External Commissioner, Grassroots Grant Assistance

About this role

The Embassy of Japan in Tanzania, established in 1966, is recruiting one locally resident Japanese national to serve as an external commissioned officer for its Grassroots Human Security Grant Assistance scheme, commonly known as Kusanone grant aid. The post sits in the economic and development cooperation section in Dar es Salaam and is a re-advertisement of the vacancy. The officer conducts pre-project surveys and prepares appraisal materials on local conditions, implementation risks and applicant capacity. They monitor and follow up projects that are under way or complete, liaising with implementing organisations and reporting on progress.

The role also covers assisting with grant signing and handover ceremonies and drafting correspondence, reports and monitoring documents. Frequent contact with partner organisations by letter, email, telephone and meetings is expected, along with travel to project sites across Tanzania. Applicants must currently reside in Tanzania and hold Japanese nationality, and a bachelor's degree or higher is required. Working English proficiency to coordinate with partner institutions, obtain documents and draft reports is essential, along with familiarity with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Candidates should be physically and mentally fit for extensive field travel and willing to carry out detailed numerical verification work once projects close. Swahili ability and prior knowledge or experience of development cooperation are advantages, while strong interpersonal skills and clear written presentation are desirable. The engagement runs from 4 January 2027 to 31 March 2027 under a commission contract rather than an employment contract, and the start date may change depending on the issue of an official passport. The monthly honorarium ranges from 300,000 to under 400,000 yen.

Project travel and accommodation are reimbursed, but travel to and housing in Tanzania are not, and the officer arranges their own insurance. Applications close at 23:59 local time on 30 September 2026, with documents emailed to the embassy in PDF format.