View Vacancy – JPN (Tokyo) – Food and Drink Trade Adviser, AO

Main Purpose of Job:

This is a role in the Food and Drink Trade Team in the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) at the British Embassy in Tokyo. The main purpose of the role is to support efforts to help increase UK exports to Japan. You will provide advice, market information and support to UK businesses which want to enter and grow in the Japanese market. This will require supporting project management of campaigns, stakeholder management in both the public and private sectors, research and awareness of industry trends, and direct advice to UK companies. You will work with policy colleagues across government and industry to help resolve market access barriers and support work to shape the right market conditions for exports into Japan.  You will also need to be open to look at innovative approaches to ensure we are delivering the best quality of service to UK companies within our existing resource constraints.  

In 2025, the role will also support our activity, including trade missions and events, at the UK pavilion at EXPO2025 Osaka, Kansai. The EXPO2025 Business Programme is an integral part of the aim of DBT to use EXPO2025 as a catalyst to showcase the strengths of the UK in priority sectors and introduce more UK companies to the Japanese market through events and visits around EXPO2025.  For the duration of EXPO, the jobholder will need to be flexible regarding travel to Osaka and the EXPO site, especially during the “run-phase” (12 April-12 November) when we will receive a high number of visitors and trade missions to Osaka and Tokyo.

The Department for Business and Trade operates in 108 countries. Establishing new relationships around the globe, DBT promotes UK trade to ensure the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us, securing and improving economic well-being, stability, and helping to create tens of thousands of jobs. His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) is responsible for Trade and Investment work in the APAC region. With over 280 staff over 14 markets, DBT APAC is a fast-paced, exciting place to work.  

This is a great opportunity to be part of an international team that contributes to the success of the UK’s trade goals.  

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

The jobholder will be expected to:

• Understand and share information about the UK’s strengths with Japanese stakeholders including industry, government and media.
• Support the delivery of promotional events including trade fairs, campaigns, webinars, reverse pitches, trade missions and delivery of IG events.
• Support the team by researching and analysing trends in the Japanese market to help identify potential new areas for UK companies to secure contracts in the short to long term.
• Develop a network of useful contacts to support senior investment advisers in managing and helping UK companies win contracts/expand their business in the Japanese market.
• Contribute to market research to assess marketability of UK companies in the Japanese market and provide information and guidance on exporting to Japan or developing their business in the Japanese.
• Help develop a pipeline of opportunities for UK companies to win contracts with Japanese companies.
• Support innovative approaches to maximise the support we can offer companies within our existing resource envelope.
• Supporting visit programmes for Ministers and Trade Envoys.
• Recognise market access issues that UK companies face in entering the Japanese market and working with the head of the team, develop and implement an action plan to tackle these.
• Regular administration tasks, for example database entry of projects, keeping contacts up to date on the CRM systems, procurement and handling of payments etc.

Key skills required:

You will have strong drive, determination and good organisational skills to deliver at pace – e.g. you may be required to provide logistical support to deliver events and visits that contribute to DBT’s promotion objectives, or you may need to support colleagues run recruitment campaigns.  
 
You will have strong administrative skills – to provide high a quality service to DBT leadership in organising meetings, agenda, and logistics for stakeholder engagement.

You will have good troubleshooting skills – you will be determined, and use your initiative, to help colleagues solve problems e.g. administrative and HR issues etc.
 
You will have strong data management skills – you will be diligent and take forward data entry in an accurate and timely manner.

You will have strong communication skills – you will be able to communicate clearly both orally and in writing with internal and external stakeholders.   
 
You will be good at establishing relationships – you will have good interpersonal skills to build and sustain a range of contacts internally across the Japan Network and external contacts as required. You will be confident in engaging with senior stakeholders. 
 
You will understand the bigger picture – you will understand how your work and your team support wider objectives in the Japan Country Plan.  
 
You will make a corporate contribution – contribute to the wider work of the Embassy, including taking an active role in the crisis response plan and participating in crisis exercises.  

Resources Managed (Staff and Expenditure): None

• Proven ability to work with business (either in the private sector or public sector)
• Proven stakeholder relationship management skills

Language Requirements:

This role requires written and spoken proficiency in both English and Japanese. Fluency (minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework*) in one language and business level (minimum of high B2) in the other.

*Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages sets the following mastery or proficiency levels:

• C2: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express themself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
• B2: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their field of specialisation. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.