Job Description

Job Location Progress - Irvine, CA 92618 Position Type Full Time Salary Range $186,000.00 - $215,000.00 Salary

Hybrid Work Model

#LI-hybrid

We're looking for a strategic and player-first leader to join our GaaS (Games-as-a-Service) team as Director, GaaS Marketing, focused on leading go-to-market strategies and driving high-impact campaigns for SEGA Japan Studios' GaaS titles in the West. Reporting to the Senior Director, GaaS Marketing, you’ll serve as the key connection between SEGA Japan Studios and our Western teams, ensuring regional strategies are optimized for performance and cultural resonance.

You’ll lead and execute integrated marketing plans, collaborate closely with Japan-based stakeholders, and partner with internal teams across Marketing and Community to drive live ops programs that grow and engage our Western player base. This role will be expected to craft detailed end-to-end execution plans.

You’ll identify emerging trends, translate them into actionable strategies, and work cross-functionally to build lasting fandom around SEGA and our evolving portfolio of live service games.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop go-to-market strategies, brand positioning, and integrated marketing plans for various GaaS titles in alignment with the broader publishing roadmap.
• Monitor performance across marketing campaigns, channels, and creative assets, keeping internal teams, leadership, and external partners informed with regular updates.
• Collaborate with product, user acquisition, data, and creative teams to drive portfolio growth through full-funnel lifecycle marketing strategies.
• Contribute to the ideation and testing of ad creatives, working closely with the Creative team and SEGA Japan Marketing Division to launch compelling campaigns that attract and retain players.
• Participate in partner meetings, offering strategic insights backed by data, case studies, and marketing performance to guide joint campaigns and product updates.
• Maintain a deep understanding of how product updates impact user engagement and retention metrics, and adjust marketing tactics accordingly.
• Develop a clear understanding of each game’s performance metrics and product-market fit to inform marketing decisions.
• Drive the optimization of pre-launch and post-launch support strategies for key titles.
• Provide key insights and promote marketing and community best practices across supporting departments.
• Manage marketing personnel and provide leadership guidance across Community and Social teams, ensuring alignment with broader campaign goals and platform best practices.
• Offer interim support for Community and Social teams when needed, ensuring continuity in player engagement efforts.
• Manage the marketing budget as directed by leadership, while also proactively identifying opportunities to propose additional budget allocations tied to ROI, efficiency, or strategic growth opportunities.
• Support SEGA Japan Studios and the SEGA Japan Marketing Division throughout campaign execution and implementation phases.
• Coordinate with SEGA Japan stakeholders to align ongoing marketing efforts with in-game activations and promotional opportunities.
• Working in-office is an essential function of this position. This requirement of face-to-face interaction is in place to ensure effective supervision, collaboration, and teamwork. In-office attendance is required for the following reasons:
  • For effective supervision of employees and our work product, which includes ensuring all employees have necessary oversight of their work and access to supervisory assistance, which includes meetings to review work product, deadlines, and status.
  • To foster communication and collaboration among team members, which includes the following: allowing for spontaneous brainstorming sessions and exchanges of ideas, quick access to team members to enable collaborative problem-solving, and stronger cohesion among co-workers and within teams.
  • To enhance the sharing of information necessary to effective job performance and product creation.
  • To enhance understanding of our stakeholders’ work and business needs, facilitate a more seamless and organic workflow, and ultimately increase efficiency and successful outcomes.

Qualifications

Qualifications and Skills:

• 7+ years of experience in product or marketing roles, with a focus on live service and/or mobile gaming products.
• 4+ years of experience leading and mentoring small teams (1–3 members).
• Proven expertise across multiple marketing channels—including mobile, social, video, websites, and email—with a clear understanding of the strengths and limitations of each.
• Deep knowledge of go-to-market strategies, launch planning, and tactics that drive awareness, conversion, and retention.
• Strong understanding of user experience, product-market fit, and player/community perception of games and brands.
• Ability to strategically adapt based on game performance data, evolving partner expectations, and portfolio-level priorities.
• Hands-on experience planning and executing marketing campaigns, as well as setting and evaluating KPIs across marketing and community initiatives.
• Skilled in cross-functional collaboration with internal stakeholders, development teams, external partners, and media outlets.
• Excellent project management abilities, with a track record of juggling multiple priorities in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments.
• Confident in analyzing and presenting performance data and strategic plans to executive leadership in a clear and compelling way.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Japanese language skills and experience working with Japanese or other Asian corporations are a plus, but not required.
• Passionate gamer with firsthand experience playing GaaS titles across PC, console, or mobile platforms, and an ability to understand the perspectives of both casual and mid-core players.