Director, Publishing, Japan

Job ID 10098094 Location Minato-ku, Japan Business Disney Experiences Date posted Aug. 16, 2024

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PAID TIME OFF
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TUITION ASSISTANCE
WEEKLY PAY

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"I didn't think it was possible that something I did for fun - telling sports stories through stats - could become my job until I came here."

Ana, Sr. Researcher, ESPN

Job Summary:

Overall Purpose of the Role

This is an important role within the Disney Consumer Products Publishing/Digital Experiences business, working on retail sales opportunities across the Publishing/Digital Experiences business.

The main priority will be to drive growth of key accounts and new business opportunities for our Publishing/Digital Experiences business in Japan, and maintain close and dynamic relationships with licensing partners so as to maximize opportunities for growth.

In conjunction with global Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW) global licensing, the position will be developing and implementing short and long-term business strategies, directing the staff to achieve the business plans and communicate with those entities in the region necessary to ensure timely and successful implementation of these objectives.

The role requires the candidate to drive the commercial & operational outcomes for DCP’s Publishing business and growth initiatives.

Ability to deal with ambiguity and to approach the role with an open-minded attitude is extremely critical.

Areas of Responsibility

Establish and maintain strong working relationships with licensees. Participate as needed in negotiations for new contracts, resolution of operational, financial or marketing issues, and overall business growth for both licensee and DPW. Ensure full understanding of local market potential through the eyes of the licensee and others.
In conjunction with APAC Publishing/ Digital Experiences Head, develop short and long-term strategies and business plans including but not limited to 5YP and AOP (as applicable in respective geographic market). This also entails the gathering of intelligence about the market, such as its size, growth drivers, main players, market share, competition, consumer behaviour, product trends and any element that allows to appropriately evaluate its prospects.
Develop annual and five-year revenue objectives along with accompanying budget projections that ensure desired operating income goals are achieved. Conduct or participate in regular business review sessions with local and global teams where operational performance is analysed against business plans.
Understand and execute creative consortiums with DPW, DCP, licensees and 3rd Party agencies within Japan. Act as DPW’s representative in the market for coordination and execution of new business opportunities, creative content, and IP.
Identify and embrace global product opportunities and oversee their effective adaptation and launch to maximize revenue opportunities from these products. Identify and promote local product development successes to peer Country Heads and creative centres.
Continuously prospect new business models even outside of the licensing model to increase profit capture and market presence
Work closely with relevant stakeholders regionally and globally to implement organizational strategies and objectives in Japan. Ensure strong working relationships with regional and global colleagues are developed and maintained.
Hire, lead, motivate and develop staff to implement local strategies and business plans to achieve targets set from revenue, operating income, market share, budgetary and related goals. Conduct communication sessions as needed (staff meetings, one-on-one sessions, project review meetings, etc.) to ensure staff is supported and receives necessary information and resources to perform their responsibilities in an effective and productive manner. Practice principles of strong performance management, employee development and delegation to build a solid, high performing team.
Attend and participate in cross-divisional task force and synergy meetings to provide and receive support for local product initiatives across Disney divisions to ensure we capture cross divisional support for our products, optimize brand equity and minimize revenue cannibalization among the various Disney products. Ensure DPW is top-of-mind when cross divisional retail opportunities are evaluated and implemented and take active role in determining with licensee’s suitable retail plans for our products in the region

Areas of Accountability

Reports directly to the Vice President- Publishing/Digital, APAC & MENA
Accountable for the overall financial targets and managing of P&L of Japan

Experience and Professional Qualifications Required

Strong commercial and contractual acumen with P/L responsibility management
Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, Word)
Good understanding of retail and events environments
Tertiary qualifications in Business/Marketing would be an advantage
Experience in Publishing, Consumer Products, Media Agency or Licensing in creative content business would be an advantage
Experience in Digital or e-commerce would be an advantage

Skills Required

Commercially driven
Ability to derive insights from data
Strong leadership qualities
Strong ability to quickly size opportunities and prioritise accordingly, and ability to juggle conflicting priorities
Energetic and collaborative
Well-organised and great time management
Strong attention to detail
High degree of flexibility
Ability to work well within a team as well as independently
Capable of meeting strict deadlines and dealing with time pressure
Ability to thrive in a heavily matrixed structure

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About Disney Experiences:

Disney Experiences brings the magic of Disney stories and franchises to life through theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, unique vacation experiences, products and more around the world. Disney shines in the travel industry with six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line; a popular vacation ownership program; and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Plus, Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business; the world's largest children's publishing brands; one of the world's largest licensors of games across all platforms; and Disney store locations around the world and on the web.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise that includes three core business segments: Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney’s stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with TWDC (Japan) Ltd., which is part of a business we call Disney Experiences.

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