Regional Manager - Operations (Based in Yokohama)

Get to Know Us: 

At Agoda, we believe that the world is better when people can travel more freely, explore new places, and experience new things. Our Customer Experience Group (CEG) is at the heart of that mission, making sure every traveler feels taken care of, no matter where their journey takes them. 

This team plays a unique and vital role within CEG: we step in at exactly the right moments when a customer needs extra care, when the experience starts to go off track, or when there's an opportunity to turn things around before frustration builds. This team is also the trusted voice customers hear when they need us most, helping them find the right way forward and stepping in personally on the moments that matter. We don't stop at fixing the moment, we dig deeper, uncover what caused the issue in the first place, and work hand-in-hand with teams across the business to make sure it doesn't happen again. It's meaningful, high-impact work that directly shapes how millions of travelers experience Agoda. 

The Opportunity: 

This is an exciting opportunity to help build and grow a brand-new team from the ground up. As Regional Manager, Operations, based in Yokohama, you'll report directly to the Associate Director, Operations, and lead a group of Team Managers who step in early with customers who've had a difficult or frustrating experience. 

You'll play a critical role in bringing the vision for this new function to life day by day: coaching your Team Managers, driving consistent performance, and making sure your team delivers thoughtful, timely outcomes for the customers who need us most. This role is ideal for a hands-on people leader who loves building strong teams, solving problems with data, and bringing clarity and structure to a fast-evolving environment. 

In This Role, You'll Get To: 

• Build and Lead a High-Performing Team: Manage, coach, and develop a team of 8-10 Team Managers, holding them accountable for performance, quality, and the growth of their own teams. 

• Own the Day-to-Day: Drive the execution of our intervention operating model, keeping a close eye on KPIs, spotting gaps early, and course-correcting quickly. 

• Guide Sound Decisions: Be a point of support for your Team Managers on cases that need extra care, stepping in personally when needed. Keep the customer's experience and trust at the heart of every decision and make sure policy exceptions are applied fairly and consistently. 

• Turn Insights into Action: Use data to identify trends and root causes across intervention cases, and partner with the Associate Director and cross-functional teams to drive lasting improvements. 

• Help Shape How We Work: Contribute to refining processes, workflows, and ways of working as the team grows and scales across the region. 

• Build Genuine Partnerships: Work closely with other CEG and cross-functional teams to keep operations running smoothly. 

• Bring Your Team Along for the Journey: Keep your Team Managers and their teams engaged, informed, and motivated as the function continues to take shape. 

• Tell a Compelling Story: Prepare and share clear, data-driven updates on team performance and improvement initiatives with senior stakeholders. 

• Stay Agile: Thrive in a fast-moving, evolving environment, adapting plans and priorities as the team learns what works best. 

• Champion Our Values: Uphold the highest standards of compliance and bring Agoda's mission and values to life every day. 

What You'll Bring: 

• Business-level proficiency, spoken and written, in English and Japanese (JLPT N1 or equivalent preferred) and/or Korean

• 5 years of people leadership experience, including experience managing managers (Team Managers or equivalent) 

• Experience in contact centers, operations, or customer service, handling difficult or frustrating customer situations with care and sound judgment 

• A track record of building, developing, and retaining strong, engaged teams 

• Strong analytical skills and comfort using data and AI-enabled tools to sharpen decisions, speed up work, and coach others to do the same 

• Excellent listening, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, with great attention to detail 

• Confidence communicating with and presenting to senior stakeholders 

• Comfort navigating ambiguity, shifting priorities, and the energy of a growing, evolving team 

• Working knowledge of, or experience in, travel-related operations 

• Based in or willing to relocate to Yokohama, Japan

Nice to Have: 

• Experience in a similar intervention, escalation, or specialist team 

• Experience working in or helping build a new team or function, especially in travel, e-commerce, or fintech 

• Familiarity with Agile, Lean, or Six Sigma ways of working, or a certification such as PMP, for managing multiple initiatives at once 

• Hands-on experience with CRM, contact center, workforce management, or data visualization tools 

• Exposure to predictive analytics or AI-driven tools 
• Additional language skills 

Additional specific qualifications for internal applicants:

• At least 1 year in the current role (Regional Manager or above)
• Japanese (Native/ Business) and Korean language proficiency (Business/ Conversational)
• No disciplinary actions in the last 12 months
• Meeting or exceeding expectations in the last performance review and no Performance Improvement plans in the last 12 months
• Please refer to Agoda Internal Hiring Guidelines before applying

Location: Yokohama Based. We welcome applications from all locations. If you are currently in another location, visa/relocation will be provided.

• Shift/Working Days: Regular Shift      

Application deadline: On a rolling basis 

For any additional detail reach out to nidhi.mudgal@agoda.com

Selection Process: 
Application Screening by Recruiter --> Eligibility confirmation from People Operation team -->  Interview rounds with Hiring Manager