Each month we find the marketing leadership roles that matter (or make us laugh) across Asia Pacific. The ones that shape how companies sell, how brands recover, and how teams get built.

We read the job descriptions… so you don't have to, then tell you what the posting actually means: who they need, why they need them now, what the real challenges are, and whether the role is worth your time.

This is the first jobs edition, so we are starting with three very different roles: a regional marketing head at a fast-growing identity security company, a base-level marketing director for the U.S. Air Force in Korea, and a marketer who can fight on behalf of a heritage fashion brand in East Asia that is swimming against several currents. Three jobs, three markets, three completely different definitions of what marketing means in practice.

^{[Disclaimer - we are not the employer nor agents of the employer, we just can’t keep our noses out of other people’s business]}

Okta is hiring a Head of Marketing for APJ - Asia Pacific and Japan. This is a big regional role at one of the world’s leading identity companies.

Okta helps companies control who can access their systems, apps and data. In the past it was all about employees logging into work tools safely. The job is now much broader. Companies also need to manage contractors, customers, partners, machines, software bots and AI agents.

The company’s global message is simple: Secure Every Identity, from AI to Human.

APJ makes that message harder to land. Readers here already know. Different markets buy technology in different ways. Japan, Korea, Singapore, India and Australia do not have the same buyers, partners, regulations or sales cycles. Microsoft is already bundled into many enterprise accounts. Local partners and systems integrators shape major deals. Banks, governments and large companies care about data sovereignty, compliance, service quality and proof that the product works in their locale.

This is why the job description is so commercial. You as the new APJ marketing leader will own demand generation, customer growth, upsell, cross-sell, advocacy, events, partner marketing, account-based marketing, budget, reporting and AI workflow automation.

In plain English: you must help sales find better opportunities, help existing customers buy more, and make Okta’s global story work across very different local markets.

The role also sits under a newer global CMO agenda. Shannon Sullivan Duffy joined Okta with a clear focus: connect marketing more tightly to business outcomes, raise their profile in the age of AI, and bring brand, demand and product storytelling closer together around identity as the foundation of digital trust. Shannon is a brand leader who speaks pipeline, churn and ROI. APJ is now getting her operating model.

Okta’s regional marketing and media bench appears to be growing quickly, with around 47 people and roughly 50% year-over-year growth. So half the team barely know each other, and that means your first job is alignment. Bangalore, Sydney, Tokyo and Singapore look like the main growth points. India appears to be strengthening its operations and automation capabilities. Australia has lifecycle and nurture capability. Japan looks important for partnerships. Singapore is being positioned as the regional control tower.

A regional marketing leader based in Australia can only work when ANZ is the main centre of gravity. A Singapore-based APJ Head of Marketing suggests that Okta wants tighter regional leadership, closer ties to APJ sales, and greater control across the region.

Okta needs someone who understands enterprise software, cybersecurity or identity. They also need APJ field marketing experience, partner marketing strength, scaled CRM chops, team leadership and enough technical fluency to explain AI agents, privileged access and non-human identities.

The ideal candidate almost certainly works today in cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure: CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, Wiz, Microsoft Security, Cloudflare, ServiceNow, AWS and Google Cloud.

Top candidates for this role can influence global marketing about brand and campaigns. They can talk to regional sales about pipeline and to partners about joint demand. They can converse with senior customers about trust, security and business risk. They can also make the team faster through better systems, cleaner reporting and practical use of AI.

Okta has strong products and a clear global message. APJ now needs proof.

Can Okta win deals when Microsoft is already ‘free’? Can it turn AI security into a real buying reason? Can it grow customers after the first sale? Can it make core APJ markets break out in the financial reports as more than a bundled footnote?

That is the test for this hire.

Levi's reposted this role after 1,100+ applicants. That tells you everything. On paper, it's a regional marketing job covering 10 markets, reporting to the Global CMO, Kenny Mitchell. In reality, it's a China turnaround disguised as a regional brief.

Levi's has been losing its footing in Greater China for years: flat growth, store closures, revenue down, profits down, several marketing missteps that damaged credibility. The brand that once defined denim has struggled to explain why it still matters. That's the context.

Now the reset. Anita Fung was appointed Managing Director for Greater China in March 2026, coming from Burberry and Alexander McQueen with a clear mandate: rebuild denim authority. Early signs suggest traction…double-digit growth, improved profitability, and a DTC engine that's starting to rumble again.

But this is fragile progress. The next phase depends on marketing. If you get this role you’ll be translating global brand strength into something that converts in-market - especially in China, where Levi's can't rely on heritage or Americana shorthand to carry meaning.

If you're in the process, assume three things: First, DTC is non-negotiable. If you don't understand how marketing drives traffic, conversion, and repeat purchase across owned channels, you're not in the conversation. This is about retail economics as much as it is about storytelling.

Second, China fluency is table stakes. Not surface-level platform knowledge - real integration. WeChat, Tmall, Douyin, retail. One system, not four separate systems. And a clear point of view on how to make the brand resonate locally, particularly with women.

Third, Taiwan is the blueprint. Fung is signaling where things are working. Understand what's translating culturally and commercially in Taiwan, then show how you'd scale that logic across more complex markets.

Global CMO Kenny Mitchell's lens is straightforward: there's a gap between brand equity and revenue, and he expects marketing to close it. He's not looking for someone to recycle heritage narratives. He wants someone who can turn latent affinity into measurable growth - and do it consistently across markets and seasons.

Then there's Vicky Skelton, the regional P&L owner. Lifelong Levi's operator, deeply DTC-oriented. She will not be impressed by brand campaigns in isolation. She'll want to see how your work drives sales, improves retention, and expands lifetime value.

She'll also test whether you understand the women's business. That's been a growth lever in other markets, and it's underdeveloped here. Come with specifics.

And don't position yourself as "the marketing lead." This role sits alongside the business, not above it. If you don't show up as a commercial partner, you won't last.

Bottom line: this is one of the harder marketing jobs in the region right now. Big brand, real equity, but a market that no longer automatically cares.

Sometimes CMO Ladder Asia covers serious regional roles. Sometimes the U.S. government posts a marketing job that reads like something else entirely.

The job is real though. The Department of the Air Force is hiring a Marketing Director at Kunsan. You will lead campaigns, events, social media, PR, sponsorship, research, budgets and a team. You will also handle performance reviews, grievances and scheduling. So far, normal. The context is different. This role sits inside a Force Support Squadron. Your audience is service members, families and base staff. You are promoting gyms, events, food, recreation and community programs. It is a small town. With aircraft.

The marketing challenge is real. A captive audience is not the same as an engaged one. People still ignore bad communication. They still miss events. They still choose how to spend their time. Sponsorship is also part of the job. You will work with external partners, including local Korean businesses. You need to build deals that support the base while staying within the rules.

Then the listing changes tone. It asks candidates to be committed to improving the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of the American republic, and committed to upholding the Constitution. For a $60K marketing job on a base in Korea. You may think you are applying to manage events and social media. You are not. You are now responsible for both community engagement and civic virtue.

The likely candidate is not a typical private-sector marketer. More likely: a military spouse, veteran or base services operator. Someone who understands life on a base, can run events, manage a small team, and communicate clearly. The salary is modest. The hiring process will be tiring. You’ll need a U.S. passport, background checks, and work outside normal hours.

This is community marketing in a military setting. It is also a reminder that "marketing" means very different things across Asia. In Singapore, it can mean regional pipeline and partner strategy. In India, it can mean building a fast-moving consumer brand. At Kunsan Air Base, it means running programs, managing communication, and keeping a community informed and engaged.

The person who succeeds here will not need a Cannes Lion. They will need discipline, clarity, and patience. And the ability to make people pay attention. Hard job. Funny listing.

Deeply American.