Purpose & Overall Relevance for the Organization

• Lead Product Marketing initiatives and execution for Japan, driving consumer-focused and marketplace-relevant product solutions through an accelerated and agile creation model.
• Partner closely with Japan Business Unit, Sales, and Global stakeholders to identify marketplace opportunities and translate them into commercially relevant assortments and product ranges.
• Influence product direction through a deep understanding of consumer insights, sport culture, marketplace dynamics, and product excellence while ensuring alignment between brand vision, consumer needs, and business opportunities.
• Act as a senior product marketing leader within Creation Centre Tokyo, driving category excellence, organizational capability, and cross-functional alignment to support sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead product marketing strategies and execution, leveraging strong business acumen to identify growth opportunities, evaluate commercial potential, and translate consumer, athlete, marketplace, and account insights into impactful product strategies, briefs, and business outcomes.
• Own and drive the end-to-end product marketing process, influencing product direction from concept to consumer.
• Challenge the status quo and drive continuous improvement.
• Partner closely with Business Unit, Sales, Key Accounts, and Global stakeholders to identify marketplace opportunities and develop commercially relevant product assortments, ranges, and solutions.
• Lead strategic product initiatives by converting consumer, marketplace, and commercial insights into impactful product creation outcomes.
• Identify emerging consumer and marketplace opportunities and translate them into effective product solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to identify marketplace opportunities and convert them into successful product and business initiatives, including Inline, SMU, B2B, and partnership opportunities.
• Champion an agile and accelerated creation model, enabling rapid responses to marketplace opportunities and consumer needs.
• Define and steer category assortments, ensuring a balanced approach across consumer relevance, brand priorities, and business objectives.
• Provide strategic direction on product construction, materials, fit, performance features, and product positioning to ensure industry-leading product solutions.
• Lead and influence cross-functional teams including Design, Development, Business Unit, and Sales throughout the product creation process.
• Influence Global Product Marketing stakeholders to ensure Japan consumer and marketplace needs are reflected in product direction and product solutions.
• Analyze category performance, consumer trends, and marketplace dynamics to identify opportunities and improve future product strategies, assortment productivity, and business performance.
• Navigate ambiguity, manage conflicts constructively, and drive alignment across stakeholders.
• Represent Product Marketing during business reviews, range presentations, and strategic discussions with local and global stakeholders.
• Build organizational capability by coaching, mentoring, and developing team members while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Authorities

• Influence product direction, assortment decisions, and product creation priorities.
• Lead cross-functional alignment and decision-making throughout the product creation process.
• Represent Creation Centre Tokyo in category discussions with Business Unit, Sales, and Global Product Marketing partners, and external stakeholders, if needed.

Key Relationships

• Internal: Design, Development, Business Unit, Sales, Global Product Marketing
• External: Key Accounts, Strategic Business Partners

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep expertise in product marketing, category management, and product creation processes.
• Strong understanding of apparel construction, materials, fit, costing, and product lifecycle management.
• Strong understanding of consumer behavior, marketplace dynamics, retail environments, and distribution strategies.
• Strong product storytelling and range architecture capabilities.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance consumer, brand, and business considerations.
• Proven ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across Creation, Business Unit, Sales, Global, and Key Account organizations.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a solution-oriented mindset.
• Capability to coach, mentor, and develop team members with growth mindset.
• Strong knowledge of product information systems and associated business processes.

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications

• University degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, Fashion, Textile, or related field.
• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in Product Marketing, Merchandising, Product Creation, Category Management, or related functions.
• Strong experience in Apparel product creation, merchandising, or product marketing, preferably within the sporting goods industry. Experience in Accessories is a plus.
• Proven track record of leading product creation initiatives and influencing product strategy within a cross-functional environment.
• Experience working closely with Sales, Key Accounts, and internal Business Unit organizations.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across local and global organizations.
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing team members.
• Native-level Japanese and business-level English, both verbal and written.