Lead Franchise Strategist

Location: United States, San Mateo, CA Why Sony Interactive Entertainment? Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we’re part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting-edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity. PlayStation Studios has created some of the most loved worlds, characters, and stories in entertainment. Our opportunity now is to build those IP with greater intention — growing audiences, deepening fandom, and creating more ways for people to engage with PlayStation franchises beyond the release of a game. We are looking for a Lead Franchise Strategist to help shape that work. This is not an integrated marketing role, a licensing or consumer products role, or a role focused on extending a launch campaign. We are looking for someone who understands how entertainment franchises are built over time — across audiences, stories, formats, products, experiences, and partners. Gaming experience is valuable but not required. Experience in film, television, animation, publishing, consumer products, licensing, live experiences, or location-based entertainment may be just as relevant. What matters most is that this person has helped build something. They can look at an IP, understand what makes it special, identify where the strongest audience and commercial opportunities exist, and turn that into a clear and credible plan for growth. This role will work across PlayStation Studios, Portfolio Strategy, PlayStation Productions, brand, marketing, insights, finance, consumer products, licensing, legal, and Sony Group partners — connecting creative ambition, audience demand, and commercial opportunity while protecting what fans already love. Key Responsibilities Lead franchise strategy work for assigned priority PlayStation IP, from initial opportunity assessment through long-term planning and cross-functional alignment Develop franchise strategies that define audience opportunity, positioning, expansion potential, commercial rationale, and priorities for growth Proactively identify new ways priority IP could grow, including opportunities that may sit outside PlayStation’s existing franchise playbook Identify where each franchise has the strongest potential across film, television, animation, publishing, consumer products, music, live and location-based experiences, partnerships, and digital/community engagement Help define what each franchise should become over time — and just as importantly, where it should not go Use audience research, fandom insights, market trends, competitive benchmarks, and commercial data to make clear recommendations to leadership and cross-functional partners Translate franchise ambition into practical roadmaps, sequencing, decision frameworks, and execution priorities Support the development of franchise bibles, IP briefs, creative guardrails, and other tools that enable partners to build from a shared understanding of the IP Partner with finance and business teams to understand and articulate the value of franchise activity across games and adjacent businesses Help evolve PlayStation’s approach to long-term franchise planning, bringing greater consistency and rigor to how opportunities are identified, evaluated, and prioritized Champion the fan perspective — understanding what audiences love, where they want more, what will feel authentic, and where expansion could damage trust What We’re Looking For Strong experience in franchise strategy, IP development, entertainment strategy, brand expansion, audience growth, or a related field, with a track record of independently leading complex strategic work A track record of helping build, shape, expand, or revitalize entertainment IP, ideally across multiple formats or business areas Strong understanding of fandom — how audiences discover, engage with, spend around, advocate for, and stay connected to IP over time Experience working across creative and commercial disciplines, including areas such as production, research, finance, marketing, licensing, consumer products, and external partnerships Ability to synthesize complex creative, audience, and commercial information into clear recommendations, influence senior stakeholders, and build alignment around a direction Strong creative taste and commercial judgment — someone who can see both the magic of an IP and the business around it Experience with areas such as franchise architecture, audience segmentation, IP positioning, content roadmaps, commercial planning, or long-range portfolio strategy Comfort operating in ambiguity and creating structure around IP that may not yet have a fully formed franchise ecosystem Ability to challenge assumptions constructively and make thoughtful calls about what is worth doing, what should wait, and what should not happen at all A practical, collaborative approach and the ability to influence across teams without always owning final execution Experience with global entertainment brands or IP with multi-market potential is a plus The Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is a builder, not a caretaker. They may have worked on established IP or helped build something from an earlier stage, but they are most energized by the question of what comes next. They can look at a game world, character, story, or fanbase and see the broader franchise potential — not as a list of extensions, but as a connected system of creative expansion, audience growth, and long-term value. They are equally comfortable talking about story, fandom, audience behavior, commercial models, and execution realities. They know that not every IP should become everything. They have the discipline to prioritize, the taste to protect what matters, and the strategic instincts to spot where PlayStation can create something fans will genuinely care about. Success in This Role Looks Like The priority PlayStation IP they support have clear, actionable long-term franchise strategies Teams across PlayStation and Sony have a shared understanding of where those franchises can grow, where they should not, and why New opportunities are identified proactively and evaluated earlier and more consistently, with strong audience, creative, and commercial rationale Fans have meaningful ways to stay connected with PlayStation worlds between major game releases The role contributes to a more coordinated and repeatable approach to building PlayStation franchises for the long term #LI-AM1 Avoid Recruitment Scams/Phishing Attempts: Please be aware that any official outreach in response to your application will always be done from a @sony.com email address . Always make sure to double check the spelling on Sony is correct and the characters have not been replaced with any numbers/symbols before replying. Anyone using an email that is not @sony.com is not affiliated with us and should be reported either via the platform they are contacting you on or directly to your email service as a phishing attempt/scam. At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location. Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more. The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below. $155,800 — $233,600 USD Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks. Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights. Equal Opportunity Statement: Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category. We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond. Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.