Director - Operations, North Asia (Japan and Korea)

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 experi...

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.

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
Represent the JP and KR operational perspective in CEG-level forums and leadership discussions
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
Partner with CX and SOP teams to translate local customer insights into product and process improvements
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
Build succession depth and raise the bar on leadership capability across JP and KR
Partner with TD and HRBP on talent development, performance management, and organizational health

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 (Korean is an added advantage) 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
 
 
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