The Embassy of Japan in the UK is looking for a highly qualified and motivated Personal Assistant to provide secretarial and research support for diplomats in the Political Section. The Political Section follows UK domestic politics, foreign policy, security policy and legal, judicial and police affairs and communicates Japanese policies to the UK government, academia and other stakeholders in these areas.

You will be required to support diplomats mainly in the domestic policy team or foreign policy team with administrative, scheduling and secretarial duties, collecting information (press or other sources), researching and reporting on specific issues of diplomats’ interest.

Covering areas are subject to possible reshuffle amongst other local staff. You will be expected to work and cover other teams (security policy and legal, judicial and police affairs), together with other local staff in the Political Section.

A Personal Assistant is responsible for keeping diplomats briefed and informed on current trends on political and social affairs, especially domestic and foreign policies by daily news updates and research as well as administrative support and secretarial duties for diplomats.

The key responsibilities of the Personal Assistant’s position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Monitor UK domestic and foreign policies
• Produce daily reports and databases from online news articles and other resources
• Produce reports and policy summaries based on diplomats’ interests
• Maintain and process all incoming and outgoing correspondence including contacts via post, email and telephone
• Prepare, edit, summarise and draft documents including official letters
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders such as UK government departments, non-governmental organisations, businesses and other diplomatic missions
• Arrange and facilitate meetings/appointments, conferences, receptions and events for diplomats and delegations from Japan. Accompany the diplomats and delegations and take minutes
• Attend meetings, seminars and conferences, report to the relevant diplomats and take minutes
• Assist with administrative and logistical arrangements for the Embassy staff and for official visitors, including liaising with counterparts, hotels, venues and arranging transport
• Undertake other administrative and secretarial duties as directed