Senior Lead – Brand Experience, Japan

Is responsible for developing and defining the brand experience within the Japan marketing strategy across Owned Retail (DTC) and trade channels/Wholesale partners, delivering significant business growth and consistent, excellent brand representation. It bridges global vision and local execution, creating seamless, premium-yet-accessible consumer journeys that drive brand heat and commercial growth and ensure every customer interaction in store reflects the spirit of movement. The Brand Experience team acts as a creative engine at the intersection of marketing, sales, and retail, bringing technical innovation to life in the Japanese market.

• Localise APAC and Global strategies by collaborating with various marketing functions, creating seamless consumer journeys and implementing innovative trade/retail experiences and VM concepts across Owned Retail and key Wholesale accounts such as Alpen, atmos, and Art Sports.
• Lead high-level collaboration across a wider network of peers and leaders within Japan, APAC, and Global HQ to align complex interests and ensure consistent brand representation.
• Identify underlying market issues and root causes, making necessary trade-offs to balance premium brand standards with local commercial needs, and challenge the status quo or take unconventional paths to deliver meaningful impact.
• Partner closely with key wholesale accounts to build tailored consumer journeys and execute integrated Sell-in and Sell-out plans, including Shop-in-Shops and pop-ups.
• Optimise Visual Merchandising by adapting global guidelines to Japan's unique retail structures, ensuring high conversion rates (CVR) while acting as a guardian of brand integrity.
• Reinterpret global campaigns within the Japanese cultural context to deliver impactful storytelling through window displays and activations.
• Oversee all initiatives from budget management to high-quality installation by synthesising diverse perspectives of internal Sales/Retail teams, APAC Creative Studio, and external vendors.
• Analyse sell-out data, customer behaviour, and store feedback to evaluate the ROI of VM and marketing initiatives, using insights to drive continuous optimisation and provide clear direction on future investments.
• Lead and inspire the Brand Experience team with courage and candour, communicating a clear strategic vision and acting as a pacesetter.
• Empower team members through effective delegation and talent development, fostering a scalable and agile function that balances structured excellence with entrepreneurial innovation.

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 10–12+ years of experience in Retail Marketing, Trade Marketing, or Visual Merchandising.
• Proven track record in leading complex projects or initiatives with significant impact in the sports, fashion, or lifestyle industries.
• Deep understanding of both DTC branding and the nuances of the Japanese wholesale landscape.
• Ability to foresee where issues may arise and proactively develop solutions.
• Skilled at anticipating and incorporating the needs of various stakeholders (Sales, Retail, Global HQ) and aligning outputs to ensure a premium, consistent consumer journey.
• Known for straightforwardness and candour, with the courage to tackle difficult issues, challenge the status quo, and make necessary trade-offs to drive innovation and organisational success.
• Exceptional eye for aesthetics with the ability to identify underlying issues and root causes in retail environments, balancing elevated brand standards with the practicalities of the Japanese market.
• Proven ability to manage a wider network of peers, agencies, and vendors, overseeing complex, simultaneous launches while maintaining structure and stability.
• Growth mindset that thrives in a fast-paced environment, acting as a pacesetter who pushes execution of ideas forward while navigating the balance between entrepreneurial and adhering to established routines.
• Native-level fluency in Japanese and professional-level English, essential for high-level collaboration and synthesising perspectives across regions.
• Willingness to travel domestically for store visits, events, and new store openings as required by the business.

• Dynamic, challenging, and sportive environment.
• Company ranked as the 'fastest growing sports company' of its time.
• International team with offices across the globe.
• Active environment where each individual thrives for excellence and can achieve their full potential.
• Hands-on work with team members among the very best in their respective disciplines and fields.
• Work where your contribution matters.

With offices across the globe, we are an international team hungry to innovate and build something incredible.