View Vacancy - JPN (Tokyo) - Events Officer, AO

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 (Operations and Corporate Services)
Protocol, Visits and Events

Main purpose of job:


Lead on the delivery of impactful events that enable the Japan Network to deliver on UK Government priorities in a way that is efficient, collaborative and provides good value for money, as well as strengthening Network consistency and capacity in events planning.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a central role in the busy Japan Network (which includes the British Embassy in Tokyo and the Consulate General in Osaka). Delivering impactful events is a core part of our work and crucial in enabling the Network to deliver on UK Government priorities. 

We are a busy Network and hold a wide variety of dynamic events from annual Queen’s Birthday Parties and regular events during the visits of VIPs from the UK to one-offs like the reception held this year for the Earthshot Prize. 

The successful candidate will sit in an events and visits team based in the Political Section in Tokyo, but work with all sections within the Network and a wide range of external contacts. 

In the role, you will be expected to:

  • Oversee the planning and delivery of impactful, cost-effective events, working with colleagues across the Network to ensure they are delivering on UKG policy priorities. This includes working closely with the Corporate Entertainment Team (CET) regarding events held on the Embassy’s premises, including agreeing a division of labour with their events lead and establishing clear lines of responsibility between you/the team and CET. Your work on events will include leading on all of the logistics elements that underpin a successful event, from budget management to catering and venue hire/use of the British Embassy’s compound. You will also evaluate each event, drawing on feedback from guests and other organisers, to assess whether it achieved its objectives and identify any lessons learned. 
  • Strengthen the Network’s events organisation capability, including by: providing advice to teams working on other events, developing a consistent set of tools (including on invitations and contact management) and clear guidance on holding events, and holding regular sessions to deliver training and share lessons learned. Build productive relationships with key external contacts in Japan and in London, and use those relationships to deliver productive joint working (and sometimes give difficult messages).
  • Actively contribute to the Embassy’s corporate work, including taking responsibility for a specific role as part of the Embassy’s crisis response team.

The successful candidate will be an organised self-starter, calm under pressure, and team player with flexibility, strong communications skills and enthusiasm for the international working environment of the Network.

They will also need to be prepared to work long hours and potentially at weekends close to some events, receiving time off in lieu for extra hours worked. 

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 


N/A – although the successful candidate will have oversight of relevant spend for individual events

  • Professional event organisation experience 
  • Experience of project management or logistical planning
  • Strong IT skills, including experience with Microsoft Excel (and desirable: with Access database)

Language requirements: 

Language:  Japanese, English

Level of language required:  Fluency in English and Japanese  

  • Experience of work in an Embassy or similar
  • Experience of working in an English and Japanese speaking environment
  • Experience of working with Ministerial or similar private offices
  • Administrative and budget management
  • Experience living in the UK. And/or Knowledge of or strong interest in British business, culture, sports and lifestyle.
Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
13 October 2022
Administrative Officer (AO)
Fixed Term, Full-time
37.5
12 months
Asia Pacific
Japan
Tokyo
British Embassy
1
JPY
JPY 361,591
16 January 2023
  • 1 month salary 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)

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):


The British Embassy offers comprehensive learning and development opportunities that will be fully available to the jobholder. We regularly run both work area specific training, as well as more general skills development in project management, finance, and leadership. Each year the job holder will be encouraged to use five development days to pursue job related and personal development goals.

All staff are required to take a role in the embassy’s crisis preparation and response. Full training will be provided for this and regular opportunities will be available to test and develop your skills. 

Working patterns:

The British Embassy Tokyo supports and promotes flexible working as a crucial part of our inclusive offering. This particular role allows for flexibility in start and end times, working compressed hours, remote working (for agreed periods), and the possibility of a job share arrangement, subject to agreement with management.

However, any successful candidate would need to be willing to flex to work for longer hours and potentially at weekends in the run up to a visit. The Embassy operates a TOIL (Time off in lieu) system to compensate for additional hours worked during busy periods. 

Occasional out of hours working is required to support Embassy events or visits.

Applicants must be able to secure a local work permit.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

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.