Project Manager · Chiba, Japan

Jonavil Avie Fukai

I lead software projects at FPT Japan, bridging people, languages and cultures so teams build the right thing together. PMP, Women Techmakers Ambassador, public speaker and community manager. I share about tech, Japan and art.

She/Her · Speaks Tagalog, 日本語 & English

LinkedIn GitHub X @aviedev
Portrait of Avie Fukai
こんにちは 🌸
12+
years in software engineering & management
40
people on the project I lead as front PM
~50
offshore engineers managed, 12 managers & leads developed
80%
less manual work after automating a data workflow

01 About

“The role isn't defined by the languages you speak. It's defined by the clarity you create.” On being a Bridge Software Engineer
Illustration: a bridge connecting clients and PMs in Japan with development teams in the Philippines, carrying requirements across as specs, designs and tests. Clients & PMs Japan Dev teams Philippines requirements → specs · designs · tests

I have more than 12 years of experience in software engineering and management. Today I'm a Project Manager at FPT Japan, where I draw on management, team management and business management to keep teams working together and projects delivered.

Before that, I supported cross-functional teams as a Bridge Software Engineer and Developer Advocate at YNS, helping technical teams and clients understand each other. I care about innovation and teamwork, and about aligning organizational goals with member wellbeing and client satisfaction.

In short: I'm a Filipino technical PM working in Japan, with 8 years as a back-end, BI and data engineer and 3 years in offshore management. My strength is connecting clients, Japan-side PMs and development teams in the Philippines, and turning requirements that were only discussed out loud into specs, designs and test materials people can build from.

02 Experience

Career at a glance, 2006–2026

  • Study
  • Work
200620102014 201820222026 Study Work Japan School of Advance Technology · Diploma in Computer Systems Technology · 2006–2008 JSAT Asahi International School · Japanese language · 2010–2012 Asahi Arts College Yokohama · Information Technology System Processing · 2012–2014 Yokohama Teacher · Japan School of Advance Technology · Jun 2008 – Apr 2010 Teacher KLab Inc. · Systems and Data Engineer · Apr 2014 – Aug 2022 KLab · data & backend engineering YNS · Bridge SE, Developer Advocate & offshore management · Aug 2022 – Dec 2025 YNS · Bridge SE FPT Japan · Tech lead, then Project Manager · Jan 2026 – present FPT

Years by focus

  • Data & backend engineering8.3 yrs
  • Bridge SE & offshore management3.3 yrs
  • Teaching1.8 yrs
  • Tech lead & project management0.9 yrs

  1. 2026 — Now

    FPT Japan

    Project Manager Jun 2026 – Present

    Business Analyst | Technical Lead Jan 2026 – May 2026

    • Front PM, 40-person team on a large-scale entertainment web platform: the client's main contact for requirements, scope, schedule and priorities; planning, progress, risk and quality management; directing the offshore PM and Japan-side QA.
    • Tech lead, 24-person team on the same platform: shared architecture and non-functional design, common components and design standards rolled out across teams, design reviews.
    • PoC support in the Philippines: led multilingual meetings and technical explanations with local stakeholders; the PoC was completed and validated.

    Java · Spring Boot · Angular · MySQL · AWS

  2. 2022 — 2025

    株式会社YNS Tokyo · Hybrid

    Bridge Software Engineer & Developer Advocate Mar 2023 – Dec 2025

    Bridge Software Engineer Aug 2022 – Mar 2023

    • Offshore organization lead: managed a ~50-person development organization in the Philippines and developed 12 managers and leads through 1-on-1s, feedback, tech seminars, weekly problem-solving sessions and clear development guidelines.
    • Bridge SE / Product Owner, 22-person team: turned requirements gathered by the Japan-side PM into specs, DB designs and test data for a waste-collection management system, explained them sprint by sprint, and supported it through a successful release.
    • Bridge SE / Product Owner, web & mobile event app for a professional association: event booking, QR check-in and push notifications (FCM); iOS/Android builds and store reviews, release and version management.

    PHP · Laravel · Vue.js · MySQL · Firebase · Cordova · Monaca · AWS

  3. 2014 — 2022

    KLab Inc. Roppongi, Tokyo

    Systems and Data Engineer Apr 2014 – Aug 2022

    • Game data & KPI pipeline: requirements through operations for the system that delivers KPI and sales data to internal teams and partners; automated part of master-data management and cut that work time by 80%.
    • Lead administrator of the BI platform (2019–2022): tool selection, operating rules, data and content management, APIs and cross-department sessions.
    • Platform liaison: researched and translated iOS and Google platform updates for internal teams and handled English inquiries with Apple and Google.
    • Built a localization file version-control system, a game chat library and improvements to an image management system, coordinating between users in Japan and developers in the Philippines.

    Python · Flask · Django · BigQuery · Google Apps Script · GCP · Docker · LookML · dbt · React

  4. 2008 — 2010

    Japan School of Advance Technology

    教師 · Teacher Jun 2008 – Apr 2010

    Presentation skills and Japanese.

03 Projects

AP Exam Vocabulary Guide

English study guides for Japan's Applied Information Technology Engineer exam (応用情報技術者試験), for non-native speakers in Japanese IT.

Markdown · HTML

04 Credentials

PMP®

Project Management Professional

Project Management Institute · May 2026 – May 2029

Passed with Above Target in all domains.

17 certificates since 2011 — 7 of them in 2026

  1. 1’11
  2. ’12
  3. 1’13
  4. ’14
  5. 1’15
  6. ’16
  7. ’17
  8. ’18
  9. ’19
  10. 1’20
  11. 1’21
  12. 2’22
  13. ’23
  14. 2’24
  15. 1’25
  16. 7’26

Project management

  • Google Project Management Professional Certificate (v.3)Foundations · Initiation · Planning · Execution · Agile · Capstone
  • Business Management日本生活環境支援協会 (JLESA)
  • Stress Counselorストレスカウンセラー資格試験
  • Project Management Foundations: QualityLinkedIn

Tech & data

  • Python 3 エンジニア認定データ分析試験Python 3 Engineer Certification — Data Analysis
  • Python 3 エンジニア認定基礎試験Python 3 Engineer Certification — Basic
  • Google Tech Elevate JapanGCP, algorithms & data structures

Language & business

  • EF SET 73 — Proficient (CEFR C2)EF
  • 秘書技能検定Secretarial Skill Proficiency Test
  • Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1The Japan Foundation

Honors & awards

  • Great Students AwardArts College Yokohama
  • 安全交通デザインコンクール 優秀賞Excellence Award, Kanagawa Traffic Safety Design Contest — winning Drive Safety poster
  • 外国人留学生による日本語スピーチコンテスト 優勝Winner, 24th Japanese Speech Contest for International Students
  • 松戸市国際交流協会理事長賞Chairperson's Award, Matsudo International Exchange Association
  • Best Performance on Actual Application DesignsComputer Systems Technology · JSAT
  • Best Performance on Actual ApplicationsJapanese Communications · JSAT
  • Honors With DistinctionJapan School of Advance Technology

Education

  • Arts College YokohamaInformation Technology System Processing (情報処理学科 システム開発)
  • Asahi International SchoolJapanese Language (日本語)
  • Japan School of Advance TechnologyDiploma in Computer Systems Technology · Artist Guild; Japan Arts, Language and Culture Club
  • React JS and Flux Web Development for BeginnersCourse

05 Community & speaking

Women Techmakers Ambassador

Aug 2024 – Present

Empowering communities through events, public speaking, content and mentoring, and helping new applicants to the program.

X Spaces host

Ongoing

Live conversations on tech careers, life in Japan and topics like managing anxiety in tech.

Volunteering

Open to

Causes in arts and culture, community improvement and education.

Next chapter Standing on a TEDx stage.

06 Skills & languages

Languages

Tagalog native or bilingual · 日本語 native or bilingual, JLPT N1 · English native or bilingual, CEFR C2

Management & leadership

Project Management · Software Project Management · Engineering Management · Management · Team Management · Business Management · Project Teams · Scheduling Management · Business Process Improvement · Quality Assurance · Problem Solving · Communication · Mentoring · Leadership Mentoring

Engineering & data

Architecture & Non-functional Design · Design Standards & Reviews · Requirements Definition · Specification & DB Design · Software Design · Design Development · Web Application Development · Web Applications · Web Development · Back-End Web Development · Web Design · HTML Scripting · JavaScript · Python · Git · Algorithms · Data Structures · Google BigQuery · Looker · Domo · Google Apps Script · Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Tech stack

Java · Spring Boot · Python · Django · Flask · PHP · Laravel · CakePHP · JavaScript · Angular · Vue.js · React · Next.js · jQuery · HTML5 · CSS3 · Bootstrap · Tailwind CSS · Flutter · Cordova · Monaca · SQL · MySQL · BigQuery · LookML · dbt · ETL/ELT · AWS · Google Cloud · Firebase · Docker · Nginx · Linux · macOS · GitHub · Figma · Slack · VS Code · Vim · IntelliJ IDEA · Xcode

Language & communication

Japanese · English · Japanese to English · English to Japanese · Translation · Public Speaking · Presentation Skills · Company Secretarial Work · Executive Administrative Assistance

Outside work

Learning & teaching Japanese · Talking to people · Drawing & digital illustration · Manga & anime · Web design · Hosting Spaces · Open source

07 Advice corner

Becoming a developer in Japan

My guide in English to Japanese job hunting for engineers: how to prepare, how 就活 works, and what to expect from 説明会, the SPI, entry sheets, interviews and the 履歴書.

Read the guide →
  • Which path are you on: 新卒 or 中途?
  • The 就活 timeline, month by month
  • エントリーシート & SPI tips
  • The interview flow & common questions
  • How to write a 履歴書 & 職務経歴書