Product Marketing Lead, iPhone, Apple Watch & Home (Japan)

At Apple, we combine product management/development and product marketing into one cross-functional product management role. It works with design, engineering, finance, legal, marketing communications, public relations, market research, retail, sales and support for maximum impact across the organization.

As a member of our Product Marketing group, you'll represent the customer throughout a product's journey from concept through development and launch. You'll develop and apply insights to help build innovative features into our product development process. Together with our team, you'll turn groundbreaking ideas into real products and shape the compelling stories that introduce these innovations to our users and excite the world.

Description
As the Product Marketing Lead for iPhone, Apple Watch & Home in Japan, you will drive growth and category leadership in one of Apple's most important and competitive markets. You will lead a team of product marketing managers (PMMs). Together you will own and drive the product-centric marketing strategy, create compelling annual marketing plans, deliver flawless product launches and speed up adoption across the iPhone, Apple Watch and Home portfolio.

You will be the bridge between the Japan market and headquarters. You will keep Worldwide Product Marketing (WWPM) and Engineering informed so they can shape products and features that matter to Japanese customers. You understand Japan's smartphone market, carrier channel and competitors deeply. With that understanding and strong cross-functional partnerships, you will create clear stories that align internal teams, carriers and channel partners, and make sure our messaging connects with customers.","responsibilities":"Strategic Planning: Lead the team to own and drive the annual local marketing plan for iPhone, Apple Watch & Home, with actions that contribute to growth and category leadership. Explain the product vision, turn strategies into quarterly plans the team can act on, and set up regular reviews to make sure Marketing and Sales deliver
Launch & Momentum: Support and execute hardware, OS and feature launches for press, carriers, partners and customer-facing teams in Japan. Deliver product launches and momentum activities with excellence. Be the guardian of product messaging and positioning at every customer touchpoint, from introduction through end-of-life
Carrier & Partner Engagement: Work closely with Sales, Carrier Partner Marketing and Channel teams to align product positioning, launch readiness and in-market execution with carriers and retail partners. Give product leadership and clear recommendations on pricing, product mix, offers and customer messaging across the carrier and retail channels
Market & Competitive Insight: Be the voice of the customer and the expert on the Japan smartphone and wearables market. Track market dynamics, customer trends, the competitive landscape and the regulatory environment. Turn these insights into actions that strengthen iPhone's position and speed up adoption across the portfolio
Ecosystem Synergy: Partner with other PMMs to find and amplify opportunities across lines of business. Work closely with cross-functional teams to drive iPhone, Apple Watch and Home adoption across key customer segments, health and fitness initiatives, and smart home activations. Use the iPhone customer base as the foundation for ecosystem growth
Product Influence: Be the main Geo liaison for all local business needs and feature requirements. Keep WWPM and Engineering informed to help shape the product feature roadmap. Push for localized solutions and make clear recommendations that improve the customer experience in Japan
Team Leadership & Development: As a senior member of the Product Marketing team, build high-performing teams through coaching and developing talent. Actively foster an inclusive culture that values diverse perspectives, and develop a strong bench of PMMs

Preferred Qualifications
Creates competitive and breakthrough strategies that show a clear connection between vision and action
Strong storytelling, presentation and negotiation skills, with a track record of aligning carriers, partners and internal teams around a shared plan
Brings new ways of looking at problems and encourages diverse thinking to promote and nurture innovation
Plans and prioritizes work to align with broader organizational goals
Curious, with a passion for excellence, the ability to ask the right questions, and a resilient, problem-solving mindset
A resilient problem solver who gets things done, works well under pressure, is flexible, willing to learn, and confident but without ego
Deep project management skills and cross-functional leadership abilities
MS/MA/MBA degree

Minimum Qualifications
12+ years of experience in product management and marketing, including significant experience in the smartphone or mobile industry
Proven experience managing and developing people. Can lead through others and deliver results across multiple product categories
Hands-on experience working with carriers and channel partners, including joint launch planning, go-to-market execution and commercial negotiations
Deep understanding of the Japan smartphone market, including carrier and retail channel dynamics, customer behavior, pricing and upgrade cycles, the regulatory environment, and the competitive landscape of domestic and international device makers
Extensive business analytics and strategic product management experience in a global organization. Knowledge of the Japan wearables, health and smart home space
Technical fluency, with the ability to translate features into customer benefits and vice versa
Highly collaborative, with excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to influence senior stakeholders, both internally and with external partners
Excellent presentation, spoken and written skills in both Japanese and English