Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization:

Drive an effective and efficient brand activation across all Football, Specialty Sports categories* in country with full alignment between the Global Brand Activation and Business Unit teams. Develop and ensure excellent implementation of franchise and category activation for own retail, own .com and Wholesale alliance/key accounts. *Interim lead for Running category to be included until further notice

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide the country relevant input to Global Brand Activation at each commercial input timing.
• Manage the creation of the local brand marketing plan & calendar based on input from Global Brand Activation and ensure alignment at season intro meeting.
• Manage the execution of the local brand marketing plan in close collaboration with local business unit and channels by leading the category Brand Communications team.
• Manage the Marketing Expenses of respective category within the company business strategy.
• Manage the creation of the local content, if necessary, in alignment with the Key Stakeholders and seek approval from Global Brand Activation.
• Ensure the execution is aligned with the Media Activation, Retail Activation, Digital Activation, Newsroom, Membership, Culture Marketing and Sport Marketing.
• Partner with the Wholesale team to present the annual and seasonal account marketing and investment plan for alliance and key accounts during the sell-in milestone.
• Support local trade meetings by providing appropriate sell-in tools.
• Support Wholesale team for planning and managing annual account CAPEX budget and executing the Wholesale space development (SIS)
• Ensure each Activation plan is well integrated for promoting the brand as well as sell-through by managing marketing and sales working budget with close relationship with Retail and Sales.
• Implement channel marketing plans per the brand design and consumer experience standards, in alignment with the Global strategy and the Brand Activation Team for Wholesale and own Retail doors.
• Create synergy with Brand, Sport and Originals Brand Communication to develop and execute channels plans.
• Recruit best in class people and provide people management guidance. Lead, develop and retain talents to foster a high-performance culture.

KPI’s:

• Category Net Sales
• Market share of respective categories
• Share of Search and social voice
• Compliance to Marketing Expense guidelines
• Key campaign sell through % and marketing KPIs set per campaigns
• Agency performance management (annual evaluations)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong degree of knowledge of the full marketing mix (advertising, events, sponsorship, retail, PR, digital) with a major brand or retailer (sporting goods industry preferred)
• Ability to develop and implement local marketing plans following global guidelines.
• Marketing budget planning and management
• Strong presentation skill to internal and external stakeholders
• Strong user of MS Office suite of products
• Experience in both, market and regional marketing organization preferred
• Strong abilities in the fields of employee engagement and performance management at every level through effective motivation, coaching, training, and development of personnel in the team

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• University degree in Business or equivalent professional experience, ideally in Sales and/or Marketing
• At least 4-6+ years’ experience in relevant Marketing fields
• Proven track record as a leader
• Fluent in English / Native level in Japanese

Key Relationships:

• Global Business Units and Brand Activation
• Country Retail and Wholesale teams
• Country Brand Director, Business Unit and Brand Activation teams
• Country FP&A, Legal, User Inquiry Service
• External partners (Key Wholesale partners, Agencies, Brand partners, etc.)