Main Purpose of Job:

The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) is recruiting a Senior Trade Officer to support UK firms in the financial, professional and business services (FPBS) sectors to successfully export to the Japanese market either by selling their services directly to Japan or by entering and growing their presence in the market. Financial services is the UK’s largest exporting sector to Japan followed by professional and business services, and the FPBS team is responsible for identifying and creating opportunities within these sectors for UK companies to succeed. The team also works to support broader UK government priorities in these sectors including around market shaping, market barrier resolution, policy alignment, capital investment and foreign direct investment into the UK. This position requires a good understanding of the Japanese financial services sector, with knowledge of professional services, international trade, and capital investment also very helpful.

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

• Work alongside Head of FPBS on the development, outline and execution of a strategy for supporting UK exports in the financial services sector, with a particular focus on asset management, that incorporates and aligns with wider UK Government priorities.

• Develop and manage relationships with key UK and Japanese stakeholders in the financial services industry to deliver the strategy. This will include working jointly with the Foreign Direct Investment Team expanding our Japanese institutional investor networks to help encourage new and increased investment mandates to UK asset managers and capital investment to UK projects.

• Work with Head of FPBS to develop a wider strategy for professional and business services that will encourage more UK firms to grow and export to Japan.

• Lead on events and activities that will help the delivery of the two strategies.

• Identify market access issues across the FPBS sectors which present challenges for UK companies to do business. Bring together teams across UK Government to develop a strategy to identify routes to resolve and simplify these issues.

• Work closely with the Foreign Direct Investment Team to support their objectives of encouraging capital investment into the UK, and the Japan Network Economic Diplomacy Directorate teams to support policy initiatives relevant to the FPBS sectors, and contribute to the organisation of relevant policy dialogues (Financial Regulatory Forum, Financial Dialogue, Business and Services Committee) and (Law Society, Lord Mayor of the City of London, Governor of Bank of England, CEO of Financial Conduit Authority)

• Collaborate with DBT internal and external partners and stakeholders across FPBS sectors to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach across the Japan Network and UK Government.

• Be prepared to support wider Japan Network and UK Government priorities including occasional senior visits, UK Government events and initiatives, policy and advisory scoping, and crisis preparations.

Why Work for Us?:

• Work in a highly professional team, on high-profile issues and in a bilingual environment. The Japan Network, made up of the British Embassy Tokyo and the British Consulate-General Osaka, is a busy and diverse network at the heart of the UK Government’s work in the Indo-Pacific.

• Contribute to the UK’s prosperity by assisting UK businesses to export to or expand in the Japanese market.

• Contribute to the development of the UK – Japan relationship which is the strongest it has ever been.

• Be part of a creative working environment, where initiative and new approaches are welcomed and celebrated.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• An experienced professional with at least 2 years’ experience in a client facing role

• Have a background in financial services and knowledge of the Japanese financial services sector

• Have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to facilitate introductions and discussions between UK firms and Japanese stakeholders

• A people-oriented person with great customer service skills, excellent networking skills and a proven track record of cross-team collaboration

• Have the ability to work independently and to take the initiative when direction is unclear

• Have a positive, resilient, flexible and adaptable “can-do” attitude to overcome challenges

• Have strong interpersonal and leadership skills, ability to work successfully in multicultural teams and across boundaries, and to build and maintain useful stakeholder networks

• Have the ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines

• Have excellent communication skills, both oral and written

• Have strong skills in Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Teams

Language Requirements:

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.