Operations & Buying Specialist
White Rabbit Japan is at the forefront of the e-commerce revolution, making it easy for anyone, anywhere, to buy anything from Japan. We're looking for a highly organized problem-solver to join our Yokohama office in a hybrid role split between Operations Specialist and Buyer responsibilities on a day-to-day basis.
You'll split your time roughly evenly between the two functions, giving you exposure to both sides of our purchasing and operations pipeline and the flexibility to jump in wherever the day's priorities need you most.
As an Operations & Buying Specialist at White Rabbit Japan, you will:
On the Operations side, ensure our day-to-day operations run smoothly across departments, providing support and troubleshooting daily purchasing and receiving issues. When problems come up, whether it's a vendor shipping the wrong or damaged item or a missing item from a package, you'll take ownership of resolving them quickly, maintaining organized records, and using your fluency in Japanese and English to communicate with online shops, shipping partners, and internal teams.
On the Buying side, you'll be at the center of the purchasing process for Japan Rabbit customers, confirming item details, pricing, availability, and condition with Japanese vendors, processing payments, and proactively identifying and resolving issues before they affect customers. You'll communicate with vendors in Japanese, collaborate with internal teams in Japanese and English, and support customers in English with clear, timely updates.
Key Responsibilities:
Order Management – overseeing and processing customer orders, including vendor purchasing and payment capture
Inventory & Stored Item Management – managing incoming stock, customer-held inventory, and ensuring accurate records
Petty Cash Management – handling small cash transactions and maintaining records
English Customer Support – providing assistance and resolving inquiries
Japanese Phone Correspondence – handling phone calls and inquiries professionally
Vendor Communication – confirming item details, pricing, availability, and condition with Japanese vendors
Fulfillment & Bookkeeping – assisting with fulfillment, bookkeeping, and related data entry, and maintaining accurate financial records of purchases and refunds
System Improvement Collaboration – working with the engineering team to improve internal systems and processes
Warehouse & Order Team Coordination – serving as a bridge between warehouse staff and the order processing team
You might be a fit for this role if you:
Are fluent in Japanese and English, and communicate clearly and assertively with vendors, partners, customers, and team members
Are detail-oriented and meticulous, proactively catching issues before they become problems
Take full ownership of your work as a self-starter, meeting deadlines and maintaining high standards
Have a customer-centric mindset, focused on accuracy, transparency, and timely resolution
Adapt quickly to changing priorities and can move between operational and purchasing tasks smoothly within the same day
Are organized and methodical in maintaining records across both operational issues and purchasing/financial data
Are comfortable using various communication and productivity tools to manage your workflow
Nice to have:
Prior experience in e-commerce, supply-chain management, logistics, or international shipping
Customer support experience
Experience working at an early- or growth-stage startup
Japanese language proficiency, Native or N1 level
A growth mindset and openness to feedback and new challenges
Experience working in a multicultural environment, especially related to Japanese business practices
A track record of identifying and implementing process improvements
Work Environment:
Location: On-site at our office hub in Shinkoyasu, Yokohama
Dress Code: Casual work environment; dress for comfort
Global Exposure: Engage with our diverse international team and customers
If you're a strong problem solver who's equally comfortable troubleshooting operations and driving the purchasing process, we'd love to hear from you!