Hiring Topic:Celsys continues to strive to better support creators around the world. Learn what kind of engineers they are looking for now!
Learn about where Celsys is currently
Recently, we have been hearing from potential hires comments such as, “Even if I join Celsys today, I may not be able to take on the same challenges as in the early days,” or, “Celsys’ services are so well established that new opinions from the outside may not be needed.”
This could be a natural conclusion to make, as Celsys’ flagship product, the drawing and painting application Clip Studio Paint, is used by more than 90% (*1) of manga artists in Japan. Celsys has also become the No. 1 sales/share (*2) company in the graphic software field, making it look like a company with a product in the mature stage of its life cycle. However, that is a misconception. In reality, Celsys is a company that continues to strive for steady progress and take on challenges.
To dispel these misconceptions, this article provides a honest explanation of Celsys’ current state and challenges. We would also like to introduce the significance of joining Celsys as an engineer today.
*1 According to internal findings（ from a fact-finding survey on manga artists (Japanese only) )
*2 Winner of the BCN Award for graphics software from 2015 to 2017 & 2019 / the most used app on pixiv (Dec. 2015 - Dec. 2023)
How our business has expanded and the reason for our No.1 market share
First, let us briefly explain how Celsys expanded its business and how it gained the top market share.
Business expansion process from inception to the present
Celsys was founded in 1991 with its first product being the animation production app RETAS STUDIO. In 2001, we released the comic production app, ComicStudio. Both apps were world firsts and we improved and updated them regularly with the strict feedback from professional creators.
In 2009, we launched IllustStudio, which allowed users to create illustrations in color. Then in 2012, we launched Clip Studio Paint, which integrates these three software products that were previously released. Clip Studio Paint is Celsys’ flagship product and is the No. 1 market leader, with more than 80% of its users coming from outside Japan.
Why Celsys remains No. 1 in market share
The foundation of our leadership in the market is the overwhelming trust from our users. From the very beginning, we have always valued the opinions of our users above all else, and we have continued to make improvements to our tools to make them more user-friendly and thoroughly refined. We believe that this has earned us trust from all creators, from professionals to amateurs.
One of our founding members has said, “We are a company that makes hammers.” Meaning we are a company that merely makes tools, but our customers are the ones who create with those tools. These words express Celsys’ user-first and creator-first philosophy.
This sentiment is also reflected in the colors of the Celsys logo. It embodies our belief that we are solely behind the scenes, and that it is the customers themselves who add color.
Engineer tasks and responsibilities
Celsys engineers are divided into four categories: web engineers, infrastructure engineers, graphic application development engineers, and machine learning engineers. The following are brief descriptions for each type of engineer.
Web engineer
Responsible for the development and operation of web services related to Clip Studio Paint, the illustration, manga, webtoon, and animation production application. Depending on skills, experience, and aptitude, you will be placed in one of the following four teams: billing/payment, authentication/notification, community, and cloud/licensing.
Infrastructure engineer
Responsible for creating, developing, and managing infrastructure for services that Celsys operates on a global scale. You can gain experience as an infrastructure specialist through the design, construction, and operation of a cloud infrastructure for a large scale web service that has 8.5 billion monthly visits and 314 TB of monthly traffic.
Application development engineer
Responsible for developing functions using image processing, 3D technology, and machine learning, as well as developing frameworks and building systems for each of Celsys’ applications and services. This is an environment where you can fully demonstrate your abilities while developing your specialty.
Machine learning engineer
Responsible for research and development of functions that utilize machine learning in Clip Studio Paint and other services. In addition to being able to learn the latest cutting-edge technologies and incorporate them into our services, you will get hands-on research and development experience by performing all aspects of research, study, design, and implementation.
Challenges for engineers in development
Engineers will no doubt continue to play a crucial role in Celsys’ continued growth. The following are the current challenges we need to overcome in regards to development.
Challenge #1: Personnel needed to support sustainable large-scale services
Celsys develops large-scale services for the entire world. In order to sustainably provide these services, our teams must continue to work together and take on technical challenges in terms of scale, performance, availability, and sustainability. The result of taking on these challenges also needs to translate into an opportunity to improve the skills of all members.
Challenge #2: Personnel needed to manage engineers
Even when we have a full engineer team we cannot meet the needs of our users if the team isn’t managed correctly. Of course, Celsys has many excellent managers already, however, we are actively working to unify task management with training and development in our efforts to make management more effective.
Why you should join the engineering team now
The significance of working as an engineer at Celsys is not simply for engineering, but to be able to directly contribute to the development of creative culture. Additionally, because we develop with a user-first mindset, you can get the satisfaction of adding real value along with technical growth.
1. Supporting creators’ activities
Celsys’ apps and services are used by illustrators, comic artists, animators, and a wide range of people who enjoy art. This job allows you to develop sites and features that enable these creators to comfortably use our services for their work, making it a job that positively impacts the world.
2. Contributing to the development of the creative field
Celsys is spreading Japan’s creative specialties of manga and anime throughout the world, digitally. Being an engineer here means contributing to the global development of the creative field. You can work with purpose knowing that your skills as an engineer are providing value to people across countries and languages.
Celsys also provides an environment where you can tackle challenges in diverse technical areas for users around the world.
3. Develop alongside users
As Celsys handles all user support and marketing in-house, user feedback is shared instantly and directly within the company. When a new service is launched, the response is staggering. We receive many appreciative comments and can see the service is being utilized in ways we had never imagined. These responses are also what make our work worthwhile.
We feel that we are directly delivering value to creators because we can easily reflect their requests and wants in our services.
Engineering career possibilities are limitless
Engineers have a variety of career options. If you continue to challenge yourself and hone your skills, you’ll open a path that leads to becoming a specialist and mastering your craft.
In our over 30 years of history, Celsys has many engineers who have created innovations to spread the culture of Japan’s creative specialties, manga and anime, to the world digitally. (They are sometimes referred to as “Legends” within the company.)
Of course, being a specialist is not the only option as you can also pursue management. In fact, our corporate environment is so full of opportunities that one of our employees joined the company as an engineer after graduating college and became a director and CTO just three years later. We are a company that values an individual’s strengths and aspirations so that any career can be within reach.
Create Celsys’ future with us
Celsys strives to contribute to the creative community by providing services that support creators around the world and the audiences that enjoy their content through each part of the “Creator Journey.” （Celsys Mid-Term Plan 2025-2027:）
The environment surrounding “Creator Journey” includes rapid technological innovation and change, as well as new technologies and services that are being created constantly. Among many potential competitors, it is necessary that we constantly improve and confront challenges.
In such circumstances, it’s crucial that we have an innovative organization and personnel that are not bound by conventional wisdom, continue to take on technological challenges, and can think flexibly. How can we increase opportunities for each employee to utilize their strengths, take on challenges, and accomplish them? This is a significant theme for Celsys’growth.
Thank you for reading until this point.
At Celsys, our mission is “Creating a more passionate world,” and our vision is “The world is more vibrant when everyone’s passions are connected.” We conduct our corporate activities based on these principles. The most important thing for these activities is to have people who share Celsys’ philosophy and have a deep understanding and respect for creative culture.
If Celsys’ philosophy resonates with you and you are an engineer who wants to spread Japan's proud creative culture with the world, we would love to talk with you.
We look forward to your application!
