Job Title
Category Manager
Location
Tokyo, Japan
Function
Marketing
Role Summary
As part of the dedicated New Categories marketing team, you’ll be responsible for supporting the planning, developing, and executing the strategy that drives category growth through global brands across a regional market or in a specific end market.
The role is important in delivering brand manifestos and toolkits that cover everything in the marketing mix from product claims to packaging, pricing, and total communications, with activation guidelines.
The role supports a variety of specific brand projects (such as environmental sustainability, brand launches, new product introduction campaigns, etc.), ensuring proposals are on brief, producing clear recommendations supported by insightful market analysis, and delivering comprehensive post-implementation reviews.
Accountabilities
Contribute to the development of global brand strategy and expression to drive the achievement of corporate objectives, including brand vision, positioning, target audience, and marketing mix (including focus on innovation pipeline) to maximize long-term potential, focused on a 1–4 year horizon.
Support the localization of global brand strategies and guidelines for local market execution. Reflect end-market consumer needs, market dynamics, and brand strategic intent while staying true to global strategies and accommodating local needs and opportunities.
Contribute to and maintain a clear communication strategy by defining key consumer insights, competitive analysis, technology trends, business needs, and market opportunities.
Lead external agencies (innovation, creative, media, design) to drive the marketing mix through effective packaging design and TTL communication, delivering against brand objectives and commercial targets while ensuring globally consistent brand deployment.
Ensure timely approval of relevant trademarks, marketing mix elements, and product claims through internal stakeholders.
Work together with Marketing Insights to gain fact-based, consumer-led evaluation of markets, brand mix, new ideas, and programs, including test markets to prove the effectiveness of the marketing mix.
Monitor regional marketing mixes, execution of brand strategies, plans, and standards to maintain the integrity of brand equity where required.
Manage annual deliverables within budget. Monitor activities and plans against budget, releasing or requesting additional funding as required.
Develop effective working relationships with Consumer Experience and Marketing Deployment teams to facilitate communication of brand and market information, share best practices, and promote support behind implementation of brand strategies.
Develop effective working relationships with advertising agencies and other marketing suppliers to ensure world-class communication materials and creative ideas are available to support brand strategies. Contribute to agency evaluations.
Develop a rich understanding of key markets, consumer needs, marketing segmentation, and key competitive activity (creative, product, pricing, packaging, programs) to enhance the development of brand strategies, communications, and line extension opportunities.
Experience, Skills & Knowledge
Essential
Experience Required
Marketing professional with extensive and relevant experience (5+ years) in all aspects of brand marketing and marketing mix development gained within an international environment, international FMCG companies, and/or entrepreneurial consumer-facing companies.
Experience in communications and digital marketing is highly desired.
Marketing Capabilities Required
Foundations: Foresights, Brand, Commercial, Sustainability.
Macros: Leading Edge Consumer & Business Intelligence, Evocative Brand Experiences, Sustainable at the Core.
Capabilities
Evocative Brand Experiences.
Persona & Consumer Journeys.
Brand Positioning and Ideal (DNA).
Brand Experience Strategy.
Marketing and Campaign Planning.
Channel Strategy.
Agency Management.
Data-powered Content Creation.
Category Foresights & Macro Trends.
Creative, Content & Concept Planning.
Content Production, Translation & Adaptation.
Content Strategy.
Price Strategy & Setting.
P&L Analysis & Management.
Responsible Marketing.
Delivering the Sustainability Agenda.
Education / Qualifications / Certifications Required
Graduate degree.
Language Requirements
English: Business level.
Japanese: Native level.
Korean: Preferred.
Beneficial
Ideally with brand-building experience in new or disruptive categories.
What We Offer
Market-leading annual performance bonus (subject to eligibility).
Benefits package that may include health plans, work-life balance initiatives, transportation support, and a flexible holiday plan with additional incentives.
Opportunities for internal career development and progression.
Access to online learning platforms and personalized growth programs to support leadership development.
Continuous improvement culture within a transformative environment.