Manager, Lifecycle Marketing

About The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd.

The Walt Disney Company established a commercial presence in the Japanese market with the founding of a local subsidiary in1959. In April 2000, it took control of Disney’s business interests in Japan (except Tokyo Disney Resort®) with the integration of all local subsidiaries and affiliates and in August 2002, it renamed itself The Walt Disney Company (Japan) Ltd. Today WDCJ is involved in a diverse range of businesses in Japan, operating in the following core segments - Studios Motion Pictures, Direct-to-Consumer streaming services, Media Networks, Consumer Products, Disney Store, Games and Parks & Resorts.

The Team

Disney+ is one of the leading premium video streaming services in the world. It is the dedicated home for streaming movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Our Disney+ North Asia team is responsible for the launch and day to day operation of the service across Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan specifically focused on customer acquisition and retention, marketing, partnerships, content programming, research, and analytics.

The Performance & Lifecycle Marketing team in Japan is tasked with driving Disney+ subscriber growth, engagement, and retention for the market, in close partnership with the Disney Streaming Services global teams. They are positioned at the heart of decision making for The Walt Disney Company, driving the best audience/subscriber experience and commercial outcome for the Direct-to-Consumer business. The team also works in close alignment with other local teams and lines of business including Studios, Franchise, Live Entertainment, Parks and Consumer Products to align Disney+ acquisition and lifecycle marketing plans with cross company priorities.

Job Summary

• Lead lifecycle automation, segmentation, and experimentation for Disney+ Japan to drive ongoing engagement, reduce churn, and support business-critical KPIs (including win-back, upgrade/plan mix, and retention).
• Set the strategic direction for lifecycle campaigns in partnership with Japan Growth, Brand Marketing, Content Programming, Creative, Legal, Analytics, and International Product Marketing teams. Deliver innovative, data-driven campaigns that promote Disney+ content and move measurable KPIs. 
• Oversee planning, execution, and optimization across owned channels (email, push, in-app), ensuring operational excellence (localization, QA, legal compliance) and clear, measurable impact on retention and engagement.
• This role reports to the Japan Growth Director and is responsible for managing and developing the lifecycle team, while collaborating across multiple stakeholder groups and contributing Japan learnings to regional initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lifecycle calendar ownership: Build and manage the lifecycle content calendar for Japan; identify key drivers of viewership and engagement across owned channels; coordinate win-back and prospecting activities.
• Campaign delivery: Lead end-to-end execution with internal teams and external partners/vendors; uphold high standards for QA, localization, legal approvals, and on-time delivery.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with Brand Marketing, Content Programming, Creative, Legal, Analytics, other APAC lifecycle leads, and global operations to execute cohesively and share learnings.
• Data & experimentation: Define hypotheses, design and run controlled tests (including holdouts) to drive upsell, incremental reconnects, engagement lift, and churn reduction.
• Measurement & insights: Co-define success metrics and measurement plans; structure campaigns for learnings; interpret results to surface opportunities; communicate insights clearly to stakeholders.
• Perks & loyalty: Explore, design, and test perks/loyalty mechanics that can move retention, engagement, and ARPU-adjacent metrics; scale what works.
• Regional contribution: Feed Japan insights into APAC-wide experiments and adopt regional best practices; help shape the shared learning agenda.
• Team leadership: Set clear priorities and outcomes; coach, empower, and grow team members; foster a collaborative culture that balances creativity with rigorous, data-driven decision-making. Encourage ownership, healthy debate, and continuous learning.

Competencies & Core Attributes

• Analytical & hypothesis-led: Strategic thinker who is comfortable with metrics, experimentation, and translating data into action.
• Collaborative relationship-builder: Works constructively across functions and levels; clear, crisp communicator.
• Solutions-first, can-do mindset: Adaptable, proactive, and energized by ambiguity; champions change and delivers results.
• Curious and resourceful: Creative problem-solver who identifies opportunities and tests them pragmatically.
• High integrity and judgment: Trusted to handle sensitive commercial information with discretion and professionalism.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in lifecycle/CRM/retention or related marketing roles (subscription or streaming a plus).
• Experience with ESP/CRM and marketing tech (e.g., Braze, Salesforce MC, Marketo, Adobe) is a plus.
• Proven track record using data and experimentation to improve customer experience and deliver business outcomes.
• Native-level Japanese and business-level English.
• Degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field preferred but not required.