View Vacancy – JPN (Tokyo) – Head of Media, HEO

Main Purpose of Job:

This is a key role at the heart of the Japan Network, where you will lead the planning and delivery of communications and marketing campaigns aligned with the Japan Network’s key strategic communication themes as an expert in media. Providing strategic planning and advice on media engagement and comms channel mix to others in the Japan Network, covering from traditional media to digital media, you will contribute to effective media plans for campaigns and broader communications strategies.

Spearheading the Japan Network’s strategic media relations approach, you will ensure that appropriate media in Japan are effectively utilised to promote UK values, government policy, and achieve the Japan Network’s Country Plan objectives. By cultivating and maintaining effective relationships with Japanese media (TV, print, news agency, radio, digital) and international media based in Japan you will further the strategic objectives of the Japan Network. You will provide guidelines on style, ensuring appropriate quality and tone of translated Japanese language materials for public dissemination, such as press releases, opinion pieces, brochures, speeches, and advertisements. 

As part of the leadership of the Media, Communications & Marketing (MCM) team, and reporting to the Team Leader, you will ensure colleagues deliver against an ambitious communications strategy while building team capability and maintaining high levels of motivation and wellbeing. You will have direct line management/oversight of three to four team members.

What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:

Excellent people management and leadership (25%) including: 

• Line management of Communications Officers up to four staff.
• Oversight of staff’s internal/external stakeholder engagement (partners across government, private sector partners, sponsors and outside agencies)
• Confident engagement with senior management, providing recommendations and supporting Head of MCM; deputise for Head of MCM when required; role in Crisis Media team.

Deliver strategic communications campaigns and effective project management (50%):

• Devise and deliver value-added cross-departmental 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 communications strategies.
• Develop effective strategic media engagement/comms channel mix plans that enhance the delivery, outcomes and impact of the Japan Network objectives.
• Evaluate targeted, project-based communications strategies in line with the Japan Network’s regular business planning.
• Advise and work with relevant FCDO departments and Department of Business and Trade to focus communications and marketing activity on the areas of greatest opportunity, improving perceptions of the UK and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Ensure that media monitoring tools are used effectively to evaluate, inform and improve communications activities and campaigns.
• Direct and maintain oversight of Japan Network’s channels and means of communications, such as social media and media engagement, through clear forward planning tools.
• Apply media trend insight and deep understanding of Japanese market and trends to appropriate global HMG campaigns to targeted audiences.

Act as Japan Network’s media manager (15%): 

• Develop and update Japan Network digital channel guidelines and strategy. Evaluate the channel strategies to improve communications activities and campaigns.
• Responsible for consistency in quality and tone in the output of Japanese written communications products, from brochures, advertorials and press releases to briefings and speeches, created for the Japan Network. Ensure any material translated into Japanese are of a high quality and suitable for targeted audiences.
• Create and update style guidelines on editorial standards for Japanese language materials from the Japan Network that help build understanding and capacity.

Cultivate and maintain a powerful media network (10%): 

• Pro-actively develop and maintain a network of media contacts and influencers and use these to effect change in Japanese press reporting and public perception on the UK, engaging support of senior/relevant Japan Network colleagues as appropriate.
• Build an extensive network of relationships across government communications individuals in Whitehall, including the FCDO, DIT and the Prime Minister’s office, to confidently adapt or deliver successful media support to campaigns or VIP visits.

Resources Managed (staff and expenditure): 

• Responsible for team of up to 4 communications staff
• Budgets: Media monitoring spend, content creation costs, GREAT campaign and project-based funding. Access to wider departmental budgets for travel, entertainment and learning and development
• External agencies (project based)

• 7+ years professional experience, including in communications positions with a public or private-sector organisation.
• Experience managing diverse staff.
• Proven experience working with Japanese media and experience in digital media channels.
• Proven skills in strategy design and managing complex communications campaigns.
• Deep knowledge of Japanese media landscape and proven ability to engage Japanese audiences.
• Experience working with external agencies.
• Strong IT skills, (including standard Microsoft Office programmes and familiarity with latest digital tools).
• Experience of working in an English-speaking environment

Language Requirements:

This role requires written and spoken proficiency in both English and Japanese. Fluency (minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework*) in Japanese (spoken and written) and business level (minimum of high B2) English (spoken and written).

*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.