WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

This role will report to the Sports Marketing Manager in Tokyo, Japan, work alongside the broader Sports Marketing team, and partner closely with the APLA Sports Marketing team. Additionally, this role will collaborate with Brand Marketing, Social & Community Impact (SCI), Communications, Nike Direct Digital Commerce (NDDC), Nike Direct Stores, and Partner Sales to ensure Sports Marketing efforts align with brand and business objectives. Externally, this role will work with athletes, agents, coaches, federations, and team personnel among others.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

As part of Nike Japan’s evolving Sports Marketing team, this role plays a pivotal part in advancing the strategic vision for Global Football. Aligned with Nike’s global transformation, the position focuses on deepening integration across athlete services, innovation, and brand storytelling.

This role will serve as a key connector between global strategy and local execution—ensuring that Japan-specific insights and cultural relevance are embedded in all initiatives. This includes elevating athlete service, driving athlete integration, and shaping a compelling and competitive portfolio across both professional and amateur categories.

• Minimum 5 years of proven experience in Sports Marketing, Brand Marketing, or closely related field.

• Bachelors degree or anything equivalent.

• Deep understanding of Japanese sports culture, with the ability to craft locally resonant narratives. Strong knowledge of the sports landscape across channels, particularly in football is required.

• Demonstrated ability to translate athlete and industry insights into actionable sport marketing strategies.

• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally to ensure order/delivery of product, service, marketing, and contractual commitments.

• Familiarity with Nike’s sports and brand marketing functions is preferred.

• Strong relationship-building skills with athletes, coaches, agents, and industry stakeholders.

• Strong oral and written communication skills (in both English and Japanese).

• Experience in portfolio management, critical thinking, and negotiation.  

• Strategic thinker with a proactive, entrepreneurial approach to driving business impact. Ability to operate with clarity and agility in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Inclusive, adaptable, and solutions-oriented team player with a can-do attitude. Technical Proficiency Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Keynote, and internal Nike systems.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

Your work revolves around the 3S + 1L framework: Seek, Sign, Serve, and Leverage. Guided by the global strategy of the Global Football team, you are constantly on the lookout for players who can drive business impact both locally and globally. Your mission is to identify talent with the potential to become future national heroes—individuals you can grow with and support throughout their journey. Through this, you not only build strong athlete relationships but also help elevate the brand’s presence and relevance in the football world.

Detail of the key responsibilities are as follows: 

• Proactively cultivate and maintain strong networks with athletes, amateur athletes, coaches, agents, teams, and internal stakeholders across Sports Marketing, Brand Marketing, SCI, Communications, NDDC, Nike Direct Stores, and Partner Sales teams.

• Lead athlete experiences and activations, especially in areas without direct brand support, using creative and resourceful approaches.

• Develop brand and commercial value through partnerships with clubs beyond traditional right inventory utilization.

• Support to develop and execute athlete integration plans that align with Nike’s seasonal brand priorities and storytelling moments.

• Support talent identification, invest/divest decisions, and endorsement contract negotiations to shape a competitive athlete portfolio.

• Partner with internal teams to ensure athlete partnerships support product, business, and marketplace strategies.

• Leverage performance data and market insights to inform decisions and measure impact.

• Ensure all athlete engagements comply with internal policies and external regulations.

• Manage promo product order/delivery based on key look and needs of the athletes every season.

• Maintain accurate athlete data, manage system updates, and oversee budget forecasting and reporting.  

• Provide regular updates to Japan and Global Sports Marketing leadership on athlete performance and partnership health.

• Demonstrate a collaborative, growth-oriented mindset with a passion for sport and a commitment to Nike’s values.