Marketing Activation Manager, Sportstyle

ASICS; Netherlands; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office gym

Gear discount

Calm app

Runkeeper Go premium

Wellbeing program

OpenUp access

Four weeks abroad per year

Job summary

ASICS is seeking a Senior Activation professional to own the Sportstyle Events & Activations strategy for EMEA from our Hoofddorp headquarters. You will translate Brand, Product, and Collaboration campaigns into compelling pan-European experiences, managing a multi-million euro annual activation budget and leading end-to-end delivery of major events.

This role sits in the SPS Category team within ASICS Sportstyle, offering autonomy to shape approaches and serve as a trusted internal expert

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant experience in events, experiential marketing, or brand activation within fashion, footwear, sportswear, lifestyle, or entertainment.
• Hands-on event production knowledge: build, technical production, fabrication, venues, logistics, staffing, and supplier management.
• Must read and challenge agency estimates independently; production depth required.
• Experience leading complex consumer events end-to-end across multiple European markets with large budgets.

Responsibilities

• Activation Strategy & Campaign Translation—develop the EMEA Sportstyle Events & Activations strategy and translate campaigns into pan-European consumer experiences.
• Pan-European Event Execution & Production Leadership—lead end-to-end delivery of major events; manage multiple projects; frequent travel across EMEA.
• Budget, Commercial & Agency Management—own SPS Activation budget, forecast, negotiate agency and supplier fees, manage agencies at scale.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration, Market Enablement & Leadership—partner with PR/Influencer Marketing and Category Marketing; align Global/EMEA/local teams.

Skills

Experience in events

Event production depth

Budget ownership

Commercial negotiation

Cultural orientation

Business English communication

Job description

Be part of a movement that moves the world
At ASICS, we’re more than just a brand; we're a movement. A movement of movement, propelled by the belief that motion strengthens the body and uplifts the mind. Our name itself, an acronym for "Anima Sana in Corpore Sano" (a Sound Mind in a Sound Body), encapsulates this commitment. Since taking our first step in Japan in 1949, our journey has been about more than just reaching the finish lines or clocking the fastest times. It's about the joy of moving and it's open to all.

If you're inspired to move yourself and the world toward a brighter, more inclusive future, we're looking for you.

Here at ASICS, we welcome diversity in our people, their backgrounds and life experiences. So, you could be the right person for this role regardless of your age, nationality, religious beliefs, or gender identification.

Your role in our shared journey

Located at our EMEA headquarters in Hoofddorp, near Amsterdam, you will own the Sportstyle (SPS) activation strategy across EMEA, translating Brand, Product, and Collaboration campaigns into compelling pan-European consumer, influencer, and media experiences. This is a newly created role within the SPS Category team, reporting to the SPS Senior Director. You will manage a significant annual activation budget (upwards of €5M), and drive end-to-end delivery of major pan-European events alongside the strategic direction that connects them to the Sportstyle brand.

ASICS Sportstyle is in an exciting growth moment, investing in capability, scale and expanding its activation footprint across Europe. This role sits at the intersection of culture, fashion, sport and consumer experience, with autonomy to define the approach, not just execute it. You will be a member of the Sportstyle management team and a recognised internal expert, working with a manager who gives genuine freedom to deliver industry-leading initiatives. This is the role for a creative-business savvy professional who can hold an ambitious consumer vision in one hand and a production schedule in the other.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Activation Strategy & Campaign Translation — develop the EMEA Sportstyle Events & Activations strategy aligned with seasonal priorities; translate Brand, Product, and Collaboration campaigns into distinctive pan-European consumer experiences with clear objectives and KPIs; integrate activation plans into GTM planning cycles and contribute to longer-term Sportstyle strategy as a member of the management team.
• Pan-European Event Execution & Production Leadership - lead end-to-end delivery of major pan-European events and selected global initiatives; apply deep hands-on production expertise to challenge agency proposals on scope, build, timelines, and costs; manage multiple simultaneous projects across EMEA markets to consistently high creative and brand standards. Frequent travel across EMEA is required, including working outside standard hours during major events.
• Budget, Commercial & Agency Management - own and manage the annual SPS Activation budget; allocate investment against strategic priorities; maintain accurate forecasting; benchmark costs and negotiate agency and supplier fees; brief, select, scope, and manage creative, experiential, and production agencies at scale, holding partners to quality, timeline, and commercial standards.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration, Market Enablement & Leadership - partner with PR & Influencer Marketing and Category Marketing on consumer-facing events; align Global, EMEA, and local market teams in GTM forums; develop frameworks and toolkits enabling markets to execute campaigns consistently; build internal production knowledge and a strong agency and supplier network across EMEA.

You have the following skills and experience:

• 7+ years of relevant experience in events, experiential marketing, or brand activation within fashion, footwear, sportswear, lifestyle, or entertainment.
• Demonstrated hands-on event production knowledge - build, technical production, fabrication, venues, logistics, staffing, and supplier management; must be able to read and challenge agency estimates independently. Candidates who have managed activations only at a campaign or strategic level without production depth are not suitable for this role.
• Proven track record leading complex, high-profile consumer events end-to-end across multiple European markets simultaneously, with significant budget ownership (ASICS SPS budgets are upwards of €5M annually).
• Strong commercial negotiation skills - able to benchmark agency and production costs, challenge unnecessary complexity, and deliver efficiencies without compromising creative quality.
• Genuine cultural orientation - authentic understanding of contemporary sneaker, fashion, music, design, and youth culture; ability to distinguish creatively impactful ideas from unnecessary production complexity.
• Confident senior communicator in business-level English - makes clear recommendations, challenges constructively, and represents the activation function compellingly in GTM and management settings.

Nice-to-haves:

• Existing network of creative, production, and experiential agencies across key European markets is a meaningful differentiator.

Life at ASICS

When you join ASICS, you become part of something special. Here, your voice matters, your growth and wellbeing are important. We believe in fostering an environment where every step forward is celebrated, where diversity fuels our journey, and inclusion strengthens individuals. And together and as individuals we can inspire more people to move for body and for mind.

Our commitment to your wellbeing

We're dedicated to ensuring that every team member experiences the joy and benefits of movement. To support your wellbeing, we offer:

• Access to office gym and sports membership discount.
• Exclusive 50% discount on ASICS gear.
• Unlimited access to the Calm app for better sleep and mental fitness.
• Complimentary premium subscription to our Runkeeper Go™ app.
• A comprehensive wellness programme consisting of exercise and educational sessions.
• Professional support and meditation classes are available through OpenUp Access.
• Working abroad for four weeks every year.
• Hybrid working model (office attendance 3 days per week). Combine the flexibility of working from home with the dynamic energy of an office environment.