Japanese company seeks a Japanese Bilingual Manager – Brand Management.

Position: Manager – Brand Management
Base Salary $75K – $85K/yr + Bonus
Hybrid Full-time

This person will report to the Director of our growing Brand Management team and play a key role in leading the approvals and localization team members at our small but mighty New York office.
This role manages the localization and production of program content and oversees the creation of brand assets and approval of merchandise and promotional assets. This individual will represent the company in meetings and liaise with rights holders and partners to support determination of direction, effective processes, budget, and solutions when issues arise.

【Primary Job Functions (Essential)】
• Mentor and develop team members, guiding them towards achieving collective and individual growth objectives, and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence
• Create rollout plans and execute effective projects
• Report to the Director with updates and analysis of performance per project to support decision making at the executive level
• Lead and manage updates, discussions, negotiations, and projects with licensees, agents and stakeholders
• Oversee team members in production and localization of animated TV series and in creation and approvals of brand materials, tracking progress, issues and results
• Negotiate with vendors and partners for more streamlined, cost-efficient workflow
• Liaise with the HQ in Japan and other partners to ensure that processes and procedures comply with rights holder requirements
• Establish strong relationships with partners
• Support Marketing and Sales teams with brand assets, interdepartmental approvals, and timely, relevant updates
• Prepare and deliver presentation materials and performance reports for internal stakeholders and external partners, summarizing key activities and progress of the Brand Management Team
• Represent the Brand Management team as needed at trade shows and B2B events by updating and networking with key partners
• Identify and lead process improvements to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across team
operations
• Foster collaboration within internal teams, optimizing task designation and coordination to ensure strategic goals are met efficiently
• Support Director in excavating further opportunities for business and partnerships

【Other Job Functions】
• Proactively identify and resolve operational issues, escalating complex matters to the Director as needed
• Quickly address and escalate internal team concerns to maintain a positive and productive work environment
• Contribute to company-wide administrative initiatives, demonstrating leadership and collaboration
• Enforce adherence to all company policies and procedures, promoting a culture of compliance and accountability
• Continuously seek and implement more efficient and cost-effective methods to improve team performance

【Qualifications】
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Fluent in Japanese with business-level proficiency
• Prior work experience with or for Japanese partners, preferably in the animation or video game industry
• Strong Interest in the animation or Japanese contents industry
• Minimum of 3-5 years’ experience in a producer, project management, or team lead role
• Proven experience in managing multiple creative processes
• An independent self-starter with excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong Adobe Creative Suite competency preferred (Photoshop, Illustrator).
• Attention to detail and hands-on approach
• Excellent financial and analytical skills
• A competent learner able to take direction and flourish in assuming new responsibilities within a multi-cultural working environment
• Able and willing to travel domestically and internationally
• Able and willing to work overtime and take calls with Europe and Japan outside normal work hours