The UK’s Department for Business & Trade (DBT) in Germany is looking for a Head of Future Mobility who will lead a team of two mobility experts dedicated to delivering strategically vital investments and exports for the UK economy, to be based at the British Consulate General in Munich.
Our Setting:
The DBT Germany team is made up of approximately 40 staff, based in the Embassy in Berlin and Consulates-General in Düsseldorf and Munich. It is the largest team in the DBT Europe Region (around 300 staff in 34 countries in total) and works closely with colleagues in London and across the UK to improve market access for business and boost exports and investment. In Germany, DBT is made up of sector-focussed teams, with cross-cutting support from a core office, the Strategic Communications Team and the Trade Policy and Market Access team. DBT Germany’s work is crucial to supporting the UK economy: Germany is the UK’s second largest trading partner, with bilateral trade accounting for more than £132bn in 2022 – 8% of total UK trade. The UK and Germany are long-standing partners with shared interests in free and fair trade, WTO and rulebook reform and supporting multilateralism.
Commercial Context:
The UK is a global leader in Future Mobility, specifically automotive, space or aerospace. Eight out of 10 cars produced in the UK are exported to 130 different markets worldwide, with Germany being one of the UK´s most important automotive trade and manufacturing partners. The German automotive industry has over 100 production sites across the UK, while cars are the UK´s 4th most valuable (goods) export to Germany. Brands such as MINI, Rolls Royce, Jaguar and Aston Martin are recognised across the world for their design and engineering quality. Our Aerospace industry, one of the largest in the world, exports £18 billion per year and is the UK second most valuable export to Germany. In all areas of Future Mobility, UK industry is investing heavily in the transition to Net Zero.
Roles and Responsibilities:
You will set the strategic direction of your team in promoting the UK’s interests and supporting commercial wins within the mobility sector, specifically in the Automotive, Space, Aerospace sectors. You will work to promote UK-German trade and investment, pursuing exciting new projects and helping to shape the technological and Net Zero transitions facing the mobility sectors in the UK and Germany. Your time will be split between collaborating with teams in the office to identify projects and contacts, travelling to meet and influence business leaders, representing the UK at trade events, and delivering projects, reports and briefings.
Your Mission:
Securing Strategic Investments: As a team leader, you will be ambassador of the UK’s mobility potential in Germany. You will need to develop a deep understanding of mobility supply chains, industry technology trends, and future developments. Your task is to craft compelling, tailor-made investment proposals for potential investors. The Future Mobility team focuses on automotive, space, and aerospace. Your team’s mission is to secure strategically important investments from German automotive and mobility companies for the UK. You will also be responsible for maintaining a steady stream of investment projects and be comfortable engaging with senior manager and C-Level decision makers on behalf of the British Government.
Policy and Market Access:
Following the signing of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, your leadership also extends to ensuring your team stays on top of the most critical policy and market access topics relevant to your sectors as they relate to the free trade agreement and any future reviews. This involves close collaboration with policy leads in DBT Germany and sector leads in the UK. You will actively identify market access barriers that should be resolved to unleash the full potential of the UK’s Future Mobility industry.
Boosting Exports:
Germany is a vital export market for many UK Future Mobility companies. Your team’s role is to support UK firms looking to expand to the German market by finding high value opportunities and contacts. You will manage the most important export relationships and identify high-potential export opportunities.
Strategic Leadership:
You will lead your team with expertise and enthusiasm, delivering a well-planned investment, export and market access strategy that focuses only on the highest-value opportunities for the UK.
Expert Guidance:
You will serve as the go-to expert and advisor for the Germany Senior Management Team on all things related to Mobility in Germany and the UK.
Senior Influence:
As a senior member of DBT Germany, you will draw on your experience and insight to support senior diplomats and Ambassadors, and also visiting Ministers and officials from the UK.
Business Planning and Project Management:
You will coordinate budgets, business planning and strategic commercial project efforts across various government stakeholders, ensuring we harness the full potential of UK industry and government policy.
Engaging Stakeholders:
Stakeholder management means building bridges with key contacts and organisations in industry, associations, and government bodies. Your team will support events and initiatives that foster collaboration between the UK and Germany, showcasing UK capabilities and values.
You will also be responsible for supporting the Consul General who has oversight of your sector, and for contributing to the effective leadership and smooth running of the Consulate.
Our ideal candidate shows:
- Excellent oral and written English and German (to at least level C1 CEFR);
- Experience in one or all of Automotive, Aerospace and Space sectors and related trade and policy matters;
- Experience leading and developing a team;
- Strong communication and presentation skills;
- Ability to demonstrate personal impact and develop and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders;
- Demonstrate the highest level of professionalism and discretion when representing the British Government;
- A university degree and/or proven commercial/economic and/or policy experience;
- Strong analytical and research skills;
Strong organisational skills and experience leading projects including events; - Excellent interpersonal skills and excels working as part of a team;
- Self-starter and ability to work well on own initiative;
- Agility and be able to think creatively.
For further details on this vacancy and information on how to apply, please follow the link.