSS Operations [Billing & Mediation] - BSS Ops Department (BSOPD)

Job Description: Business Overview The Technology Platforms Division (TPD) drives the growth of Rakuten's ecosystem by delivering innovative, high-quality technology platforms characterized by integrated control and strategic partnerships and responsible for building and operating the infrastructure and ecosystem platforms which power the Rakuten Group. Department Overview Our department, BSS Ops Department (BSOPD) provides operational service for BSS applications both B2B & B2C and also responsible for maintenance of IT infra (on-premise and cloud environment) for BSS platform. Position: Why We Hire We are looking for Entrepreneurial, Innovative, Growth-Oriented, and Customer-obsessed individuals to join our growing team to build the Telco of the Future. We are a truly global organization, with team members from Japan, India, North America, South America, Europe, China, Korea, Australia, Africa, and more, shifting to a fast-paced, agile way of working. Position Details - Provide expert day-to-day technical support for critical BSS billing applications (Rating, Mediation, Payment, Collection). - Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve complex issues impacting billing accuracy, revenue assurance, and financial processes, prioritizing incidents by impact. - Conduct thorough root cause analysis (RCA) of billing discrepancies, rating errors, mediation failures, and payment/collection issues using system logs, billing records, and mediation data. - Implement immediate workarounds and data corrections to maintain revenue accuracy and financial integrity within the billing system. - Lead incident response for critical issues, particularly those affecting billing cycles or financial operations. - Manage and execute all billing procedures, ensuring accuracy and compliance with established standards. - Investigate and resolve billing inquiries, disputes, and connection issues from internal teams, carriers, and customers. - Oversee and manage the Data-refinery, Nat-refinery, and Network Repository for the B2C BSS system. - Collaborate with vendor teams for system development, deployment, and operational support. - Reconcile usage and charges from vendors against customer invoices, investigating and resolving any discrepancies. - Develop and implement processes to automate dunning functions and manage collections based on defined thresholds. - Proactively monitor Rating, Mediation, Payment, and Collection applications to identify and mitigate potential issues before they impact customers or revenue. - Lead investigations into end-to-end billing cycle issues, from raw usage data processing to invoice generation and payment. - Plan and execute system maintenance activities, including application upgrades, patches, and new feature activations. - Analyze recurring billing issues to identify systemic problems and propose long-term solutions, preventative measures, and process enhancements. - Collaborate cross-functionally with finance, product, development, IT teams, and external vendors to resolve operational challenges and continuously improve the billing ecosystem. - Contribute to and maintain a comprehensive knowledge base with technical solutions and operational procedures for support teams and other stakeholders. - Provide direct feedback to development and product teams on application performance, stability, and data accuracy. Mandatory Qualifications: 1) Technical Expertise - 5-10 years of professional experience in a technical role within a telecommunications BSS environment. - Proven track record of troubleshooting and resolving complex production issues. - Strong understanding of the telecom BSS billing ecosystem, with specialized focus on rating engines, mediation platforms, payment gateways, and collection management systems. - Good understanding of Mediation Logic, CDR (Call Detail Record) flows, and CDR Validation. - Hands-on experience with Mediation systems (e.g., Nokia Mediation or similar platforms). - Knowledge of Configuration/Addition of new streams/Workflows in mediation is essential. - Familiarity with leading BSS platforms such as Amdocs, Netcracker, Ericsson, Huawei, or similar proprietary systems. - Advanced SQL skills for complex data analysis, integrity checks, data corrections, and troubleshooting within large billing databases. - Proficient in creating and utilizing SQL queries for various operational needs related to billing and mediation data. - Practical experience with APIs and data integration methods (e.g., ETL processes) for understanding how billing modules interact with upstream and downstream systems. - Extensive experience with Linux/Unix environments for shell scripting, log analysis, and system administration related to billing application components. - Understanding of Cloud concepts (VM/PODS/Containers) and Kubernetes. - Experience with system and application performance monitoring tools (e.g., Splunk, Grafana, Prometheus, ELK stack) for analyzing billing process health and identifying anomalies. - Familiarity with DevOps tools such as Ansible and Jenkins, including the ability to support/handle CI/CD pipelines (advantageous). 2) Professional Competencies - Problem-Solving: Exceptional analytical and troubleshooting capabilities to resolve complex, time-sensitive issues efficiently. - Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate technical issues to both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders (e.g., business users, L1 support). - Adaptability: The ability to quickly learn and adapt to new front-end technologies, frameworks, and evolving business processes within a dynamic environment. - Customer Focus: A strong commitment to ensuring a positive and efficient user experience for both customers and internal agents. 3) Experience & Education - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field. - Typically, 5+ years of experience in an L2 or equivalent technical support role, ideally within the telecommunications sector. - Proven experience with ITSM methodologies and ticketing tools such as ServiceNow or Jira. Desired Qualifications: - Proactive approach to problem-solving. - Strong organizational skills & Experience with budget management. - Knowledge of industry standards and compliance requirements. - Ability to work independently and as part of a team. - Commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Other Information: Additional information on Location Rakuten Crimson House (Head office) #engineer #developmentsupport #technologyplatformdiv Languages: English (Overall - 4 - Fluent) In Japanese, Rakuten stands for ‘optimism.’ It means we believe in the future. It’s an understanding that, with the right mind-set, we can make the future better by what we do today. So we challenge ourselves to evolve, innovate and experiment, to create a better, brighter future for everyone. Today, our 70+ businesses span e-commerce, digital content, communications and fintech, bringing the joy of discovery to almost 1.3 billion members across the world. If you have any trouble logging in, please contact us here Rakuten Group, Inc.: rakuten-recruiting-info@mail.rakuten.com Please read the Application Requirements(EN) / 募集要項(JP) before applying. Our Diversity & Inclusion Policy and Application Documents Rakuten’s corporate mission is to “contribute to society by creating value through innovation and entrepreneurship.” We foster a culture that provides equal opportunities to those who share this founding philosophy and take on the challenge to transform society, regardless of age, gender, nationality, or any other status. Diversity is one of Rakuten's core strategies and a driving force for innovation. Because of this, you are not required to submit any of the following information in order to apply for our job positions. - Gender - Age - Photo - Nationality - Information not related to business, such as ideological beliefs, family structure, etc. * For legal compliance, we may ask you about your work eligibility. See the details