Main Purpose of Job:

Corporate Services Team is the “engine room” of the Embassy, providing a broad range of essential services to support delivery of British Government objectives in Japan. We provide services to around 190 staff in Japan and provide the lead for Corporate Services policies for the Japan Network (the Embassy in Tokyo and the Consulate-General in Osaka).

The Corporate Services Officer will have accounting and procurement duties for the Network, focusing on both cash management and coordination with sections of the Embassy to resolve any Purchase-to-Pay (procurement) issues that arise. 

Once the job holder is established in the role there will be opportunities to develop skills in other areas of corporate services. The jobholder will collaborate with team members to deliver the whole range of corporate services, working closely with the Deputy Head of Corporate Services (DHoCS). 

This role will appeal to a candidate who is willing to develop and improve services creatively and innovatively, adapt to new circumstances by continuous learning, engage and collaborate with wider stakeholders, work quickly and accurately, and focus on making the most impact in a busy working environment.

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

Cash Management and Bank Liaison

• Manage the safe, process all cash transactions and record them on the Network Post Accounting (NPA) sheet on the day
• Liaise with local bank to acknowledge income receipts, register signatories, and process cheque payments. Monitor bank account balances and replenish it from the main overseas bank
• Approve payment budget prepared by the Global Transaction Processing Centre (GTPC) in Manila
• Monitor daily exchange rate fluctuations and fulfil reporting requirements to the UK HQ

Purchase to Pay (P2P)

• Advise frontline sections on the procurement of goods and services required for the Embassy’s operation in accordance with the FCDO rule
• Ensure frontline section staff are aware of their P2P roles and responsibilities and provide training opportunities especially for newcomers
• Approve supplier set-up applications and provide guidance on appropriate accounting procedures as well as approving forms
• Respond to staff queries and liaise with GTPC to resolve any outstanding accounting issues with responsible frontline sections and managers in line (DHoCS/HoCS) as needed
• Provide step-in support to other government departments (One-HMG partners) including Devolved Administration staff to familiarise them with the FCDO system

System Housekeeping

• Monitor FCDO Budget and Forecast Balance and liaise with each cost centre to collate narratives to interpret data and understand pressures
• Monitor Finance System (Hera) on a weekly basis to spot actions required, such as unreconciled credit card payments, invoices-on-hold and goods-received-but-not-invoiced
• Process recharges to One-HMG Partners manually through manual invoice request form, and internal recharges through Journal

Corporate Procurement

• Deliver corporate procurement with line manager and regional procurement hub
• Once platform services to be outsourced are identified, assist manager to gather user feedback on the services, as well as draft service scopes and evaluation criteria. Conduct desk-top research to identify potential bidders and invite them to bid. Provide local expertise throughout the process
• Assist contract managers by liaising with service providers to provide a control

Team Support and Others

• Allocate time for shared tasks within the team to increase the team resilience and agility
• Example of tasks are the team budget monitoring, office admin (hanko, scanning, mailing), and covering duties of another CSO
• Work on your personal development
• Make wider corporate contributions

Resources Managed (staff and expenditure): None

• Over 1 year working experience in the corporate services field or over 3 years working experience in other filed
• Basic IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams)

Language Requirements:

• Japanese and English
• Level of language required: Fluent Japanese and business level English (TOEIC score 900 or above) or vice-versa