Management Support Associate (Translator and Secretarial Support)

Kumon is the world's leading after-school enrichment programme. It was founded in 1954 in Japan, and the Kumon Method originated from a father's love for his son. The programme has over 4 million students, and learning opportunities are offered in more than 60 countries and regions worldwide. The main goal of Kumon is to help individuals discover their potential and develop their abilities to the fullest, thus nurturing human capital that will contribute to global society. If you share the same passion for developing children and seeking a meaningful career that contributes to their development on a global level, Kumon invites like-minded candidates to join as a Management Support Associate.

Job Purpose:

The main purpose of this position is to facilitate clear, timely communication of the head office in Japan and the regional headquarters policies and activities by providing interpretation, translation, management support, and internal branding support.

The role is expected to operate with growing independence in assigned areas, while aligning closely with the Section Leader and Division Leader on priorities, quality standards, and escalations.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide translation and interpretation from Japanese to English, and vice versa.

• Take ownership of assigned translation and interpretation tasks, including preparation, terminology alignment, and post-checks for accuracy and clarity.

• Escalate concerns, while proposing possible solutions where appropriate.

• Translate various documents such as presentations, newsletters, reports, company policies and speeches, etc.

• Manage assigned translation tasks end-to-end, including planning timelines, clarifying requirements and preparing visual materials, and meeting agreed deadlines. Apply standardised terminology and formatting, while continuously improving quality through feedback and self-review.

• Interpret and facilitate communication between Japanese and non-Japanese speaking stakeholders.

• Support Management in secretarial and administrative tasks, such as handling expenditure, travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, coordinating and monitoring reporting schedules, with clear ownership of assigned areas.

• Take responsibility for routine tasks (e.g. claims, travel coordination) with minimal supervision, while keeping the Section Leader informed of exceptions or risks.

• Maintain accurate records and documentation to support continuity and handover.

• Conduct basic research and planning for various projects undertaken by the division.

• Contribute ideas and observations based on assigned work, and support project preparation under the guidance of the Section Leader.

• Communication of information relating to company-wide policies, etc.

• Ensure accurate understanding of shared information and clarify questions before onward communication.

Additional Tasks & Responsibilities (if applicable):

• Support team knowledge sharing by documenting processes, templates, or key learnings when requested.

Knowledge and Skills Requirements:

• High proficiency in both Japanese (preferably JLPT level 1 or near-native) and English languages.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PPT) and video-editing.

Credentials and Experience:

• A Bachelor's Degree or a Diploma from a recognised institution in any discipline

• At least 2 years professional experience in interpretation and translation