Director - Operations, North Asia (Japan and Korea)

Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kawasaki · Yokohama · 10+ years experience · Posted Oct 19, 2026

At a glance

At Agoda, we bridge the world through travel. Our story began in 2005, when two lifelong friends and entrepreneurs, driven by their passion for travel, launched Agoda to make it easier for everyone to explore the world.
Today, we are part of Booking Holdings [NASDAQ: BKNG], with a diverse team of over 7,000 people from 90 countries, working together in offices around the globe. Every day, we connect people to destinations and experiences, with our great deals across our millions of hotels and holiday properties, flights, and experiences worldwide.
No two days are the same at Agoda. Data and technology are at the heart of our culture, fueling our curiosity and innovation. If you’re ready to begin your best journey and help build travel for the world, join us.
Our Purpose - Bridging the World Through Travel We believe travel allows people to enjoy, learn and experience more of the amazing world we live in. It brings individuals and cultures closer together, fostering empathy, understanding and happiness. We are a skillful, driven and diverse team from across the globe, united by a passion to make an impact. Harnessing our innovative technologies and strong partnerships, we aim to make travel easy and rewarding for everyone.
Get to Know Our Team
This role is based in Yokohama, with regular travel to Seoul and Bangkok.

As the Director, or Senior Director for North Asia Customer and Partner Success, you will be the most senior CEG leader on the ground in Japan and the primary face of Agoda's customer service and partner operations for both Japan and Korea.
This is a high-visibility role with direct exposure to Customer Service leadership and the chance to influence major operational decisions across accommodations and flights.

Own the end-to-end operational performance of JP and KR customer service teams driving SLA, DSAT, overall quality, and efficiency outcomes across In House and BPO teams
Lead and develop a team of Regional Managers and Team Managers across Yokohama, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and partner BPO sites
Set operational priorities and OKRs for North Asia aligned to CEG's broader strategy
Partner with WFM, Analytics, Automation/ Tools and CX to drive data-led decisions and continuous improvement
Represent Agoda in senior external meetings with government, industry associations, and key Supply and hotel partners in Japan and Korea with the Supply team
Build and maintain trusted, senior-level relationships with external stakeholders acting as a credible and confident voice for Agoda's commitments and direction
Partner with CSI, Legal, Regulatory, and Supply PMO on market-specific compliance, regulatory readiness, and partner satisfaction topics
Champion localization excellence by ensuring that the customer and partner experience in JP and KR reflects the cultural, linguistic, and regulatory context of each market
Own escalation handling for high-severity JP and KR cases ensuring the right intervention, the right resolution, and the right external messaging where needed
Attract, develop, and retain strong operational leaders at RM and TM level in both markets

10+ years of people leadership experience in customer service operations, escalation management, or operational leadership ideally within an OTA, travel platform, or e-commerce environment
Fluency in Japanese (spoken and written) is essential as this role requires confident, senior-level communication with external Japanese stakeholders
Proven track record of leading large operational teams managing multi-site, multi-funnel customer service organizations with measurable quality and performance outcomes
Strong external stakeholder management experience; comfortable representing a company at the level of government bodies, industry associations, and senior partner leadership
Cultural fluency in the Japanese market with deep understanding of local business customs, communication styles, and regulatory environment
Analytical mindset; ability to use data to diagnose operational gaps, drive decisions, and influence stakeholders with evidence
Executive presence and communication skills in both Japanese and English and can operate effectively across internal and external audiences at senior levels
Entrepreneurial and ownership mindset; comfortable operating in fast-moving environments with the ability to make decisions and drive outcomes without constant direction

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