Title: Marketing Manager

Location: Osaka, Japan

Department: Operations

Reporting to: General Manager (with dotted line to Global Head of Marketing)

Brand Video: Brand Video_2026.mp4

Time Out Market is a global food and cultural market that brings the best of the city together under one roof, its leading chefs, restaurants, bars, and cultural experiences, curated by Time Out Group. As part of a global portfolio, Time Out Market Osaka plays a key role in establishing the brand’s presence in Japan, balancing global standards with local expectations and cultural nuance.

We’re looking for a dynamic Marketing Manager to lead the development and execution of a locally relevant, commercially focused marketing strategy that drives footfall, revenue, and brand growth for Time Out Market Osaka.

This role requires a strong understanding of the Osaka and wider Japanese hospitality landscape, with the ability to translate global brand positioning into locally resonant campaigns and experiences. As the marketing lead for the Market, you will act as the central connector between concessionaires, the on-site team, local partners, and the global marketing function, ensuring all activity is aligned, effective, and performance-driven.

You will own the delivery of marketing campaigns, PR and communications, social and content, and events and activations, while building strong, productive relationships with concessionaires to drive participation and commercial impact.

Key focus areas for this role include driving sustained weekday and lunch trade, strengthening local relevance, and carefully managing brand perception within a considered and sensitive media environment. The ideal candidate will be passionate about food and culture and have a proven track record of success across the following key responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities:

Marketing Strategy & Commercial Performance

• Own and deliver the Osaka marketing plan, aligned to revenue, footfall, and trading priorities

• Drive growth across key trading periods, with particular focus on:

• Weekday lunch, early evening trade and repeat visitation from local audiences

• Develop targeted campaigns that balance tourist appeal with strong local engagement

• Ensure all activity is measurable, with clear performance tracking and ROI focus

Campaign Delivery & Channels

• Lead execution across all key channels:

• Social media (with a Japan-first platform approach)

• Paid media and local partnerships

• CRM and database growth

• PR and media engagement

• Adapt global campaigns for the Japanese market, ensuring cultural and language relevance

• Maintain consistency while allowing for local tone, pacing, and audience expectations

Concessionaire Alignment

• Act as the primary marketing contact for all Osaka vendors

• Drive participation in campaigns, including lunch sets, seasonal offers, and promotions

• Support vendors in shaping offers that are operationally viable and commercially attractive

• Manage alignment across multiple stakeholders, balancing brand standards with vendor needs

Events, Programming & Local Relevance

• Develop a programming calendar that resonates with local audiences, including but not limited to: Seasonal moments, cultural activations, music and entertainment aligned to local tastes and branded partnership events

• Ensure all programming supports commercial outcomes, particularly midweek footfall and evening spend

PR, Communications & Reputation Management

• Manage local PR with a strong focus on:

• Consistent, accurate messaging

• Building trust with local media

• Protecting and strengthening brand perception

• Work closely with global HQ team on messaging, approvals, and brand positioning

• Take a measured, controlled approach to media engagement, including

• Structured Q&A over reactive interviews where appropriate

• Careful management of timing and approvals

• Monitor sentiment and respond appropriately in a sensitive media environment

Content & Social

• Own the Time Out Market Osaka content strategy, ensuring output is:

• Locally relevant, high quality and consistent, reflective of the Market’s atmosphere and offer, in line with Time Out Market brand standards

• Ensure content feels authentic and relevant to an Osaka and global audience.

• Coordinate content shoots and manage local creators or agencies where required

Customer & CRM Focus

• Support the growth of the Osaka customer email database and with a focus on driving repeat visitation

• Work with the global CRM team to drive engagement through targeted email communications

• Build campaigns that encourage frequency, not just one-time visits

Data, Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Track and report on campaign and marketing performance, footfall, and customer behaviour and feedback

• Use insights to refine strategy, particularly around areas such as: Lunch performance, campaign effectiveness, customer retention

• Monitor local competitors and market dynamics

Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the General Manager and Operations team, concessionaires, Global Marketing team, local agencies and partners

• Act as the central point of coordination for all marketing activity in Osaka

Skills & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, PR, or a related field

• 3–5+ years’ experience in a marketing role, ideally within hospitality, retail, or entertainment

• Proven experience developing and executing multi-channel marketing campaigns that drive measurable results

• Demonstrable experience across PR, brand activations, and partnerships, ideally within a multi-stakeholder environment

• Strong understanding of social media platforms, with the ability to plan, create, and optimise engaging content

• Experience in planning and delivering events or programming that drive footfall and customer engagement

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence and manage internal and external stakeholders

• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, operational environment

• Data-driven mindset, with experience tracking performance and using insights to optimise campaigns