Marketing Manager

📌 Core Information

🔹 Job Title: Marketing Manager

🔹 Company: Ski Japan Travel Co Ltd

🔹 Location: Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan

🔹 Job Type: On-site, Full-time

🔹 Category: Leisure, Travel & Tourism

🔹 Date Posted: July 8, 2025

🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years

🔹 Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Job Overview

Key aspects of this role include:

• Developing and executing strategic marketing initiatives to drive bookings, brand awareness, and customer engagement across domestic and international markets.
• Leading a small team and coordinating with other departments to align marketing activities with company objectives.
• Managing integrated marketing campaigns across multiple brands and platforms, spanning both summer and winter seasons.
• Overseeing website improvements and e-commerce strategies to support SEO, booking funnels, and user experience.

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a performance-driven, hands-on leader with a strong background in digital marketing and a deep understanding of seasonal tourism, particularly winter tourism in Japan.

📋 Key Responsibilities

✅ Developing and executing annual and seasonal marketing plans to maximize property occupancy and tour bookings across key markets.

✅ Leading the development and refinement of brand positioning and differentiation strategies across all properties.

✅ Identifying and responding to emerging travel trends, customer preferences, and booking behaviors.

✅ Proactively spotting opportunities for growth and turning them into actionable strategies that support the wider business.

✅ Leveraging data to drive demand forecasting and adjust campaigns based on revenue performance and booking trends.

✅ Managing integrated marketing campaigns (paid ads, social media, email, SEO/SEM, retargeting) across platforms to drive traffic and conversion.

✅ Coordinating content strategy with internal and external creatives to ensure messaging consistency and brand alignment.

✅ Leading promotion of bundled services to improve per-guest revenue.

✅ Working closely with the IT team on ongoing website improvements to support SEO, booking funnels, mobile performance, and user experience.

✅ Monitoring Google Analytics, heatmaps, and in-house tools to optimize landing pages and increase conversion rates.

✅ Ensuring marketing content supports direct bookings and integrates with agent and OTA strategies where needed.

✅ Managing and mentoring a small team of marketers and external contractors.

✅ Coordinating with other departments to ensure campaigns reflect real-time service capacity and operational needs.

✅ Overseeing workload planning and managing deadlines in collaboration with non-deadline-driven team members.

ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of multitasking, adaptability, and the ability to balance big-picture vision with tactical detail in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.

🎯 Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field (or equivalent experience)

Experience: Minimum 5 years' experience in digital marketing, tourism, or destination marketing

Required Skills:

• Proven track record in demand generation, e-commerce marketing, and brand building
• Experience working with hospitality/tourism CRMs, ad platforms, and website CMS tools
• Strong writing, creative direction, and campaign analysis skills
• Leadership experience, including cross-functional coordination and people management

Preferred Skills:

• Experience marketing Japan as a destination to international audiences
• Fluency in English; Japanese language skills or experience living/working in Japan are considered a strong advantage
• Familiarity with Booking.com, Jalan, Rakuten Travel, and other OTA integration strategies

ASSUMPTION: Candidates with a commercial mindset, focusing on performance metrics such as occupancy, revenue per guest night, and ROI, will be particularly successful in this role.

💰 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Negotiable depending on experience. Industry standards for a Marketing Manager in Japan range from ¥6,000,000 to ¥9,000,000 per year (approximately USD $48,000 to $72,000).

Benefits:

• Bi-annual bonuses dependent on personal, team, and company performance
• Staff rewards and incentives
• Subsidised staff accommodation
• Access to a Grand Hirafu/ Hanazono Lift Pass
• Excellent induction and training program
• Assistance with visas and government paperwork
• Regular staff events/parties

Working Hours: Standard working hours are 5 days per week, with an average of 40-45 hours per week. Hours can be flexible depending on the time of season and operational needs, with general working hours from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for the role, experience level, and location. Actual salary may vary depending on the candidate's qualifications and the company's internal compensation structure.

📌 Applicant Insights

🔍 Company Context

Industry: Leisure, Travel & Tourism

Company Size: 51-200 employees

Founded: 1996

Company Description:

• SkiJapan.com is a leading international travel company specialising in snow packages to Japan
• Employing over 100 staff during the peak period, with offices in Japan and Australia
• Proud to be Hokkaido’s longest serving and largest tours operator, hosting over 9,000 guests every winter

Company Specialties:

• Tour Operator
• Holiday letting property management
• Ski School

Company Website: http://www.skijapan.com

ASSUMPTION: SkiJapan.com is a well-established company with a strong reputation in the Japanese tourism industry, offering a range of services to ensure guests have the easiest and most convenient holiday possible.

📊 Role Analysis

Career Level: Mid-level to senior marketing role, with opportunities for growth and leadership

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the General Manager

Work Arrangement: On-site, full-time position with a 3-month probationary period

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential to lead and grow the marketing team as the company expands
• Opportunities to work on diverse marketing campaigns across multiple brands and platforms
• Chance to gain experience in both summer and winter seasonal tourism marketing

ASSUMPTION: This role offers a unique opportunity to gain experience in both seasonal and international tourism marketing, with potential for career growth within the company.

🌍 Location & Work Environment

Office Type: Modern office space in Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan

Office Location(s): Aza Yamada 170-304, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 044-0081, JP

Geographic Context:

• Niseko is a popular ski resort town located in the western part of Hokkaido, Japan
• Known for its high-quality powder snow and stunning natural beauty
• Offers a vibrant international community and a wide range of dining, shopping, and entertainment options

Work Schedule: Standard working hours are 5 days per week, with an average of 40-45 hours per week. Hours can be flexible depending on the time of season and operational needs, with general working hours from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.

ASSUMPTION: Niseko offers a unique work-life balance, with easy access to outdoor activities and a multicultural environment.

💼 Interview & Application Insights

Typical Process:

• Online application and resume screening
• Phone or video call interview to discuss the role and assess cultural fit
• On-site or virtual interview with the General Manager and/or other team members
• Background check and reference verification

Key Assessment Areas:

• Marketing strategy and campaign management skills
• Leadership and team management experience
• Understanding of seasonal tourism and the Japanese market
• Cultural fit and adaptability to a multicultural work environment

Application Tips:

• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant marketing experience and skills
• Demonstrate your understanding of the Japanese tourism market and seasonal travel trends
• Showcase your leadership and team management experience, with specific examples of successful marketing campaigns you've led

ATS Keywords: Marketing strategy, campaign management, leadership, team management, seasonal tourism, Japanese market, digital marketing, brand building, demand generation, e-commerce marketing

ASSUMPTION: SkiJapan.com values candidates who can demonstrate a strong understanding of the Japanese tourism market and a proven track record in marketing strategy and campaign management.

🛠️ Tools & Technologies

• Google Analytics
• Google Ads
• Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
• Email marketing platforms (Mailchimp, etc.)
• CRM and CMS tools (specific tools not mentioned in the job description)

ASSUMPTION: The specific tools and technologies used in this role may vary depending on the company's internal systems and the candidate's areas of expertise.

👔 Cultural Fit Considerations

Company Values:

• Customer-centric approach
• Continuous improvement and innovation
• Collaboration and teamwork

Work Style:

• Fast-paced and dynamic work environment
• Multicultural team with international guests
• Focus on performance metrics and data-driven decision-making

Self-Assessment Questions:

• How do you ensure that your marketing strategies align with the company's customer-centric approach?
• Can you provide an example of a time when you drove continuous improvement and innovation in a marketing campaign?
• How do you foster collaboration and teamwork in a multicultural work environment?

ASSUMPTION: SkiJapan.com values candidates who can demonstrate a strong fit with the company's values and work style, with a customer-centric approach and a focus on performance metrics.

⚠️ Potential Challenges

• Managing multiple marketing campaigns across diverse brands and platforms simultaneously
• Adapting to the fast-paced, seasonal nature of the tourism industry
• Working in a multicultural environment with international guests and team members
• Balancing big-picture vision with tactical detail in a dynamic work environment

ASSUMPTION: This role presents unique challenges and opportunities for growth, requiring a high level of adaptability and strong leadership skills.

📈 Similar Roles Comparison

• Unlike traditional marketing roles, this position requires a deep understanding of seasonal tourism and the unique challenges and opportunities of winter tourism in Japan
• Industry-specific context: The Japanese tourism market is highly competitive, with a strong focus on customer experience and brand differentiation
• Career path comparison: This role offers opportunities for growth and leadership within the marketing team, with potential for career advancement as the company expands

ASSUMPTION: This role is unique in its focus on seasonal tourism marketing, with a strong emphasis on customer experience and brand differentiation in the competitive Japanese tourism market.

📝 Sample Projects

• Developing and executing a targeted marketing campaign to increase bookings from a specific international market (e.g., Australia, the United States, etc.)
• Conducting market research to identify emerging travel trends and customer preferences in the Japanese tourism market
• Leading a team to optimize the SkiJapan.com website for improved SEO, booking funnels, and user experience

ASSUMPTION: These sample projects are designed to showcase the candidate's ability to develop and execute strategic marketing initiatives, manage teams, and drive results in a dynamic work environment.

❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview

• Can you describe the company's approach to marketing Japan as a destination to international audiences?
• How does the marketing team collaborate with other departments to ensure campaigns reflect real-time service capacity and operational needs?
• What opportunities are there for growth and leadership within the marketing team as the company expands?
• How does the company support work-life balance for employees, particularly in a fast-paced, seasonal work environment?
• What is the company's approach to continuous improvement and innovation in marketing strategies and campaigns?

ASSUMPTION: These key questions are designed to help the candidate better understand the role, the company, and the work environment, as well as to assess the candidate's fit with the company's values and work style.

📌 Next Steps for Applicants

To apply for this position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant marketing experience and skills, with a focus on seasonal tourism and the Japanese market
• Prepare examples of successful marketing campaigns you've led, demonstrating your ability to develop and execute strategic marketing initiatives
• Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to express your interest in the role and inquire about the status of your application

⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.