Sr. Brand Marketing Manager (Bilingual Japanese/English)

About the position

The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children's entertainment properties in the world. This position works closely with cross-functional marketing and business partners to develop omni channel marketing plans that support brand activations spotlighting multiple Pokémon products and experiences, helping teams align on messaging, goals and tactics to deliver engaging outbound marketing campaigns.

Responsibilities

• Serve as point of contact between The Pokémon Company’s Tokyo office, Japanese agency partners, and The Pokémon Company International (TPCi) teams based out of Bellevue, WA.
• Coordinate with The Pokémon Company’s Tokyo office to facilitate alignment on marketing direction and keep internal TPCi teams informed in order to successfully build and execute marketing plans.
• Partner with PR, Social Media, CRM, Retail, Events and various Digital Marketing teams to execute integrated marketing campaigns that support Brand Marketing initiatives in the Americas and Oceania.
• Manage development of marketing materials and creative assets, including managing in-house and agency creative teams, while leading internal and external partner feedback loops and approvals.
• Maintain annual marketing calendars, ensuring milestones are up-to-date and communicated to key stakeholders.
• Work with external Media Planning agency partner to develop annual and campaign-specific advertising plans.
• Prepare marketing campaign performance reports, tracking against business and marketing key performance indicators (KPIs) and recommending necessary adjustments for future success.
• Stay current on industry trends and consumer research, using this knowledge to inform marketing strategy and tactics.
• Build and manage relationships with product managers, leadership, integrated marketing teams and external stakeholders which include international partners.

Requirements

• Six (6) to eight (8) years of related professional experience, including at least two (2) years in a product or brand marketing manager or similar agency role.
• Bilingual in Japanese and English with strong written and verbal communication proficiency, ability to understand and communicate complex business and marketing topics.
• A solid understanding of Japanese business culture, customs, and practices.
• Experience working with global brands, marketing consumer products, entertainment franchises or consumer events is preferred.
• Experience managing development of 360 marketing programs utilizing a paid-earned-owned framework.
• Experience leading cross-functional marketing teams to execute marketing campaigns, particularly social media and digital marketing teams.
• Experience working with agencies and external partners to execute marketing initiatives.
• Understanding of Paid Media platforms and best practices is preferred.
• Familiarity with audience segmentation data and utilizing it to drive decisions and content direction.
• Demonstrated program management skills to support the creation and implementation of hype, launch, and sustainment marketing activities.
• Outstanding communication skills. The ability to work across teams and communicate marketing goals/results at a team, executive, and company level.
• Ability to adapt to changing deadlines, emerging needs, policy changes, and the variety of nuances that can happen in product development and live events.
• Proven problem solver, able to discern the crux of an issue, and use good judgment in recommending practical solutions.
• Organized and process-oriented with proven ability to manage multiple projects at once.

Nice-to-haves

• While knowledge of the Pokémon brand is a plus, it is not required. However a willingness to learn more about the brand and develop a passion for Pokémon is a must.

Benefits

• Competitive cash-based compensation programs.
• 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you.
• Generous paid family leave.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance.
• US Employees: 401k Employer Matching.
• UK/IRE/MX Employees: Pension Employer Contributions.
• Fitness reimbursement.
• Commuter benefit.
• LinkedIn learning.
• Comprehensive relocation package for certain roles.
• Hybrid work environment.