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JOB DESCRIPTION
View Vacancy – JPN – British Embassy Japan Internship
Job Category
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Policy & Political roles)
Job Subcategory
Political, Policy
Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)
Main Purpose of Job:
The British Embassy Japan Network promotes work experience and internship opportunities with the aim of building strong links between the UK and Japan. We encourage;
- talented undergraduates, recent graduates and other school and college students (referred to as ‘interns’); and
- people returning to work after any type of career break (referred to as ‘returners’),
to get a taste of embassy work and expand their employability for future careers linked to the UK-Japan relationship.
Successful completion of the Internship programme will give you the option of joining our interim personnel pool for future fixed term job opportunities and will give you the experience to support strong applications for future permanent roles in the British Embassy Tokyo or Consulate General Osaka.
What the Jobholder will be Expected to Achieve:
This Internship programme would particularly suit someone with strong links to either the UK or to Japan and is considering pursuing a career in international relations, trade and investment, or similar fields in the future.
Successful candidates will gain an understanding of the mission of the British Embassy and its Consulate through training and work assigned by the key teams of Japan Network. Your role will be determined based on your interests, specialities, skills and experience. In any team, you are expected to bring in new ideas, approaches, fresh perspectives, a willingness to challenge entrenched working practices, and help us boost capacity.
Your host team will provide you with a range of opportunities to familiarise you with our way of working and our current policy focus areas and will agree with you a full programme to cover the term of the Internship that reflects your interests and learning objectives. The Internship can last up to a maximum of 6 months, but it is possible that we can accommodate shorter periods and reduced working hours following consultation at the interview.
Our internship programme offers a unique work experience and usually focuses on one or two areas. We expect to be offering placements with focuses including:
- Diplomatic Communications
Join a dynamic team of communications and political professionals at the Embassy. Gain hands-on experience in digital content creation, event coordination, and strategic communications. You will support the MUSUBI Initiative – a public-private partnership investing in future leaders – and contribute to the Embassy’s broader outreach efforts.
- Business and Trade
Help strengthen UK-Japan trade ties by supporting promotional activities, researching market opportunities, and connecting businesses. Focus areas include the Food & Drink sector and Creative Industries, aligned with the UK’s industrial strategy.
- Investment
Work with our investment team to conduct long-term competitive analysis for specific sectors outlined in the UK’s newly released 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy. The role will contribute to the development of initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining investment, support research and analysis efforts, and engage with high-profile Japanese and UK businesses.
- Expo Legacy
Support planning of events and activities around the Kansai region that demonstrate the UK’s strengths and policies, maintain and grow priority stakeholders, and bring together meaningful exchanges involving people, businesses, academia and government. Work will mainly focus on life sciences, clean energy, tech and local growth plans, as well as on people-to-people exchanges.
Essential qualifications, skills and experience
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Japanese and English
- Proficient computer skills
- Resilient in a constantly evolving environment
- Strong team player and self-starter with positive, dedicated and open attitude
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.
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
A background in or understanding of specialised areas such as international relations, economics, global challenges, science, trade or marketing
Required behaviours
Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together
Application deadline
31 August 2025
Grade
Internship
Type of Position
Part-Time, Fixed Term
Working hours per week
20 to 37.5 hours per week
Duration of Post
5 months
Region
Asia Pacific
Country/Territory
Japan
Location (City)
Osaka, Tokyo
Type of Post
British Embassy
Number of vacancies
4
Salary Currency
JPY
Salary
JPY 1,163 per hour (minimum wage in Tokyo)
Type of Salary
hourly
Start Date
20 October 2025
End Date
31 March 2026
Other benefits and conditions of employment
This Internship Programme is advertised as a 5-month fixed term contract ending on 31 March 2026.
- Commuting allowance of up to JPY35,000 per month (paid on an actual cost basis)
- 10.5 days paid annual leave (calculated pro rata)
- Social insurance available if not a daytime student
Working Patterns:
The British Embassy Japan Network supports and promotes flexible working. This role allows for flexibility in start and end times, subject to the needs of the team and agreement with your line manager.
Depending on your personal circumstances such as school life, focus time for your study or family, we may adjust work schedule when necessary.
This role will be offered pending successful reference and security checks and is subject to the appropriate permissions to work. Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy Tokyo is subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Japan employment law.
No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position. All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in Japan with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit. Any costs related to obtaining or renewing permits and visas are the responsibility of the successful applicant.
Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.
The FCDO operates an agile approach to delivery. To facilitate an agile workforce, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time as we may reasonably require.
Learning and Development Opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):
The British Embassy Japan Network offers comprehensive learning and development opportunities which will be fully available to the jobholder. We regularly run both work area specific training and more general skills development in project management, finance, and leadership.
For those on an internship or returnship programme, we offer training to help understand competences and improve interview skills for future career opportunities.
Additional information
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the online application form completely including the employment and educational details, experience, professional skills and behaviour-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the applications and incomplete form in any respect may not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.
Only shortlisted candidates for interview will be contacted. Interviewees will be assessed on the core behaviours/qualifications listed above. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified via the system in due time. Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 6 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate.
To ensure a successful application it is important that you explain how you demonstrate these behaviours, including through your experience. You are strongly advised to read the Success Profiles Civil Service Behaviours Framework, which provides detailed guidance on how the behaviours are defined.
Applicants are encouraged to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format to prepare specific examples of when they have demonstrated these behaviours in their application. Using the STAR format to provide evidence of your skills and experience in your application and at interview helps to give a structure. You briefly describe the situation in which you showed the behaviour, and then explain your task in addressing the situation, what action you took and the result of this.
Please ensure that your application is authentically written based on your own experiences. If AI tools are used, their usage must only be limited to specific tasks such as ensuring formatting consistency and keyword relevance. The core content, personal narratives, and responses to behaviour and skill-based questions must genuinely reflect your professional journey, experiences, and achievements. We place great importance on originality and individual effort throughout the application process. Any form of plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.
For inclusivity and diversity, please remove the following personal information when uploading your CV: name, address, email address, age, date of birth, gender and nationality.
The start date mentioned in the job advert is a tentative start date and the successful candidate will be required to undergo security vetting procedures. Any offer of employment will be subject to the candidate achieving suitable clearances.
Level of Education: Bachelor Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: No requirements
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