Communications Manager, Japan

Change.org is searching for a Marketing and Communications Manager to embark on an exciting journey leading Change.org's Marketing Communications team in Japan, where you'll successfully attract and amplify the powerful narratives of petition starters across diverse media and digital landscapes. You will report to our Director of Marketing Communications, Europe and Asia-Pacific. As a key member of our Marketing Communications team, you’ll help envision and execute a visionary marketing and communications strategy for the Japan brand, steering a passionate team.

We’re a social impact business (a public benefit company), and the world's largest social change platform with 100 million users, 40,000+ campaigns launched on the site every month, and a 100% user-generated revenue model. Our users win campaigns for change once every hour. We’re working for a world where no one is powerless, and where creating change is a part of everyday life. We’re just getting started and hope you’ll join us!

From mobilizing over 5 million people to investigate the fires in the Amazon, to mobilizing nearly 3 million against war and famine in Yemen, to large-scale mobilizations for the people of Iran and against the war in Ukraine, and calling for Racial Justice in the US, many movements were born on Change.org. Dozens of local, national, and international victories are happening every day thanks to the strength of our members who are changing the lives of people around the world. We want to help them go even further and we need your help! 

Key Outcomes:

In this role, you will be balancing your time between hands-on tactical marketing and communications work (~70% of your time); people management responsibilities (~25%); and team operations (~5%). 

• Lead the MarComms team in Japan to implement the global strategy across owned and earned media and drive key platform KPIs.
• Manage a small MarComms squad to source and amplify compelling petitions and movements on Change.org and drive brand buzz/impact/awareness around campaigns. 
• Support petition starters to get media attention, reach decision makers, organize digital and in-person tactics, etc. Lead on the storytelling of these impact moments to Change.org users and a wider media audience. 
• Demonstrate measurable improvement in desired brand perception in Japan.
• Support the lifecycle management (email journey) for Japanese users.
• Contribute to growth on platform activity and revenue in Japan.
• Support various projects aimed at localizing the features and contents of globally developed platforms in a way that aligns with the culture and context of the Japanese market.
• Manage the budget and vendor operations necessary for running the Japan entity.

The most important core competencies for the role are: 

Marketing and Communications:

• You have advanced experience in social media marketing and email marketing.
• You are advanced in marketing and comms outreach skills. You have a flair for creative media relations or engaging multimedia (especially social media) strategies. You know how to make a highly effective pitch and to develop a (social) media strategy that would gain attention of decision makers and the public. 
• You have an extensive network in Japan which is a testament to your ongoing, impactful relationships with media outlets, journalists and influencers across various sectors like entertainment or politics. 
• You have an advanced understanding of the social and political landscape in Japan, with a knack for predicting exciting editorial calendars and pinpointing key figures for content distribution. 
• You have exceptional communication skills that make complex topics a breeze for any audience or stakeholder. 
• You have expertise in strategy and data-driven decision-making. 

Management: 

• You can autonomously manage a team, you know how to allocate resources effectively to achieve the goals, you provide regular timely guidance to your direct reports and  deliver constructive feedback on daily operations, you’re flexible and adapt well in multifaceted roles.
• Your dedication to investing in, nurturing, and fostering the growth of others is an essential aspect of your approach.
• Your commitment to coaching others reflects your dedication to elevating the entire team, leveraging your tactical expertise to set new standards. 

Target experience:

• 5-8 years of experience across one or more of the following: marketing/brand, media, comms, public relations
• 3+ years of experience managing social media channels for a brand, company or organization
• 3+ years of management experience of managing a team of at least 2 persons 
• Japanese proficiency (native)
• English proficiency (Minimum B2), several years of experience leading projects in a global company with English as the working language

Interested? Great! Here's what you should know:

This is a full time hybrid role based in Japan. You will be required to work in person with the team in Tokyo 2-3 days a week.

Our compensation philosophy is based on pay equity. All of our salaries are determined before we launch a role – they are based on a predetermined salary scale, the level on that scale and the cost of labor for that location. 

Benefits and perks also vary based on location. We typically offer a fully remote workforce, 100% employer-paid health plan options, life insurance, unlimited PTO, and 18 weeks of parental leave. 

Our evaluation process is as follows:

• Initial Screen
• Hiring Manager Interview 
• Take Home Task 
• Team Interview 
• Executive Interview 

Note: While we are a global company, we ask that you please submit your resume and application questions in English.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting amazing candidates like you, so please don’t hesitate to apply—we’d love to meet you. We also know it’s rare for someone to meet 100% of the qualifications. Please apply anyway!

We actively encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to apply. At Change.org, we are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We invest in programs to support our diverse workforce, offer inclusive onboarding experiences and affinity groups, celebrate the heritage of our staff, provide training on working across differences, and maintain fair and transparent salary scales. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, or culture.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process for candidates with disabilities. If you need assistance, or an accommodation, please let your recruiter know once you are contacted about a role.

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