Senior Director, Franchise Expansion Marketing, Minecraft

At Mojang Studios, the creators of Minecraft, we are on a mission to build a better world through the power of play.

Why play? Well, play is at the heart of everything we do. It’s the blocky backbone of our games, the core of our development philosophy, and even the origin of our name. From the relentless experimentation of our endlessly inspiring community to the classrooms where Minecraft has become an essential teaching tool, play is the bedrock of our existence.

We enable millions to create and play together, connect people across the globe, and foster a community that is among the most active and passionate in the world. Our community is global and incredibly diverse. When we are developing anything within our franchise, we keep this in mind. We want everyone to not only feel included in Minecraft, but also to see themselves in what we make. Our goal is for the Mojang Studios team to be as diverse as our community

The Senior Director, Franchise Expansion Marketing will lead the marketing strategy, planning, and execution that grows Minecraft beyond the game through entertainment, consumer products, retail, partnerships, experiences, and promotions. This leader will connect franchise initiatives into a unified growth engine that expands audience reach, deepens fandom, strengthens cultural relevance, and drives long-term business impact.

Minecraft is one of the world's most beloved entertainment brands, reaching hundreds of millions of players, fans, creators, and consumers globally. As Senior Director, you will define the vision and operating model for franchise expansion marketing, translating business priorities into integrated marketing strategies that connect games, entertainment, products, experiences, and partnerships into a cohesive audience journey. You will partner closely with Franchise Development, Licensing, Business Strategy, Product Marketing, Creative, and regional teams to unlock new growth opportunities while ensuring every initiative strengthens the Minecraft brand and contributes to long-term franchise value.

The Senior Director, Franchise Expansion Marketing is a strategic leader who can influence at the executive level, build high-performing teams and partnerships, and scale a global marketing ecosystem capable of supporting Minecraft's continued evolution as a leading gaming and entertainment franchise.

In the end, it’s the people of Mojang Studios that make this place truly special. When you join, you’ll find yourself in the company of incredibly bright, warm, and creative individuals – all united and working toward a single goal. Come help us reach it!

Define & Lead Minecraft's Franchise Expansion Marketing Strategy

• Own the marketing vision and multi-year strategy for Minecraft's Entertainment, Consumer Products, Promotions, Partnerships, and Experiences portfolio.
• Set portfolio priorities, investment frameworks, and success metrics that drive audience growth, fandom, and commercial impact.
• Align marketing investments and plans with long-term franchise growth objectives.

Build a Connected Franchise Growth Engine

• Develop integrated marketing strategies that connect entertainment, consumer products, retail, promotions, partnerships, and experiences into a unified franchise ecosystem.
• Lead major franchise tentpoles and growth initiatives that expand audience reach, deepen engagement, and strengthen long-term fandom.
• Establish scalable frameworks that maximize the impact of franchise investments across the portfolio.

Lead Entertainment, Consumer Products & Promotions Marketing

• Define and execute global marketing strategies for entertainment launches, licensed products, retail programs, strategic collaborations, and promotional partnerships.
• Partner with studios, licensees, retailers, and external stakeholders to maximize franchise impact and business performance.
• Ensure brand consistency, creative excellence, and effective marketing execution across the global partner ecosystem.

Drive Cross-Functional Franchise Growth

• Serve as the primary marketing partner to Franchise Development and collaborate closely with Product Marketing, Licensing, Business Strategy, Creative, and regional teams.
• Influence stakeholders across the organization to drive alignment, execution excellence, and measurable business outcomes.
• Leverage audience insights, market intelligence, and performance data to inform strategy and optimize investments.

Build & Scale the Franchise Marketing Organization

• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing global team responsible for franchise expansion marketing.
• Establish scalable operating models, planning processes, governance frameworks, and organizational capabilities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and operational excellence that enables Minecraft to grow as a global entertainment franchise.

Required Qualifications:

• 10+ years experience leading agency or corporate brand management/design/marketing
  • OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 15+ years of experience in brand marketing, franchise marketing, entertainment marketing, consumer products marketing, partnership marketing, or related disciplines.
• 8+ years of people management experience leading managers and building leadership capability across global organizations.
• Experience developing and executing long-range marketing and brand strategies that drive measurable business growth and customer engagement.
• Experience leading large, cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders across complex, matrixed organizations.
• Experience building, leading, and developing high-performing teams, including 6+ years of people management experience with direct reports.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business objectives, customer insights, and market trends into actionable marketing strategies and business outcomes.
• Communication, executive presence, and stakeholder management skills with a track record of driving alignment and influencing decisions at leadership levels. 
• Experience leading marketing strategy for entertainment franchises spanning gaming, film, television, consumer products, experiences, retail, and promotional partnerships.
• Experience working with licensing, consumer products, retail, and promotional partner ecosystems.
• Track record building and scaling global franchise marketing organizations.
• Experience launching and marketing entertainment content, major brand partnerships, licensed products, or franchise expansion initiatives.
• Understanding of fandom-driven brands, audience growth models, and franchise ecosystem marketing.
• Experience in gaming, entertainment, media, lifestyle, consumer products, or adjacent franchise-based businesses.

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Brand M6 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $155,800 - $277,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $202,400 - $303,600 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.