GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Creative Production & Design Lead is responsible for both hands-on design work and the management of external creative vendors. This role oversees the creation of key visual assets—including package design, game cover sheets, SNS banners, event booth graphics, merchandise, and others—while ensuring high-quality output through effective production coordination and vendor management.

The ideal candidate combines strong design skills with the ability to manage timelines, communicate with external partners, and maintain consistent brand quality across all creative deliverables.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Vendor & External Production Management
  • Manage relationships with external creative vendors, including HQ and affiliated companies.
  • Brief vendors on project requirements, timelines, brand guidelines, and deliverable expectations.
  • Review and provide feedback on outsourced creative work to ensure quality, accuracy, and brand consistency.
  • Coordinate schedules, approvals, and revisions to keep all outsourced projects on track.
  • Maintain smooth communication and evaluate vendor performance.
• Creative Design (Hands-on Production)
  • Design packaging, game cover sheets, key visuals, promotional materials, and others.
  • Develop visual concepts and layouts for event booths, signage, and on-site promotional displays.
  • Design merchandise aligned with brand and product direction.
  • Prepare production-ready files and ensure all assets meet technical specifications for print and digital use.
  • Collaborate with internal teams (Operations, Marketing, Design) to understand creative needs and deliver effective solutions.
• Creative Operations & Project Coordination
  • Oversee the full creative production pipeline from concept to final delivery.
  • Maintain asset organization, version control, and documentation for all creative files.
  • Align creative output with marketing campaigns, product launches, and event timelines.
  • Manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks based on deadlines and business needs.
  • Ensure all creative deliverables meet internal quality standards and are delivered on time.
• Quality Control
  • Conduct detailed reviews of both internal and outsourced creative assets.
  • Check for accuracy in layout, typography, localization, branding, and technical specifications.
  • Identify issues early and coordinate corrections with designers or vendors.
  • Maintain consistency across all visual materials and ensure adherence to brand guidelines.
• Others
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or a related field; or 3-5 years of experience in graphic design, creative production, or related fields.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design skills across print, packaging, digital assets, and others
• Native level Japanese (written and spoken).
• Experience in business communication using Japanese.
• Experience managing external creative vendors or freelancers.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).
• Excellent communication and project management skills.
• Ability to balance hands-on design work with production coordination responsibilities.
• Experience with Google Suite and Microsoft Office.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working directly with first-party platform holders (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo) or PC storefront partners.
• Experience in gaming, entertainment, or consumer products.
• Knowledge of print production processes and technical requirements.
• Experience designing for events, trade shows, or large-format graphics.
• Familiarity with merchandise production workflows.
• Understanding of the concept of Gaming business in Gaming industry.
• Understanding of video game concepts, terms, and gameplay (in particular RPGs).
• Knowledge and history of RPGs .

Other Requirements:

• Supervisory Responsibilities: No 

Key Attributes:

Candidate should demonstrate these skills

• Passion
  • Strong passion to introduce our game titles to the market
  • A love for Japanese games!
• Communication Skills
  • Solid verbal and written English communication
  • Exceptional communication and presentation
  • Good negotiation skills
• Planning and organizing
  • Good time management / Ability to meet schedules and deadlines
• Team work oriented
  • Team working skills with respect
  • A person of integrity
  • Steady and prudent
• Multi-tasking
  • Able to juggle multiple tasks with competing deadlines
  • Ability to prioritize tasks as needed based on task urgency and importance
• Required nature
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving
  • Good sense for numbers / mathematics
  • Stress tolerance
  • Detail Oriented

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Work is typically performed either in an office environment with a moderate noise level or at your home.
• While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to frequently sit and occasionally must stand, walk, use hands and fingers, and may lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities include the ability to read and analyze data in hard copy and on a computer screen, measure, or identify using eyesight and adjust vision focus.
• Abilities to communicate verbally and in writing to individuals and groups.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Benefits: Health, Dental & Vision coverage, 401k plan

Health care: effective first of the month following 30 days waiting period. 
401K: Require 3 months of service to be eligible.

• 11 Paid holidays; 88 hours of vacation in the first year; 56 hours sick leave per year
• Discretionally Year-end bonus (TBD) may be available