Main Purpose of Job:

This is a key role at the heart of the Japan Network. You will be responsible for strategic, innovative and creative marketing for the Japan Network, as well as providing strategic leadership support and oversight for DBT’s marketing work across NE Asia.

You will act as brand leader for the Japan Network, ensuring that global UK government branding campaigns are effectively localised for the Japan market to maximise economic growth outcomes, and act as the lead marketing advisor to DBT trade and investment sector teams.

As part of the leadership of the Communications section, reporting to the Team Leader, you will ensure colleagues deliver against an ambitious marketing and communications strategy, with responsibility for oversight of the content studio, whilst building team capability and ensuring the team has high levels of motivation and wellbeing. You will also be part of DBT APAC, have responsibility for a significant marketing budget and make regular trips to guide DBT teams’ marketing outputs in South Korea and Taiwan.

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

Deliver strategic marketing and communications campaigns reflecting HMG and DBT priorities, and effective project management (75%):

• Provide strategic leadership and mentorship to other marcomms teams in the NE Asia region, by coordinating with DBT APAC and ensuring the region takes a strategic approach to its trade and investment marketing, sharing best practice and learning and building capability.
• Oversee strategic spend of potentially £100k+ marketing budgets across DBT NE Asia (Japan, South Korea and Taiwan) to achieve UK marketing objectives. Identify funding needs, bid for and manage FY marketing funds and ad-hoc campaign funds (including global GREAT campaigns and project-based budgets).
• Secure and manage private sponsorship for marketing campaigns, ensuring effective relationship management with sponsors.
• For the Japan network, working closely with the marketing manager, devise and oversee delivery of  strategic, innovative and value-added marketing campaigns for the Japan Network that deliver on key multi-year Country Plan objectives, working with colleagues across the network to develop robust and well-resourced marketing and communications strategies, drawing on all types of media, marketing and paid marketing to promote the UK as an investment destination and UK businesses.
• Make regular (at least annual) trips to build relationships with DBT Taiwan and DBT South Korea and guide their marketing activities during peak periods, including directly supporting the Deputy Trade Commissioner’s comms across Japan, South Korea and Taiwan
• Advise and work with Department of Business and Trade’s trade and investment teams across NE Asia, to ensure a strategic approach to marketing activity focused on the areas of greatest opportunity, improving perceptions of the UK and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Devise and deliver high quality communications campaigns in support of Ministerial visits and key Embassy events, including if required accompanying DBT Ministers as a press officer during visits across NE Asia.

Oversee Japan Network branding (10%):

• Responsible for adherence to HMG, FCDO and Department of Business and Trade (DBT) global brand guidelines, in communication with global and regional brand managers for DBT.
• Oversee delivery by the marketing manager of high-impact content, including physical marketing collateral, imagery, video and multi-media.
• Ensure cross Japan network campaigns, events and activities have the correct branding and are of appropriate quality and tone.

Excellent people management and leadership (15%) including:

• Line management of the marketing manager, ensuring they deliver to cross-team objectives, prioritizing where appropriate and ensuring delivery of all Japan network marketing activity.
• Confident engagement with senior management, providing recommendations and supporting Head of Comms; deputise for Head of Comms when required; crisis media team role incl. alternate head of crisis comms.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

• With G7 and HEO Head of Media, act as senior leadership team of communications team of ~9 staff
• Strategic leadership support to DBT NE Asia teams on their marketing activities
• Budgets: potentially over £100k marketing spend, including GREAT campaign and project-based funding. Access to wider departmental budgets for travel, entertainment and learning and development
• External agencies and sponsors (project based)

• 5+ years professional experience, including in marketing and communications positions with a public or private-sector organisation
• Deep understanding of Japanese audience and market and proven ability to engage Japanese audiences
• Strong data analysis skills
• Proven skills in strategy design, digital marketing and managing complex communications campaigns. Experience working with and briefing external agencies
• Strong IT skills, (including standard Microsoft Office programmes and familiarity with latest digital tools)
• Strong relationship and senior stakeholder management and collaboration skills
• Proven ability of project management and managing significant budgets
• Proven ability as a leader and manager of teams

Language requirement:

This role requires written and spoken proficiency in at least one of English and Japanese, and ideally both. 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.