Apple TV - Platform and Programming Manager, Japan
Summary
Apple is a place where extraordinary people gravitate in order to do their best work. Together we craft products and experiences people once couldn't have imagined — and now can't imagine living without.
The Japan TV team is responsible for shaping the Apple TV discovery experience and ensuring a locally relevant, culturally resonant journey for our customers. Reporting to the TV Lead, this team works closely with International Platform, Marketing, Design, and Localisation groups to deliver an engaging, high-quality in-app experience.
Description
The Platform & Programming Manager ensures the right content is surfaced at the right time by combining a deep knowledge of film and television with data-informed decision-making. This role drives editorial strategy, platform optimisation, and cross-functional execution to connect audiences with content they will love.
Responsibilities
- Curate a compelling mix of Apple TV and third-party titles by building forward-looking editorial plans that anticipate cultural moments, local events, and the release calendar.
- Develop creative angles, thematic collections, and unexpected editorial threads that bring the full breadth of the available catalogue to life for customers in Japan.
- Analyse weekly performance data to understand customer engagement, developing hypotheses and running tests to continuously optimise programming decisions.
- Launch and validate new platform features in-market, ensuring technical functionality and escalating bugs while operating under tight, shifting deadlines.
- Maintain accurate content tagging and taxonomy structures within the local context to power highly relevant, localised customer recommendations.
- Partner closely with Marketing, Design, and Localisation teams to drive the creation of consumer-facing assets that embody the Apple tone of voice.
- Share editorial learnings and best practices with international platform peers to foster a culture of continuous improvement across global markets.
Minimum Qualifications
- 7+ years of experience in editorial programming, content curation, or entertainment merchandising for streaming platforms or digital media.
- Proven track record of operating Content Management Systems (CMS), programming tools, and platform merchandising interfaces to execute editorial strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to leverage data and performance metrics to inform programming decisions and turn insights into actionable optimisations.
- Expert knowledge of film and television across genres, with a deep understanding of the Japanese entertainment landscape and audience preferences.
- Professional fluency in Japanese and English.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience partnering with cross-functional creative, marketing, and product teams to develop locally relevant consumer-facing assets.
- Proficiency with complex metadata management, taxonomy structures, and content tagging systems.
- Experience conducting QA and validating platform features, with the ability to identify technical issues and clearly document bugs for engineering teams.
- Strong familiarity with Apple's brand guidelines, design principles, and maintaining a consistent tone of voice across customer touchpoints.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with international peers across multiple time zones in a matrixed global organisation.
- High proficiency in data tracking and presentation tools, including Excel, Numbers, and Keynote.
- Demonstrated willingness to embrace and experiment with AI tools to enhance editorial workflows or operational efficiency.