Main Purpose of Job:

Ensure the smooth delivery of impactful events and visits to Japan (and specifically to EXPO2025 Osaka) 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 and visits planning.

A particular focus of this role will be supporting efforts to deliver successful visits and events linked to the objectives of the Department for Business and Trade, which maximise the impact of Expo 2025 for the UK.

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a busy programme of visits and events around Osaka EXPO2025 in the Japan Network (which includes the British Embassy in Tokyo and the Consulate General in Osaka).  Delivering smooth visits by VIPs, ministers and senior officials and impactful events is a core part of our work and crucial in enabling the Network to deliver on UK Government priorities, never more so than during the World Expo. 

We are a busy Network, which reflects the excellent state of the UK-Japan relationship, the strongest it has been in decades. In any one year, we have a wide variety of high-level visitors and dynamic events, and we expect even more to visit in the run-up to and during the Expo in Osaka in 2025. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of high-quality visit programmes, as well as the logistics, for the visits of Ministers, senior officials and trade missions. This will require working with the wider Japan Network Visit & Events and team and with the Department of Business and Trade in London and Tokyo. There will be an extensive programme of other events in Tokyo and elsewhere in Japan during the period of Expo, and you will also play a support role in these. 

The successful candidate will be based at the British Embassy in Tokyo but work with all sections within the Network as well as a wide range of external contacts. You will be based in the Japan Network Visits and Events Team but will link in closely with the Department for Business and Trade to ensure their requirements are fully supported by the team. This is a new role so you will have an opportunity to help shape how it works to ensure effective delivery. 

In the role, you will be expected to:

• Support the planning and delivery of impactful, cost-effective events and (logistical elements of) smooth visits that deliver against UK objectives. You will work with colleagues across the Network and in the UK to ensure they are delivering on UKG policy priorities.
• For visits, this means ensuring smooth visits by overseeing and delivering all logistical elements, including arrival/departure (including visa application), transport, security (where necessary), budget administration and accommodation. This involves advance planning for those visits with long lead-in times, but also delivering quickly for last-minute visits.
• For events, this will include leading on all of the logistics elements that underpin a successful event, from budget tracking to catering and venue hire. You will also evaluate each event, drawing on feedback from guests and other organisers, to inform assessments on whether the event achieved its objectives and to help identify any lessons learned.
• Work closely with colleagues throughout the Network, particularly visit policy leads, the transport team, Corporate Services Team and Private Office(s), and in the UK to share information in support of smooth logistical planning. Contribute to the work of the V&E team to Strengthen visits and events organisation capability across the Network, including providing feedback on central visits and events guidance and promoting best practice among staff.  Build productive relationships with key external contacts in Japan and in the UK (including DBT Expo teams).
• 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 of extra hours worked. 

Resources Managed (Staff and Expenditure): None – 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: Fluent Japanese and English