Program Assistant, Trade (Fukuoka)

Summary of Duties:

The Trade Commissioner Assistant is required to support the daily operations of the Government of Canada Trade Office Fukuoka, a two-person office, located in central Fukuoka. The incumbent will be responsible for conducting basic market research, assisting in the logistical coordination and delivery of various incoming visits, business development events, meetings, and hospitality functions within Fukuoka Office’s territory. In addition, the incumbent will be required to provide administrative support to the office (letters of agreement, monitor budgets, payments, ordering/purchasing, contracts, etc.). 

Area of Selection:

This selection process is open to all applicants eligible to work legally in Japan including all Embassy employees, spouse and dependents of Canada-based staff, and who meet all the essential qualifications and whose applications are received by the closing date. 

Please note that the Government of Canada Trade Office in Fukuoka does not sponsor work authorizations directly or indirectly.

The Government of Canada is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from diverse sections of the community. Candidates will be considered based on merit. Our organization offers an inclusive workplace where respect, teamwork, and collaboration are part of our culture. Canada’s missions abroad are committed to promoting and supporting an environment free from harassment and discrimination, as well as encouraging and supporting employees to learn and develop their skills and competencies.

 

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates will initially be screened against the Essential Qualifications relating to education, language* and experience.

Candidates must clearly demonstrate when applying to the position how they meet each of these essential qualifications.

*Language will be assessed further during the process. 

 

Education:

Candidates will be required to provide proof of the completion of their education.

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university.  Or an acceptable combination of education or training and experience in the mentioned areas.  

Language:

• Advanced proficiency in English and Japanese (oral and written). 

 

Experience:

• Minimum experience of 2 years in the following:
  • Working for private companies and/or public organisations (Japanese government) in a business setting.  
  • Providing administrative support services to a manager or team of employees  
• Minimum experience of 6 months in the following:   
  
  • Conducting business-related research.  
  • Organizing logistics for visits or commercial events.  
  • Managing budgets.
• Experience in working with various social media platforms.

 

RATED REQUIREMENTS

The Rated Requirements are part of the essential qualifications and are relating to knowledge, abilities and competencies. Methods of assessment for rated requirements may include, but are not limited to, a written examination, an oral interview (online pre-recorded/live or in-person), role-play, practical tests, presentations and/or psychometric assessment.

 

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of local customs, culture, and business practices  
• Knowledge of effective use of standard office software (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.). 

 

Competencies:

• Resilience and Adaptability  
• Working with Others  
• Client Orientation  
• Initiative and Action Orientation  
• Judgement and Discretion  
• Focus on Quality and Details  

 

Abilities: 

• Ability to draft business documents in English and Japanese  
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and troubleshoot problems, under pressure and often under tight deadlines. 

 

Asset Qualifications:

Preference may be given to candidates who meet the Asset Qualifications. Where applicable, candidates must clearly demonstrate how they meet any asset qualifications.

• Intermediate proficiency in French. 
• Experience working in an international organization such as an Embassy, multilateral organization, or multinational corporation. 
• Experience in using contact management systems (CRM) 
• Experience in monitoring contract performance/external service providers. 
• Knowledge of Canadian and Japanese trade and business trends 
• Knowledge of content development for social media platforms

 

Operational Requirements:

• Working hours are 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30 with a one-hour lunch break 12:30-13:30. Saturdays and Sundays are rest days. 
• Must be available for occasional duties outside normal working hours (i.e. evenings and weekends). 

 

Conditions of Employment:

Conditions of employment must be met or complied with before being appointed to a particular position, and are to be maintained throughout the employment while being the incumbent of this position.

- Valid work authorization: Ability to obtain and hold a valid work authorization covering the entire employment period.

- Security screening: Obtain and maintain a Reliability Status (security level) which includes a criminal and credit background check from the Government of Canada covering the entire employment period.

- Other conditions of employment:

For the successful candidate must: Health assessment may be requested at the discretion of the Head of Mission 

 

How to Apply

• You must submit your application using the "Apply online" function. Only applications submitted via VidCruiter will be considered, unless a valid reason is presented and accepted prior to the closing date.
• Do not include personal data such as; age, date of birth, gender, marital status, family status, religion or a picture in your application form, CV nor cover letter (as required). Please only include information relevant to the vacancy as requested in the job poster.
• You must clearly demonstrate in answering the screening questions how you meet the education and experience factors listed in the essential and asset qualifications. You must provide specific examples to demonstrate clearly how you meet the qualifications. Global Affairs Canada cannot make any assumptions about your studies nor experience. Simply saying you have the required qualifications or listing your current duties will not be sufficient. Instead, you must provide concrete and detailed examples that clearly explain where, when, and how you gained the experience. No additional information will be sought beyond what you submit in your online application.
• Candidates may be required to upload a CV and a cover letter in English or French. These documents may be used as a secondary source to validate the answers to the screening questions.
• Applications which do not include all of the requested documents or information and/or which are not received by the closing date will be rejected.
• Candidates who are unable to submit their application due to technical difficulties must report these to LES-E-Recruitment-MANIL@international.gc.ca prior to the closing date. Failure to do so will result in the application being rejected.

 

Important Notes

• Only applications submitted in one of the official languages of Canada will be accepted (English or French).
• The language requirement for this position is identified under the essential qualifications (language). In consequence, the assessment process for this vacancy will be conducted in English.
• Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the responsibility of the candidates to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required.

• Candidates must provide an email address that accepts email from unknown users and regularly check their email, including spam folder.
• Reference checks may be sought for candidates who succeeded all of the assessments.
• Please note that the Canadian Trade Office, Fukuoka does not reimburse any travel costs to and from interviews/exams nor does it reimburse any relocation costs.
• Before an offer of employment can be made, successful candidates must provide a local residence address as proof of residence in the specified area of selection. This information is necessary to issue a letter of offer.
• As recently announced by the Government of Canada, the Policy for Mandatory Vaccination: Canada and the Mission Network is suspended as of June 20, 2022. The Government of Canada will continue to assess the need for additional public health measures, including the possible reintroduction of a vaccination mandate at a later date.
• We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact us at LES-E-Recruitment-MANIL@international.gc.ca to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.
• The results of this selection process may also be used to establish one or more pools of fully or partially qualified candidates for similar term, indeterminate, part-time or full-time openings at the Canadian Trade Office, Fukuoka which might arise following the completion of this selection process.
• For Canadian citizens/residents and Canadian dual nationals, please note that it is your responsibility to enquire with the Canadian Revenue Agency about any possible taxation implications linked to an employment with the Government of Canada.