Main Purpose of Job:

This role sits in the Investment Team in the UK’s Department for Business and Trade (DBT) at the British Embassy Tokyo.

The aim of this role in the Investment Team is to support and grow Japanese investment in the UK, in order to deliver economic growth. You will be part of a sector team focussing on Energy, Infrastructure and Capital Investment.

As well as leading on work in your sector, you will be expected to flex to new opportunities and support across teams, in order to ensure that as a team we are focussed on the biggest priorities. 

Based in Tokyo, you will work as part of the Energy and Infrastructure Investment sector to attract new Japanese investment into the UK’s clean energy and infrastructure landscape — including major real estate and capital-intensive projects — while also supporting existing investors to progress and deliver their projects in the UK. This includes helping them navigate government processes and access the right support to ensure successful outcomes. Through this work, you will contribute to establishing the UK as a world leader in clean energy, modern infrastructure, and the transition to a low carbon economy. ‘The role will include: 

• Researching and fostering relationships with key energy and infrastructure stakeholders, including businesses, government, and wider institutions
• Engaging with our specialist UK networks, to forge UK-JP partnerships, support their outreach and engagement in Japan, and develop your own sectoral knowledge; .
• Supporting the development and delivery of Energy-focused visits and events, including 3rd party conferences across Japan.

The British Embassy Tokyo is a busy and diverse post at the heart of the UK government’s work in the Indo-Pacific. Our work on security, digital and technology, trade and economic, and climate and energy partnerships with Japan is at the centre of the Foreign Secretary’s foreign policy agenda and our commitment to the region.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) operates around the globe, and DBT APAC is a fast-paced and exciting place to work.  His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC), based in Singapore, is responsible for Trade and Investment work in the APAC region. 

This EO role in the Investment Team will require candidates to demonstrate the following set of skills: 

You will have strong communication skills – you will be able to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing in both English and Japanese. You will be able to write in different styles, for a range of purposes and audiences, tailoring your approach accordingly. For example, you should be able to draft high-quality briefings, speeches or readouts and minutes from meetings. You will have the confidence to contribute in meetings, adapting communication style to ensure engagement with a diverse range stakeholders. You will be able to listen and constructively and objectively respond to comments and questions. You will be able to handle conversations with confidence and sensitivity.

You will be good at establishing relationships – you will have strong interpersonal skills and proactively build and sustain a range of internal and external contacts. You will be confident in engaging with senior stakeholders.

You will have strong drive, determination and excellent organisational skills to deliver at pace – Alongside organising events and visits that support your team’s UK promotion objectives, you will apply effective project management skills — coordinating with colleagues across teams, setting clear milestones, and tracking progress to ensure delivery. In addition to managing logistics, you will be able to understand the strategic objectives of each visit or event and shape activity to achieve the intended outcomes.

You will be able to operate with autonomy, whilst working to your team head. You will take initiative and be confident in making decisions, seeking input from seniors and others as appropriate.
You will understand the bigger picture – you will understand how your work and your team supports wider objectives in the Japan Country Plan. You will have an interest in expanding your knowledge and keeping up with issues related to your work.

You will have the ability to become a sector expert – through research, keeping up with developments, and using your stakeholder network, you will develop a strong understanding of your sectors in Japan and the UK. You will use your expertise to support DBT to have an effective strategy for client management and to identify future trade and investment opportunities. 
You will be comfortable handling and interpreting data – with the ability to write/present information in a clear and concise way.

In all roles you will make a corporate contribution – contribute to the wider work of the Embassy, including taking an active role in the crisis response plan and participating in crisis exercises. 

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

EOs in the Investment Team will cover the following functions on developing a pipeline of investment opportunities and delivering investment projects for their specific sectors:

• Account management – you will be responsible for managing some company accounts and developing strong relationships with these companies to spot opportunities and deliver investment projects.
• Develop a pipeline of investment projects – you will research, analyse and develop a target list of key Japanese companies for engagement. You will keep projects and contacts up to date on the relevant CRM systems.
• Delivering against targets – you will promote campaigns in order to deliver against your targets. This will be through taking forward sector investment activity, such as seminars, inward missions, and company meetings and engagements, through account management of existing accounts and target companies, and through supporting projects, including high value projects that are outside of campaigns.
• Sector expertise – you will develop a strong understanding of your sector in Japan as well as the UK, and a strong network in industry and across government. You will use your expertise to develop a strategy for the clients you manage, in order to help deliver our Country Trade Plan.
• Designing and delivering ministerial and senior official visit programmes by working closely with sector teams, policy colleagues and wider government partners to ensure high quality, investment focused engagements.
• Developing strong working relationships across DBT UK sector teams and relevant government departments, sharing insight on Japanese market opportunities and coordinating activity to advance priority investment projects.
• Corporate contribution. 10% of your time will involve contributing to the broader gaols of the Japan network. This will involve a role in crisis response, as well as other roles such as leading a committee or a cross-network event.

This role will focus on Energy & Infrastructure. However, all EOs will need to remain flexible to pick up new opportunities outside of these sectors, to support across the team, and to move sectors from time to time.

• Proven ability to work with business (either in the private sector or public sector)
• Proven stakeholder relationship management skills

Language requirement:

This role requires written and spoken proficiency in both English and Japanese. 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.