Sr. Manager, Project Management (Bilingual Japanese / English)

Get to know The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children's entertainment properties in the world.

Learn more online at Pokemon.com and on Facebook (facebook.com/pokemon), YouTube (youtube.com/pokemon), Twitter (twitter.com/pokemon), and Instagram (instagram.com/pokemon).

Get to know the role

• Job Title: Sr. Manager, Project Management (Bi-lingual)
• Job Summary: This role is responsible for leading and managing a team of Trading Card Game (TCG) bi-lingual project managers to successfully deliver high quality, localized contents including cards, products, and more to be distributed globally outside of Asia on time for print. The senior manager of project management will be responsible for overseeing bi-lingual project coordination and building a healthy relationships with both internal and external stakeholders through proactive communication for product planning and localization status. This role will also be required to work closely with TCG Product Development team and other project management teams within TPCi to complete products and projects on time. An ideal candidate should be able to grasp and communicate TCG business strategies and present pitch product ideas to stakeholders in Japan for approval.
• FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt
• People Manager: Yes

What you’ll do

• Direct the TCG bi-lingual project management team to effectively manage and support the TCG localization and product development projects.
• Maintain and expand trusted working relationships beyond primary customers (internal & external) and drive the communications between them.
• Lead, motivate, and collaborate with project stakeholders to achieve project goals, milestones, and objectives.
• Manage any product development and localization issues that arise by investigating and resolving them promptly.
• Provide team members with a direction and answer to any product planning and localization related questions from internal and external contacts.
• Actively seek an opportunity to optimize and simplify processes as they are developed with a focus on continual improvement.
• Able to see around corners, anticipate future needs of the TCG and project management team and effectively lead change.
• Coach personnel to facilitate growth within the department and company.         

What you’ll bring

• Ten+ (10+) years of relevant experience, plus a minimum of two (2) years of management experience.
• Experience in directly managing others on a regular basis.
• Strong knowledge of and familiarity with Pokémon brand and Trading Card Game industry.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong working relationships across all levels of the organization and work effectively both independently and with others in a cooperative, enthusiastic and friendly manner to accomplish position functions and participate in team efforts.
• Demonstrated project management experience is a required asset to this role.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and maintain a productive and committed work effort, meeting deadlines and managing workload.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Japanese business communication, both in oral and written format. This role requires communication with and translation from Japanese partners.
• Ability to appropriately delegate work to others to meet deadlines, goals and objectives, develop skills and knowledge of others, build capacity and productivity of department.
• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required. MBA is a plus.
   

How you’ll be successful

• Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do.
• Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities.  
• Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results.