Senior Product Manager, Creation Centre Tokyo

This role leads product marketing initiatives and execution for Japan, driving consumer-focused and marketplace-relevant product solutions through an accelerated and agile creation model. The position sits within Creation Centre Tokyo as a senior product marketing leader, working in close partnership with the Japan Business Unit, Sales, Key Accounts, and Global stakeholders. The role holder influences product direction by combining consumer insights, sport culture, marketplace dynamics, and product excellence, ensuring alignment between brand vision, consumer needs, and business opportunities.

• Lead product marketing strategies and execution, using business acumen to identify growth opportunities, evaluate commercial potential, and translate consumer, athlete, marketplace, and account insights into product strategies, briefs, and business outcomes.
• Own and drive the end-to-end product marketing process, influencing product direction from concept to consumer.
• Partner closely with Business Unit, Sales, Key Accounts, and Global stakeholders to identify marketplace opportunities and develop commercially relevant product assortments, ranges, and solutions.
• Identify emerging consumer and marketplace opportunities and convert them into effective product and business initiatives, including Inline, SMU, B2B, and partnership opportunities.
• Champion an agile and accelerated creation model that enables 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.
• Analyse category performance, consumer trends, and marketplace dynamics to identify opportunities and improve future product strategies, assortment productivity, and business performance.
• Represent Product Marketing during business reviews, range presentations, and strategic discussions with local and global stakeholders.
• Build organisational capability by coaching, mentoring, and developing team members while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Challenge the status quo, drive continuous improvement, navigate ambiguity, manage conflicts constructively, and drive alignment across stakeholders.

• University degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, Fashion, Textile, or a 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.
• 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 organisations.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across local and global organisations.
• Experience managing, coaching, and developing team members.
• Native-level Japanese and business-level English, both verbal and written.
• 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 behaviour, 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 organisations.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

• Experience in Accessories is a plus.

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