Senior Retail & Operations Manager

We’re gearing up for the Japan launch of Nex Playground and looking for an experienced, commercially driven Senior Retail & Operations Manager to own our retail relationships, in-store presence, and local supply operations across Japan’s most important consumer electronics and e-commerce channels.

Nex Playground is a first-of-its-kind interactive gaming platform, and getting it in front of Japanese consumers — on the right shelves, in the right stores, with the right stock levels — is critical to our success. You will be the face of Nex Playground to Japan’s top retail buyers, negotiating directly with key accounts and securing the shelf space and e-commerce visibility that drives sell-through. At the same time, you will serve as Japan’s local execution arm for supply chain operations, working under the direction of the US Supply Chain team to ensure inventory flows smoothly from warehouse to shelf.

Reporting to the Japan General Manager, you will work closely with the Japan marketing team, and collaborate with the US Retail Strategy, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to ensure Japan retail execution is commercially sound and operationally tight.

We recognize that this role covers a broad range of responsibilities. This is intentional for the launch planning phase — and we’ve designed it with that context in mind.

In the near term, while you are ramping up and the Japan market is in its pre-launch phase, the US team will actively support certain areas — including sales forecasting and retail display execution — so that you can focus on building the most critical foundations: buyer relationships, account strategy, and launch readiness.

As Nex Playground moves toward and into active sales in Japan, we plan to expand the Japan retail team, splitting this role into two dedicated positions — one focused on retail account management and one on operations and e-commerce. This means the person who joins now will have a direct opportunity to shape how the team grows and potentially step into a more senior or specialized leadership role as the business scales.

Your core focus is building and managing Nex Playground’s retail presence across Japan’s consumer electronics retailers and Amazon Japan, while serving as the local execution lead for supply chain operations. That includes:

• Owning the direct buyer relationship with Yodobashi Camera as our primary retail launch partner, while building the foundation to expand into additional consumer electronics and mass retail channels (e.g., AEON) over time.
• Managing and growing the Nex Playground Amazon Japan account, including product listings, A+ content, promotional placements, and advertising.
• Negotiating shelf space, promotional placements, co-op marketing budgets, and trade terms directly with retail buyers.
• Serving as Japan’s local execution lead for supply operations — monitoring inventory levels, coordinating replenishment, and managing logistics issues on the ground, under the direction of the US Supply Chain team.
• Driving sell-through performance through data-driven account management, forecasting, and inventory planning.
• Serving as the Japan-side counterpart to the US Retail Strategy and Supply Chain teams, feeding local market intelligence and operational updates into global planning.

• →Retail Buyer Negotiation & Account Management
• →Own and manage the direct buyer relationship with Yodobashi Camera as Nex Playground’s primary Japan retail launch partner, with a mandate to expand into additional consumer electronics and mass retail channels (e.g., AEON, Bic Camera, Yamada Denki) as the business grows.
• →Lead face-to-face buyer negotiations on:
• →Shelf space allocation and product placement (endcaps, feature zones, checkout areas)
• →Promotional pricing, seasonal campaigns, and trade deal structures
• →Co-op marketing budgets and in-store activation funding
• →New product listing agreements and range expansion
• →Annual trade terms and partnership agreements
• →Build long-term, senior-level relationships with retail partners to secure preferred placement and early access to promotional opportunities.
• →Represent Nex Playground at retail partner meetings, buyer presentations, and trade events.
• →Amazon Japan Account Management
• →Own the Nex Playground Amazon Japan account end-to-end, managing the commercial relationship with Amazon’s vendor or seller teams.
• →Negotiate promotional placements, deal structures (Lightning Deals, Prime Day, etc.), and co-op funding with Amazon Japan buyers.
• →Oversee product detail page quality, A+ content, and brand store to maximize conversion.
• →Manage Amazon Japan advertising (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, DSP) in coordination with the Japan marketing team.
• →Monitor and respond to Amazon Japan inventory levels, buy box health, and pricing to protect sell-through performance.
• →Leverage Amazon Japan sales data and category insights to identify growth opportunities and inform range decisions.
• →Sales Performance & Forecasting
• →Own Japan retail sales targets across all accounts and report regularly against KPIs (sell-in, sell-through, inventory positions, returns).
• →Generate weekly and monthly retail performance reports summarizing key trends, risks, and opportunities across accounts.
• →Build and maintain accurate sell-through forecasts in collaboration with US Supply Chain and Finance teams to ensure healthy inventory levels across all retail partners.
• →Analyze retail performance data to identify underperforming accounts or SKUs and develop corrective action plans.
• →Track competitor shelf presence, pricing, and promotional activity to inform negotiation strategy and account planning.
• →In-Store Execution & Merchandising
• →Secure and manage in-store merchandising placements, including display units, demo stations, POP materials, and signage.
• →Work with the Japan marketing team to develop retail-ready creative assets and in-store activation materials tailored to each retail partner’s requirements.
• →Oversee planogram compliance and in-store execution quality across key accounts, coordinating with field teams or agencies as needed.
• →Plan and execute seasonal in-store campaigns (Christmas, Golden Week, back-to-school) in alignment with Japan marketing and US Retail Strategy.
• →Ensure new product launches are supported by strong in-store presence from day one — negotiating launch placements and demo availability ahead of release.
• →Supply & Inventory Operations (Japan Local Execution)
• →Serve as Japan’s on-the-ground execution lead for supply chain operations, working under the direction and ownership of the US Supply Chain team.
• →Monitor daily inventory levels across Yodobashi Camera, Amazon Japan, and other retail accounts, flagging risks (stockouts, overstock, slow-moving SKUs) to the US Supply Chain team promptly.
• →Coordinate replenishment orders and delivery schedules with local logistics partners and retail receiving teams, ensuring on-time and in-full (OTIF) delivery performance.
• →Act as the first point of contact for Japan-side logistics issues — including delivery delays, damaged stock, customs hold-ups, or retailer receiving disputes — and escalate to US Supply Chain with clear context and recommended actions.
• →Provide weekly Japan inventory and sell-through data to the US Supply Chain and Finance teams to support global demand forecasting and replenishment planning.
• →Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of Japan inventory positions across all retail accounts, ensuring US systems reflect local reality.
• →Identify seasonal demand patterns and work with the US Supply Chain team to ensure sufficient stock is in place ahead of key retail moments (Christmas, Golden Week, back-to-school).
• →Represent Japan retail channel needs and buyer feedback in global planning discussions.
• →Provide Japan retail market intelligence to inform global product, pricing, and channel strategy.
• →Cross-Functional Collaboration
• →Partner with:
• →Japan General Manager — direct reporting line; retail strategy approval, account prioritization, and commercial decisions
• →Japan GTM & Performance Marketing Manager — aligning retail activations with campaign calendars and marketing spend
• →Japan Events & Community Manager — coordinating retail presence at events and in-store activations
• →US Retail Strategy team — Japan-side counterpart; sharing account performance data, local market intelligence, and aligning on global retail frameworks
• →US Supply Chain — primary Japan-side execution partner; local inventory monitoring, replenishment coordination, logistics issue escalation, and demand forecasting
• →US Finance — trade spend management, co-op budget tracking, and P&L reporting for Japan retail

• Must-Have
• 5+ years of experience in retail account management, trade sales, or channel management in Japan.
• Proven track record of directly negotiating with senior buyers at Yodobashi Camera or equivalent major Japan consumer electronics or mass retailers; experience with AEON or similar mass retail channels is a strong plus.
• Hands-on experience managing an Amazon Japan vendor or seller account, including buyer negotiations, promotional planning, and listing management.
• Demonstrated ability to secure shelf space, promotional placements, and co-op funding through direct buyer negotiation.
• Strong commercial acumen — comfortable with trade terms, P&L impact of promotional activity, and sell-through economics.
• Experience in retail operations or supply chain execution in Japan, including inventory monitoring, replenishment coordination, and logistics issue management.
• Existing senior-level relationships with buyers at Yodobashi Camera; relationships with additional mass or consumer electronics retailers (e.g., AEON, Bic Camera) are a strong plus.
• Native or near-native Japanese proficiency (written and verbal) for direct buyer negotiations; working English for collaboration with US teams.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, startup-like environment with lean resources and shifting priorities.
• Nice-to-Have
• Experience in consumer electronics, gaming hardware, interactive entertainment, kids’ products, or educational toys in Japan.
• Familiarity with toy and hobby retail channels in Japan (e.g., Toys R Us Japan, Hakusensha, hobby specialty stores).
• Experience working with a US or global HQ, bridging between Japan retail execution and international teams.
• Knowledge of Amazon Japan advertising platforms (Sponsored Products, DSP) and vendor/seller central operations.
• Familiarity with category management principles and planogram development.
• Experience managing in-store demo units, interactive displays, or experiential retail activations.
• Proficiency in Excel for sales data analysis, forecasting models, and reporting (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, data visualization).