Introducing the Engineering Office: Strengthening KINTO Technologies’ Engineering Organization

About KTC's Engineering Office

In January 2025, KINTO Technologies (KTC) established a new organization: the Engineering Office. This article introduces what the Engineering Office is working on, while also helping raise awareness of its purpose within the company.

What We’re Aiming For

Our primary goal is to "strengthen KINTO Technologies' capabilities as an engineering organization." To achieve this over the medium to long term, we’re actively working to foster new capabilities and shape a supportive, evolving engineering culture.

As a team reporting directly to the Vice President, we stay closely aligned with key management issues. Together, we formulate hypotheses about what initiatives KTC truly needs, and each of us leverages our own experiences and expertise to lead cross-functional efforts across the company.

Our Mindset

It’s easy to look at other teams and wish for what they have. But if we want to unlock new possibilities, we also need to take a closer look at the strengths we’ve already built and make the most of them. Real progress begins when we start asking ourselves questions like, "What if we added this, tweaked that, or took something away? Could we become even stronger?" It is important to correctly understand the current situation and take action based on that context.

KTC already has a workforce of over 350 people. Because our existing operations and organizational structures are well established, bringing about change is not easy. Precisely because we are in an uncertain and ambiguous situation where no one knows the right answer for us, we must remain persistent. Instead of rushing to conclusions, we should focus on identifying what is truly necessary.

What Not to Do

• We don’t plan to directly handle the following areas: Planning, promotion and execution of business strategies and development projects
• Project and program management for development work
• Recruitment, PR, internal communications, and company culture initiatives

While the Engineering Office works to strengthen KTC’s engineering capabilities through planning and promotion, we do not take on responsibilities such as hiring, training, evaluation, or public relations, which are roles that similar departments at other companies may often manage. At present, as we move projects forward, we’re collaborating with the respective dedicated teams at key points when needed.

Activity Example 1: Planning to Accelerate Key Initiatives

While KTC is steadily bringing together talented individuals, we believe that achieving even greater outcomes as an in-house development team requires further organizational and team maturity.

Through ongoing discussions with the Vice President, I was involved in shaping and articulating the key focus themes for 2025. Since AI First already has a dedicated project team, the Engineering Office is focusing on the remaining three themes:

• Release First
• User First
• Organizational Intensity

We’re planning initiatives to support internal volunteer efforts and cross-team projects, based on two key pillars: 1. Improving IT literacy across the organization and 2. Creating real examples and encouraging behavioral change.

Activity Example 2: Supporting Development Team Process and Communication

Y.Naito-san is leveraging her expertise and experience in SPI (Software Process Improvement) to support in-house development teams. Specifically, our efforts include facilitating team retrospectives, assisting in the operation of development tools such as JIRA and Findy Team+, organizing study sessions to share knowledge needed for process improvement, and providing mentoring.

The initiative aims to improve communication, tools, processes, and empowerment, enabling teams to achieve results that no individual member could accomplish alone.

We’re also working to uncover know-how and best practices developed by individuals or specific teams, and to share them across the organization to broaden and deepen collective knowledge, ultimately driving efforts to enhance the company’s overall technical capabilities.

Activity Example 3: Creating an Environment Where Individual Growth and Contribution Go Hand in Hand

Our Vice President made the following request, in line with our identity as a technology company: "We want to ensure that engineers, designers, and other professionals working as specialists are able to contribute to the company and that their contributions are properly recognized." We’ve only just started the discussion, so nothing is set in stone yet. However, we’ve begun working with HR and are starting conversations with department heads to explore how we can turn this into reality.

To continue being a company that contributes through its software development and technical capabilities, we believe it’s essential to build an environment where members can continue growing. This includes initiatives like developing career paths and increasing opportunities for professional challenges.

Let's Make Our Work More Interesting! (Hiring Info)

We haven't formalized our operations just yet, so we're not officially advertising job openings. But if you’re the kind of person who’s excited to shape your own mission based on your own themes and beliefs. we think you’ll really enjoy being here. Let's make our work more exciting and meaningful, with our own hands! 💪

• Requirements
  • Someone who can move independently and take initiative in a high-autonomy environment
  • Someone who can navigate uncertainty and keep moving forward through trial and error
  • Someone who can stay patient and persistent in the face of ambiguity, without rushing to conclusions
  • Someone who can inspire change and bring others along for the ride

If you are interested, please feel free to reach out via Open Positions page. If you know someone on the team, you can also message us directly via DM! (・∋・)ﾉｼ

https://hrmos.co/pages/kinto-technologies/jobs/0000127

KINTO Technologies is also looking for people to join us across a variety of teams and roles. For more information, please see the recruitment information.