Tokyo
Full-time, Permanent
Partnerships Manager - Japan
Fnatic is shaping the future of brand engagement in youth culture and the ever-evolving world of entertainment. Japan has been a case study for us - a thrilling, dynamic market where we’ve established our presence and made a meaningful impact on the community. In this role you’ll be at the forefront of this journey, connecting brands to the rapidly growing gaming and esports audience. Already collaborating with powerhouse brands like Sony and Red Bull, you’ll have the opportunity to leverage proven case studies that showcase how Fnatic drives results through esports, social, video, streaming, community, events, and creators. Your role will be pivotal in expanding our roster of world-class partners, bringing even more household names into the fold. As our first dedicated Partnerships hire in Japan, you’ll take classic rights-holder assets to market while also pioneering new digital media properties to generate revenue through strategic partnerships with top Japanese brands. You’ll work closely with our local esports team, creators and content staff to develop innovative activations that engage our passionate fanbase and showcase the power of Fnatic’s ecosystem. From new business development to managing key relationships, this role is an opportunity to prove the strength of Fnatic’s brand and fandom in Japan — and play a vital part in scaling our presence in the region.
Your mission is to:
- Build a deep understanding of the Japanese market, developing relationships with key decision makers in brands looking to reach youth audiences through gaming
- Ideate, draft and pitch KPI-driven proposals that can deliver results for prospective partners through leveraging Fnatic’s commercial assets
- Own a pipeline of Japanese opportunities to achieve agreed revenue targets, providing regular updates to management on progress and any obstacles you might be encountering
- Work closely with local and HQ (London) based Pro-Gaming, Marketing and other relevant colleagues on planning and execution of activations for partners
- Negotiate contract terms and work with Commercial Operations and Legal to finalise agreements
- Lead on new partner onboarding, and educate Fnatics about the scope and potential of partnership
- Provide best-in-class partner management for assigned Fnatic partners, maintaining strong Partner Health to maximise opportunities for relationships to renew and scale
- Coordinate business reviews with partners, working with internal teams to best showcase partnership performance through data and market insights
- Explore opportunities across the business on a regular basis to identify new opportunities to over-deliver or expand the partnership
- Lead on ad-hoc Partnership projects as directed by your manager
We're looking for:
- Background in the selling and delivery of digital media properties for rights-holder(s), directly or via agency
- Strategic thinking on how brands can engage with youth audience to achieve their marketing objectives
- Compelling presenting skills and a natural rapport with people
- Track record of over-achievement in sales and commercial relationship management
- Honesty in self-evaluating and a desire for constant improvement
- Creativity and ability to participate in and lead ideation
- Someone who thrives with autonomy in a delivery-focused environment
- Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Japanese, additional languages desirable