Director of Brand and Product Marketing, Rakuten Kobo
14 Month Contract
Digital bookseller
Job no longer available
Digital bookseller
501-1000 employees
Job no longer available
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To bring the power of reading to the world.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Commerce, Business, or a related field
- 8-12 years of experience in product marketing and integrated marketing, ideally in e-commerce or consumer technology
- 3+ years of experience in people management – leading others, inspiring, coaching, and mentoring
- Demonstrated ability to manage projects with multiple stakeholders and deliver on deadlines
- Comprehensive understanding of how different channels (digital, retail, PR etc.) and work together in an integrated campaign
- Experience managing external agencies with comprehensive briefs, providing creative feedback, and ensuring creative aligns to strategic positioning
- Excellent and clear communicator who works well with all levels of team members – executive and senior management, external partners, cross-functional stakeholders, etc
- Demonstrated experience in building relationships with cross-functional stakeholders – product, digital marketing, retail marketing, creative
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex concepts in a clear and engaging way
- Confidence in public speaking and presenting to various audiences, including executive leadership
- Excellent English skills (verbal and written)
- Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Creative thinker with a demonstrated ability to apply ideas strategically, while managing stakeholder alignment and timelines
- Ability to think strategically, while still understanding how other work streams execute
- Highly detail-oriented with the ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities
- Fosters strong relationships throughout an organization
- Self-motivated and proactive – identifying opportunities and solutions ahead of need
What the job involves
- We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Director, Brand and Product Marketing to lead product and brand positioning, messaging strategy and integrated marketing plans that support our eReader, subscriptions and content sales business units
- Reporting to the VP, Marketing, the Director, Brand and Product Marketing will work closely with research and product to define product value propositions and differentiators that resonate with our target audiences
- They will create comprehensive messaging and positioning documents with channel specificity and regional context to ensure the Creative Services team can deliver against briefs that best connect with customers and help drive business growth in key markets around the world
- For key launches and campaign moments, they will work closely with functional marketing leads, and create integrated marketing plans to ensure cohesion of message across customer touch points with measured results on brand and business outcomes
- Insights/Analysis: Work with research and market leads to understand evolving trends, customer needs, and competitive dynamics. Analyze competitor marketing strategies. Utilize insights to inform strategic direction
- Product Marketing and Positioning/Messaging: Create and refine tailored value propositions that resonate with target audiences. Develop clear and compelling product positioning statements that effectively communicate the unique benefits and features of our offerings to drive customer acquisition and engagement. Ensure creative services team is equipped to answer briefs per strategic direction
- Go-to-market Planning: Plan and execute product launches, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless execution. Partner with the internal creative team and external agencies to bring the product positioning to life. Deliver integrated campaigns, working closely with our in-house digital media team, PR and social to ensure a consistent earned/owned/paid voice
- Brand: Measure brand health via annual survey and continue to craft the strategic vision for how the Kobo brand shows up in marketing initiatives through the year
- Agency Management: Manage external agency partners as needed to support positioning work and integrated campaigns
- Sales Enablement: Equip Sales and retail marketing teams with impactful and effective materials that enhance their ability to communicate product value. With support of team, Develop training resources and tools that empower teams to engage customers effectively throughout the sales cycle
- Cross-Functional Relationship Building: Work closely with the sales, product, and customer service teams to ensure marketing campaigns align with product offerings and customer needs. Ensure we are always focusing on market and customer needs. Work closely with the product management team to ensure alignment on the product roadmap and packaging strategies
Application process
- Rakuten Kobo would like to thank all applicants for their interest in this role however only qualified candidates will be shortlisted
Our take
Long-form content is having a resurgence. That’s great news for the e-reader industry, of which Rakuten’s Kobo battles with Amazon’s Kindle for ownership.
The e-reader giant has changed tack in recent years to pursue growth via integrations and partnerships. A notable example is its native device integration with Pocket, a wishlist app loved by millions of readers.
The company is hoping that these partnerships and product improvements will allow it to finally break the US market where it most struggles for market share with Kindle.
Amazon has consistently shown its willingness to drop prices to protect its position in any market it plays in. That means that Kobo will have to demonstrate true product superiority to make a dent while protecting its margins.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Company benefits
- "Work from anywhere" policy
- Flexible hours
- Internet/phone/commuting allowance
- Daily meal allowance when in the office
- $500 CAD flexible spending account
- Parental leave top-up
- Unlimited sick and mental health days
- 4-day summer holiday weekends
- RRSP matching, bonus and stock options
- Free Kobo eReader
- Free weekly book of your choice
- Volunteer time off
Company HQ
Liberty Village, Toronto, ON
Leadership
Michael Tamblyn
(CEO)Part of the founding team of Kobo, Michael previously held the role of Chief Content Officer. Michael has also been the founding CEO of the supply chain agency, BookNet Canada and co-founded Canada’s first online bookstore, Bookshelf.ca, purchased by Indigo Books & Music in 1998.
Anna Giagkou
(CFO)Prior to joining Rakuten Kobo in 2021, Anna was the CFO of Cox Automotive Canada.
Nimod Narayanan
(CTO)Nimod joined Rakuten Kobo in 2022 as VP of Technology, he then became the SVP of Technology in 2023, and CTO in 2025. Prior to this, he spent nearly 4 years at Rogers Communications joining as a Senior Development Manager before becoming a Director of eCommerce & Personalization and then Senior Director of Digital Platforms & Services.
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