The Pokémon Company is hiring someone with ‘deep knowledge’ of NFTs and the metaverse

The Pokémon Company International has posted a new job listing looking for someone with blockchain, NFT and metaverse expertise, among other skills.

The listing, for a corporate development principal, describes an “instrumental role” in the company’s President & Corporate Development Office.

This office has a number of responsibilities, one of which involves advising Pokémon Company president Tsunekazu Ishihara and the executive leadership team on the long-term strategic direction of the company.

The role’s duties include “leading the identification, assessment, and execution of investments, strategic projects, and partnerships” to support the company’s long-term growth, and “monitoring and assessing technology and market players and trends in gaming, media and entertainment”.

Under a heading titled ‘what you’ll bring’, the job listing states that the preferred candidate will, among other things, have “deep knowledge and understanding of Web 3, including blockchain technologies and NFT, and/or metaverse”.

It also adds that they should be “deeply connected to a network of investors and entrepreneurs in the technology sectors above (Web3 and metaverse)”.

NFTs are unique non-interchangeable units of data stored on a blockchain (a form of digital ledger), which effectively allow users to buy and sell digital products like in-game items or artwork.

While this is in no way confirmation that The Pokémon Company is planning to release a series of Pokémon NFTs or a new Pokémon game that makes use of the blockchain, it does at least indicate that the company is looking into the technology.

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The listing also says the successful applicant will have an “excellent business sense and ability to connect the relevance of potential partners or technologies with Pokémon’s existing assets”.

Game publishers that have launched NFT projects or are considering doing so include Square Enix, Ubisoft, Konami and Sega.

In November, Square Enix announced Symbiogenesis, a “new franchise” built around NFTs described as its “first digital collectible art project designed from the ground up for Web3 fans”.