Japanese Speaking Researcher for Life Science

JAC Recruitment; City Of London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A consulting and recruitment firm in London seeks a candidate to support collaboration between UK and Japanese companies within its Invest & Innovation Department. This role involves identifying local startups, managing events, providing consultations, and developing business relations to encourage investments in Japan. The ideal candidate must be bilingual (English and Japanese) with strong communication skills, experience in the life sciences sector, and an understanding of business practices in the UK. A commitment to collaboration and innovative projects is essential.

Qualifications

• Native speaker of English or Japanese, able to communicate in both languages.
• Ability to work 5 days a week without a visa.
• Thorough understanding of UK social, cultural, and business practices.
• Experience in large life sciences companies or startups preferred.
• Strong ability in writing business-appropriate documents.
• Physically and mentally healthy to commute to work.

Responsibilities

• Identify local startups for collaboration with Japanese companies.
• Assist in planning and managing events like seminars and workshops.
• Provide consultations for companies interested in investing in Japan.
• Register client information and coordination with headquarters.
• Support collaborative projects across Europe promoting investment in Japan.

Skills

Networking

Public relations

Consultation skills

Research skills

Knowledge sharing

Business writing

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Teams

Salesforce

Job description

Job Description

The London office's Invest & Innovation Department supports three key areas: supporting local companies' expansion into Japan, promoting open innovation between local startups and Japanese companies, and supporting Japanese startups' expansion into Japan. This role functions as a regional coordinating centre focused on the London office, promoting corporate collaboration and innovation between Japan and Europe, ultimately encouraging local companies to invest in Japan (establishing a base in Japan and M&A of Japanese companies).

Responsibilities

• Identify local startups and other companies with outstanding technologies—primarily in the life sciences field—to foster collaboration between these companies and Japanese companies. Build networks with universities, research institutes, and support organizations.
• Assist in planning, public relations, and management of events such as seminars, pitch events, workshops, and symposiums, and follow-up with companies to identify local companies. Collaborate with EU innovation-related agencies.
• Provide consultations and business matching for companies interested in investing in Japan. Conduct research and provide information on markets and regulations, respond to inquiries, and provide regular follow-up with approximately 100 existing project companies.
• Register client information and collaboration status in the client management system, submit and approve outputs and outcomes that are counted as achievements through this system, and coordinate and report with relevant departments at the headquarters (Tokyo).
• Support the formation of teams across Europe to promote collaborative projects and investment in Japan in the EMEA region, assist with knowledge sharing with national staff from other offices, and promote collaboration toward business formation and problem-solving.
• Perform tasks necessary for the operation of the Investment & Innovation Department or London office as directed by the supervisor and other tasks handled by the investment team.

Goals

• Number of new target projects to register: 2 within the contract period.
• Number of target companies to support: 7 within the contract period.

Requirements

• Ability to work without a visa.
• Ability to work 5 days a week.
• Native speaker of English or Japanese, able to communicate in both English and Japanese, and able to write business-appropriate documents.
• A candidate who has a thorough understanding of social, cultural, and business practices in the UK and is well-suited to working while building trust with UK companies.
• A candidate who is able to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Salesforce without difficulty.
• A candidate who is physically and mentally healthy and able to commute to work.
• A candidate who is able to work responsibly and with a sense of fulfillment in collaboration between UK companies and Japanese companies and in supporting investment in Japan.
• A candidate who has experience working at a large life sciences company (open innovation work is preferable), or at a startup or other tech company, or who has experience supporting such companies.