Trade Commissioner, Japan
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Japan

Ka rere a kupu mihi ki te mata o te whenua e tau ai ki tena, ki tena huri noa e mihi atu ana. I tenei wa tonu nei e tonoa ana o pukenga nui, o wheako me o mohiotanga kia whakaeke mai ki te waka whakatutuki kaupapa e mea nei ko Te Taurapa Tuhono. Kua takoto te manuka, a, tautoko mai, arahi mai i nga pakihi hohoko o Aotearoa kia whaia nei nga pae tawhiti hou, hihira ano hoki.
To those near and far, greetings to you all. We look forward to you bringing your valuable skills, experience and knowledge to join our team aboard the forever moving waka, Te Taurapa Tuhono | New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE). This is the call, to rise to the occasion, and help guide New Zealand export businesses to exciting new horizons.
Be based in Tokyo and use your exceptional commercial experience to help New Zealand companies grow in Japan.
Who we are: Ko Te Taurapa Tuhono tenei
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) works with some of New Zealand's most innovative and forward-thinking companies, helping them grow internationally. Our people are based in 50 offices, working across 24 time zones and 40 languages to support New Zealand businesses in over 100 countries.
What you'll be doing: Te whakamahere
The Trade Commissioner, Japan is one of NZTE's most important roles globally, and East Asia's largest market, helping New Zealand companies grow in a dynamic economy. You will be leading a diverse team of experienced business development managers whose networks and knowledge are vital to achieving good outcomes for New Zealand companies.
You will provide in-market connections and advice that will enable customers to navigate the Japanese market successfully and build the profile of New Zealand exports. You will represent New Zealand at key business events, and you will play an important role in implementing NZTE's strategic priorities across Japan and East Asia with your East Asia Leadership team. You will also work closely with a team of export customer managers based in New Zealand
What you'll need to be successful: O Pukenga
We are looking for someone who is agile, with a commercial mind set and passion for growing New Zealand businesses. In previous roles you will have been responsible for business development, marketing, sales, or strategy and fully understand the fast-paced change of the Japanese commercial environment including the impact of different trends.
In this role you will need to be adept at advising NZTE customers on successful paths of 'go-to-market' or expansion strategies. You will need to be comfortable with having strategic conversations with companies up to board level, where you will provide insights to ensure customer understanding of local complexity and be secure at operating in a multi-layered ecosystem. You will have exceptional relationship and influencing skills and be a confident and credible communicator in both English and Japanese.
You will be able to demonstrate your: -
•Experience growing businesses•Results driven Leadership and commitment to growing yourself and your team.•Strong commercial and financial acumen•Exemplary relationship building skills•Excellent presentation skills and ability to listen and understand the needs of different audiences
Why you'll love working here: Nau mai ki Te Taurapa Tuhono
You will love this role if you are looking to diversify your career by building your knowledge of other sectors and gaining exposure to the public sector globally. You will be passionate about representing New Zealand and working alongside a highly committed team who want to make a difference to New Zealand. You will love leading and developing a team and be excited to be part of the East Asia senior leadership team implementing NZTE's strategy for Japan.
What's next: Te ara ki tua
For more information, please read the position description - Trade Commissioner PD and if this sounds like your next career move, apply online. Applications close 28th February midday (NZST).
Before applying, please ensure you are eligible: -
• Our successful candidate must be a New Zealand Citizen.• You must have strong Japanese verbal and written language skills.• This is an international posting with a minimum duration of 3 years. The preferred candidate will be subject to several vetting processes, including New Zealand national security clearance that you must be eligible for.
Please note: We are currently implementing a vaccination policy at NZTE. Further details will be available through discussions with a Talent Acquisition Specialist if we progress your application.
NZTE is committed to uplifting the mana of Maori as tangata whenua and recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ the Treaty of Waitangi as New Zealand's founding document.