View Vacancy - PA to the Minister-Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Strategy and Communications - British Embassy Tokyo

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Economic and Prosperity , Public Diplomacy

The purpose of the British Embassy (BE) in Tokyo is to promote the British Government’s prosperity, security and consular interests in Japan.

Personal Assistant to the Minister-Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Strategy and Communications is a challenging and exciting position, offering opportunities for a self-starting member of staff.


Main Duties

Administrative support to Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Strategy and Communications, including:

  • Diary management, arrangements of appointments, lunches, receptions, dinners,  and travel, including through collaborative work with colleagues across the Embassy and with key internal interlocutors.
  • Proactive management of Minister-Counsellor’s emails, including prioritisation of emails for Minister-Counsellor’s attention and responding to emails where appropriate. 
  • Coordinating some work across the department eg leave chart, forward look of reporting.
  • Coordinating written work (including collation of responses, ensuring these cover the required ground and editing/ seeking further information to form a coherent final piece of work) covering activity across the department eg requests for a monthly update, coordinating a team response to a request for views on a new initiative.
  • On occasion, Japanese language assistance will also be required.    

Administrative support to the 3 Economic Affairs teams: Science and Innovation, Trade and Economics and Global Challenge.  This requires a flexible and proactive approach and enthusiasm but will include:

  • Budget management for all teams, as well as stationary, subscriptions and other requisitioning needs.
  • Administrative support for all teams when needed including making meeting appointments.
  • Management of public enquiries relating to the work of the three teams.
  • Management of events (including receptions and dinners) for the group.  
The successful candidate will speak fluent Japanese and English, and be able to operate in both with ease.  A flexible approach is necessary, as the successful candidate will need to be able to work with a wide range of colleagues with a wide range of needs. He or she will have excellent administrative skills, including an instinctive grasp of how to use various IT programmes and a high level of proficiency in using Outlook, Excel, Word and Powerpoint.  Experience in managing diaries and organising events would be very helpful.  The successful candidate will have good organisational and people handling skills, and be comfortable working at a fast pace, and to tight deadlines.  An interest in the areas covered by the Minister-Counsellor would be helpful (these are trade, economics, science and innovation, agriculture, energy, climate change and global health, in addition to communications).  
28 February 2017
Administrative Assistant (AA)
Permanent
37.5
Asia Pacific
Japan
Tokyo
British Embassy
1
JPY
276,000
27 March 2017

Benefit package includes:

  • The job is being offered as a permanent contract subject to a 6 month probation period
  • Working hours: Monday to Friday, generally 0900-1730 with flexible working opportunities and occasional out of hours working required if possible
  • Salary of JPY 276,000 per month with 1 month bonus equivalents payable in June and December (Note: Salary may be reduced due to tax status)
  • Commuting allowance of up to JPY35,000 per month (paid on an actual cost basis)
  • 24 days paid annual leave (calculated pro rata)
  • Health Insurance and Employee pension (kenko hoken/kosei nenkin)
  • Employment Insurance (koyou hoken)
  • Excellent training and development opportunities
  • Expected interview date is week beginning 13 March 2017. You may be asked to complete a practical test as part of the interview.
  • Start date: 27 March 2017, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The successful candidate(s) must also be able to demonstrate that they meet the following competences at interview.

Competence 1: Making Effective Decisions

Competence 2: Delivering at Pace

Competence 3: Managing a Quality Service

Competence 4: Collaborating and Partnering

Competence 5: Changing and Improving

Competence 6: Demonstrating resilience

Our Values

As part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) the Embassy/Consulate-General aims for excellence by:

  • Taking responsibility
  • Encouraging innovation
  • Working together

Our values support a vibrant culture where all staff takes on stretching responsibilities, where ideas thrive and the status quo can be fearlessly challenged. We work together effectively with all our partners to make a greater difference for the UK

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.