Senior Marketing Producer (maternity leave contract)

The Role

Rakuten Kobo Inc. is seeking an experienced Marketing Producer to lead the end-to-end delivery of integrated marketing projects, ensuring seamless execution from concept through launch. This role serves as the operational backbone of the marketing team, partnering with creative, brand, product, marketing technology, product and other stakeholders to deliver high-impact campaigns on time and at scale.

The successful candidate is a highly organized, strategic, and detail-oriented project leader with a proven ability to manage complex workflows, coordinate cross-functional teams, and balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. They will be responsible for driving project planning, resource alignment, scope and timeline management while maintaining the highest standards of quality and execution. In addition, this individual will champion process optimization, identify opportunities to improve efficiency, and implement scalable ways of working that enable the marketing team to deliver exceptional results consistently.

Responsibilities:

Project Management & Coordination:

• Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of marketing projects, ensuring projects are delivered on time, per the agreed scope, and to the required quality standards.
• Identify and understand the steps required to complete various types of projects, develop detailed project plans, and workback schedules (WBS) to manage timelines and tasks across cross-functional teams. Collaborate with team members to validate and adjust timelines as needed.
• Organize and facilitate project kick-off meetings, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on project goals, scope, and deliverables.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings, track action items, and follow up to share status and secure approvals.
• Act as a central point of contact for project-related communication, ensuring clear and consistent information flow between cross-functional teams (e.g., Creative, Marketing, Development, Product, Retail, Content, etc.).
• Take and distribute meeting minutes, ensuring key decisions and action items are documented and communicated effectively.

Process Optimization:

• Continuously review project processes, identifying opportunities to streamline and optimize workflows.
• Develop and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce bottlenecks.
• Document and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for project management processes.
• Monitor project performance and identify areas for improvement.

Resource Management:

• Assist in the allocation of resources to projects, ensuring teams have the necessary tools and support to succeed.
• Track project scope, ensuring projects align with the request

Communication & Reporting:

• Prepare and distribute regular project status reports to stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and issues.
• Proactively identify and escalate potential risks and issues to the Director, Global Creative Operations in a timely manner, recommending viable solutions to keep projects on track.
• Maintain clear and organized project documentation.

Project Prioritization:

• Work with the Director, Global Creative Operations, to organize and prioritize projects based on business objectives and strategic priorities.
• Help to manage the project pipeline and ensure resources are allocated effectively.

General Marketing Support:

• Provide general support to the marketing team as needed.
• Stay up-to-date on industry best practices in project management and marketing operations.

The Skillset:

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in marketing project management within a corporate or agency environment.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced, dynamic environments while balancing competing priorities.
• Strong understanding of marketing processes, workflows, and creative development lifecycles, with a deep knowledge of creative and technology development processes.
• Experience managing digital, video, packaging, retail, and other integrated marketing production projects.
• Advanced project management expertise, including workback schedule (WBS) creation, resource coordination, scope management, tracking, and reporting.
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools such as ClickUp, Asana, Slack, and DAM platforms.
• Excellent organizational, time management, prioritization, and attention-to-detail skills, with a strong commitment to quality and executional excellence.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, interpersonal, negotiation, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong problem-solving abilities with a proactive approach to identifying risks, resolving issues, and driving projects to completion.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Experience with Agile and Scrum methodologies is considered an asset.
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification or an equivalent project management certification is also a plus.

The Perks:

• Flexible hours and hybrid remote working environment
• Subsidized in-office lunches
• Full benefits starting from your first day
• Lifestyle spending account
• Talent and development training budget
• Free Kobo device + free weekly e-book or audiobook
• Weekly Kobo Spark sessions
• Dog friendly office