From Retail Industry Experience to Building MUSE’s Corporate Foundation
- May 27
- 4 min read
Updated: May 27
– Introduction
In this interview, we spoke with Naomi, who joined MUSE after building a career in the retail industry. Today, while balancing parenting responsibilities through a flexible shortened-hours arrangement, she plays a broad role across MUSE’s corporate functions, supporting areas such as HR, accounting, administration, legal, PR, etc. We asked her about what led her to join MUSE and what she finds most rewarding about her work today.
– Was the biggest reason you joined MUSE the ability to balance both your preferred work style and career path?
Yes. When I was considering a career change, having a flexible work environment that would allow me to balance work and raising children was absolutely essential. In my previous role, the nature of the work made it difficult to consistently complete tasks within limited working hours.
I had also gained some experience in administrative operations at my previous company, but only for a short period of time. I wanted to take on broader responsibilities, including HR, but I rarely had the opportunity to do so.
Because of that experience, I began looking for a corporate role where I could take ownership of operations as a whole, manage priorities and workflows independently, and deliver work in a stable and reliable way. I was especially drawn to corporate functions because they form the foundation of an entire company, requiring accuracy, consistency, and accountability.
I’ve always loved working with people, so I was also eager to challenge myself in HR, something I didn’t have enough exposure to in my previous job. I wanted to contribute not only through operational support, but also through building the organization itself.
– We heard that MUSE’s business itself was also a major attraction for you.
That’s right. I spent many years working in the retail industry, including hands-on experience at store locations. In quality control roles, I handled customer inquiries and food inspections, supporting store operations from behind the scenes.
Through those experiences, I strongly felt how difficult day-to-day operations could be, especially in an industry where digitalization and automation have not progressed as much as they could. That’s why I deeply connected with MUSE’s mission of addressing real challenges in retail through robotics and creating practical value for the people working on the front lines.
Because I understand the realities of the field, I feel a strong sense of purpose both in supporting employees working on-site and in contributing through corporate operations that help sustain the business.
– How has your experience been balancing work and family life, and interacting with other team members?
First of all, I feel that the flexibility at MUSE is exceptional. Whether it’s stepping away temporarily to pick up my child, responding to a sudden fever, or utilizing remote work depending on the situation, I’m able to work in a way that adapts to daily life.
Thanks to this environment, I can handle unexpected situations calmly while still taking full ownership of my work, even within limited hours. As a working parent, that support means a great deal to me.
Another thing I appreciate is the diversity of the team. I sometimes have lunch with colleagues from overseas, and we talk about things like school lunch culture in our respective countries. Those conversations are a great opportunity to learn from one another.
When communicating, we often mix English and Japanese, helping each other fill in the gaps when needed. I think the warmth and openness of the people at MUSE, where everyone makes an effort to connect and communicate, is one of the company’s greatest strengths.
– You’ve also been actively leading initiatives to strengthen internal communication, haven’t you?
Yes. Whenever a new employee joins, we organize a welcome lunch, and it has now become a regular event attended by almost everyone in the company. It’s become part of our monthly routine, and as an organizer, I’m always happy when people start making requests like, “Let’s have this next time.”
We also host quarterly events. During our cherry blossom party in April, employees’ families joined as well, which helped deepen relationships across the company.
At that event, one team member proposed creating original team T-shirts, and from design to production, we completed everything in a very short time. Experiences like that really highlight one of MUSE’s strengths: the speed at which ideas can be evaluated and immediately turned into action.
– What kind of growth and fulfillment have you experienced while overseeing a broad range of corporate functions?
I feel that the biggest opportunity for growth comes from being involved in such a wide range of responsibilities, from HR and recruiting to accounting, which was completely new to me.
Even though I work in an administrative role, it’s exciting to be surrounded by technology every day. Robots naturally moving around the office has become part of the everyday environment here.
Our department is still relatively small, but that also means we can work across teams to improve efficiency using tools like AI, while collaborating with external legal, tax, and labor experts to incorporate specialized knowledge into our operations.
Being able to help build organizational foundations across departments during a growth phase has been an incredibly fulfilling experience.
– Do you have a message for people who are interested in working while balancing time constraints?
Many people may worry that having limited working hours means they won’t be trusted with meaningful responsibilities or broad opportunities. But at MUSE, even within limited hours, I’ve been able to take on challenges across every area of corporate operations, including HR, labor relations, accounting, general affairs, legal, and PR.
Here, it’s possible to deepen your expertise while also valuing your personal life. That balance isn’t treated as something exceptional or idealistic. It’s simply part of the culture.
I would love to work with people who want to use their experience to support others and contribute to building a company together.
Join Us
We’re growing our team. MUSE is currently hiring for a variety of positions across engineering, business, and corporate fields.
If our vision excites you, and you’re interested in the challenge of creating the future from scratch, we’d love to hear from you. Casual meetings and office tours are always welcome!
For job posting and application:
Looking forward to talking to you!
