Senior Growth Manager

Overview

We are launching Nex Playground in Japan and looking for a Japan Senior Growth Manager to own and shape the marketing strategy for Nex Play Pass, our subscription service, and the games portfolio in one of the world’s most sophisticated and competitive content markets.

This is a senior leadership role at the heart of Nex Playground’s Japan content business. You will be responsible for building Japan’s Play Pass subscriber base from the ground up, establishing the marketing foundation for our games portfolio, and creating the playbook for how Nex Playground grows as a content platform in Japan. This is not an execution role — it is a role for someone who wants to architect a business, build a team, and leave a lasting mark on how Japan plays.

Your primary US counterparts are the Publishing team and its integrated marketing function, which owns Play Pass and games go-to-market strategy globally. You will serve as the Japan voice in global content marketing discussions, shaping strategy as much as executing it.

Reporting to the Japan General Manager, you will partner closely with the Japan Playground Marketing Manager to co-own Japan’s overall brand strategy. As the Japan business scales, you will build and lead a growing team beneath you, starting with a dedicated Performance Marketing specialist, with the expectation that the team expands further as the content business grows.

The Role

Your core focus is Play Pass subscription marketing, games portfolio marketing, and performance marketing for Japan. That includes:

• Owning Japan Play Pass and games marketing strategy, in close collaboration with the US Publishing team and its integrated marketing function.
• Driving Play Pass subscriber acquisition, engagement, and retention through integrated marketing campaigns and performance marketing.
• Selecting, contracting, and managing a Japan marketing agency for Play Pass and games marketing, with Japan GM approval.
• Planning and executing games-focused events and community initiatives as needed.
• Building and managing a Japan Performance Marketing function, with plans to hire a dedicated Performance Marketing specialist as the business grows.
• Co-owning Japan’s unified brand strategy with the Japan Hardware Marketing Manager, presenting joint recommendations to the Japan General Manager.

What You’ll Do

• Play Pass Subscription Marketing
• Develop and own the Japan Play Pass marketing strategy, focused on subscriber acquisition, engagement, and retention across all relevant channels.
• Design and execute campaigns that communicate the value of Play Pass to Japanese consumers across gaming, family, and educational audiences.
• Collaborate with the US Publishing team’s marketing function to align Japan Play Pass campaigns with global subscription strategy and content release cadence.
• Define and track Japan Play Pass KPIs including subscriber growth, trial conversion, churn rate, and lifetime value, reporting regularly to the Japan GM and US Publishing team.
• Identify and develop Japan-specific subscription propositions, promotional offers, and seasonal campaigns that drive acquisition and reduce churn.
• Games Portfolio Marketing
• Develop and execute go-to-market campaigns for new games launching on Nex Playground in Japan, in close coordination with the US Publishing team.
• Build awareness and drive engagement for the Japan games portfolio across digital, social, and community channels.
• Work with the US Publishing team to adapt global games GTM toolkits and creative assets for Japan audiences.
• Coordinate with the Japan Senior Producer, External on marketing support for Japan externally developed titles.
• Plan and execute games-focused events, media previews, and influencer programs as needed to support title launches and sustain engagement.
• Performance Marketing
• Own Japan performance marketing strategy across paid search, paid social, display, and programmatic channels for Play Pass and games.
• Plan, execute, and continuously optimize paid media campaigns to drive Play Pass subscriber acquisition and game engagement in Japan.
• Define performance marketing KPIs, manage budgets, and report on campaign ROI to the Japan GM and US Publishing team.
• Use data and analytics to inform targeting, creative, and channel strategy, feeding Japan performance insights back into global reporting frameworks.
• As the Japan business scales, hire and manage a dedicated Performance Marketing specialist to take ownership of day-to-day paid media execution.
• Marketing Agency Selection, Contracting & Management
• Lead the selection process for a Japan marketing agency for Play Pass and games marketing, including RFP, agency evaluation, and final recommendation to the Japan GM for approval.
• Negotiate and manage the agency contract, scope of work, deliverables, fees, and KPIs.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day client contact for the Play Pass and games marketing agency, managing the relationship with clear briefs, structured feedback, and regular performance reviews.
• Ensure all agency-produced work is reviewed for cultural accuracy, brand consistency, and compliance with local regulations before publication or execution.
• Events & Community
• Plan and execute Play Pass and games-focused consumer events and activations in Japan as needed, including title launches, gaming conventions (e.g., Tokyo Game Show), and family or educational events.
• Assess and manage Play Pass and games community channels (e.g., social media, gaming forums, LINE communities) as required to support subscriber engagement and games community growth in Japan.
• Build and manage relationships with local gaming influencers, content creators, and community leaders relevant to the Play Pass and games audience.
• Coordinate with the Japan Hardware Marketing Manager on shared events or activations where hardware and content marketing overlap.
• Japan Brand Co-Ownership
• Co-own Japan’s unified Nex Playground brand strategy jointly with the Japan Hardware Marketing Manager.
• Contribute Play Pass and games marketing perspective to Japan brand positioning, messaging frameworks, and creative direction.
• Jointly present brand strategy recommendations to the Japan General Manager for approval.
• Ensure all Play Pass and games marketing executions are consistent with the agreed Japan brand framework.
• Collaboration with US Publishing Team
• Serve as the primary Japan-side counterpart to the US Publishing team and its integrated marketing function for all Play Pass and games marketing activities.
• Receive global Play Pass and games GTM toolkits, creative assets, and campaign direction from the US Publishing team and adapt them for Japan audiences.
• Participate in global publishing and marketing planning calls, representing Japan Play Pass and games market needs with clear data and cultural context.
• Maintain structured communication rhythms with the US Publishing team to ensure alignment on content release schedules, promotional calendars, and campaign execution across time zones.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with:
• Japan General Manager: direct reporting line; strategy approval, agency contract sign-off, and brand direction
• US Publishing team and integrated marketing function: primary US counterpart for Play Pass and games marketing strategy, GTM toolkits, and creative assets
• Japan Hardware Marketing Manager: brand co-ownership, coordinated Japan market execution, and shared event planning
• Japan Senior Producer, External: marketing support for Japan externally developed titles
• Japan Senior Retail & Operations Manager: aligning Play Pass and games marketing with retail promotions and in-store presence
• Localization team: ensuring Play Pass and games marketing assets are culturally adapted for Japan
• Play Pass and games marketing agency: day-to-day management of creative production, media buying, influencer campaigns, and events
• Team Leadership & Growth Plan
• This role is designed to scale with the Japan content business, and team building is a core part of the mandate from day one.
• In the launch phase, you will operate as a senior individual contributor, establishing the marketing foundations, agency relationships, and performance frameworks for Play Pass and games in Japan. As the business hits key subscriber and revenue milestones, the team will grow beneath you in stages:
• Performance Marketing Specialist: the first hire, taking ownership of paid media execution and freeing you to focus on strategy and senior stakeholder management.
• Content & Community Manager: as the games portfolio and subscriber base grows, a dedicated resource to own community, influencer, and content marketing for Japan.
• Further expansion as business needs evolve, with this role growing into a Head of Content Marketing function over time.

We are looking for someone who is excited not just to run a marketing function, but to build one.

What You Bring

• Must-Have
• 10+ years of experience in marketing, with significant experience in the Japanese consumer market, including at least 3 years in a senior or leadership role.
• Proven track record of building and leading marketing functions or teams, with experience hiring, managing, and developing direct reports.
• Proven experience in subscription marketing, including subscriber acquisition, engagement, and retention strategy in Japan.
• Hands-on performance marketing experience, including paid search, paid social, and programmatic campaigns, with strong analytical skills and a track record of optimizing for ROI.
• Experience working with a US publishing or content team as a Japan-side marketing counterpart, adapting global GTM strategy for local execution.
• Proven experience selecting, contracting, and managing marketing agencies in Japan end-to-end.
• Deep understanding of Japan’s digital marketing ecosystem, gaming culture, and consumer behavior across gaming, family, and educational audiences.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills; comfortable co-owning brand strategy with a peer, managing up to a General Manager, and managing down to a future team member.
• Native or near-native Japanese proficiency (written and verbal); strong English for collaboration with US Publishing team.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, startup-like environment with lean resources and shifting priorities.
• Nice-to-Have
• Experience marketing subscription services, gaming platforms, or digital content in Japan.
• Background in games marketing, including title launch campaigns and live operations marketing.
• Experience managing or mentoring a performance marketing team member.
• Familiarity with marketing analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adjust, AppsFlyer) and performance marketing dashboards.
• Background in community management or influencer marketing for gaming or family audiences in Japan.
• Experience working across US-Japan time zones and bridging publishing and marketing teams.
• Understanding of children’s advertising regulations and data privacy standards applicable in Japan.