THE ROLE
The international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) is seeking a dynamic Japanese and English-speaking photographer for its Tokyo bureau.

The selected candidate will work in a fast-paced environment alongside text and video colleagues in AFP’s Tokyo bureau to produce compelling, varied and accurate coverage to tell the story of Japan to a global audience.

Photo coverage in Japan is highly visual and wide-ranging, spanning everything from breaking news and politics, sports and economics to earthquakes, festivals and strong human-interest scenes in a densely populated, media-savvy environment.

The photographer will also conduct research, plan coverage and generate and execute original story ideas including photo essays, all in close supervision of the Japan Chief Photographer and co-ordination with the Tokyo bureau and the regional photo editing desks in the Asia-Pacific region.

The photographer must be comfortable shooting live events and transmitting photos directly from the camera, enabling editors on the desk to handle the photo production on the spot. He / she should stay current with the latest camera technology, workflow tools and industry developments to ensure fast, reliable and high-quality news coverage.

The successful candidate will respect the agency’s editorial policy and other guidelines, including those on the use of social media. He / she should be familiar with the issues involved in handling user-generated content (UGC), third-party content and AFP’s guidelines concerning their use. Online training is available at AFP Digital Courses https://digitalcourses.afp.com for learning about various methods of online verification, now indispensable for all journalism.

The chosen candidate may also be asked to cover events outside of Japan if the news requires, mainly in Asia-Pacific but potentially outside of the region as well. The job requires flexibility in working hours. The selected candidate will be called on to work evenings, weekends and public holidays when necessary.

In an ever-changing media environment, the nature of the job could evolve in line with coverage demands and the requirements of an increasingly diverse client base.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent shooting and editing skills and the ability to craft unique and creative visual storytelling ideas about Japan that appeal internationally
• A solid knowledge of Japanese affairs, a strong network of sources and familiarity with social media are expected, along with a keen interest in stories that engage younger audiences
• Experience in wire agencies is not essential, but would be an advantage
• Work well under tight deadlines, while collaborating effectively with colleagues in the bureau
• Interest in social media and active on social networking platforms, especially in breaking news situations when obtaining user-generated content is key
• Native-level Japanese and fluent English are required, other languages would be a bonus

APPLICATIONS
Please send a CV, cover letter and work portfolio to recruitment.asia@afp.com, specifying in the subject line: Recruitment Tokyo - Photographer.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further steps in the recruitment process.

AFP is committed to equal opportunities and greater diversity within its teams. We therefore encourage all applications in order to preserve the wealth of profiles, cultures and languages that constitute the strength of our network.