The British Embassy in Berlin is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. The Embassy is now looking for an External Relations and Trade Manager (Welsh Government), based in Berlin.
The Welsh Government (WG) is committed to raising Wales’ profile in Germany, to promoting Wales as a globally responsible nation and to fostering and growing trade and investment and other links between Wales and Germany, the EU and the rest of the world. The WG Office opened in the autumn of 2018, based at the British Embassy in Berlin and with a presence in the British Consulate in Düsseldorf, and forms part of an overseas network of 21 Welsh Government Offices, including European Offices in Brussels, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Dublin.
Wales has undergone a rapid change in recent history, moving from an economy based around heavy industry and coal to a diverse, high-tech, high-value modern economy. The majority of trade is with Europe and our commitment to Europe and our European partners remains strong, despite the UK leaving the European Union. The Welsh Parliament has power to make laws over many key areas of life, including health and social care, housing, education, transport, business, economic development, social services, language and culture, the environment, local government, and more.
The Germany team have lead responsibility for strengthening trade, investment and research links between Wales and various regions in Germany, with a strong focus on NRW, BW and Bavaria, and on promoting partnerships and cultural, sports, tourism and other links. The post holder will organise and deliver Welsh Government events (Saint David’s Day, Celtic Concert series and others) and contribute to Embassy events, and wider (FCDO) Germany network events.
The External Relations and Trade Manager will have representational responsibilities in a broad range of matters, from education, research and development, to sustainability, climate change and tourism. The successful applicant will help promote links between Wales and Germany across these areas, as well as more generally in governmental, academic and cultural fields. Other important responsibilities include identifying and developing foreign direct investment (FDI) leads and trade opportunities for Welsh companies, working in collaboration with colleagues in the Embassy. The post holder will organise and lead on trade missions, Ministerial visits and activity related to strengthening our relationships with our three priority regions, as well as taking a reactive approach to other German regions.
The post holder will lead on communication for the Germany team, largely covered by an external comms contract, and work with and alongside Welsh Government and Germany network colleagues. Management of the contract, ensuring value for money and timely renewal, will also be part of the role.
The three core ambitions of the International Strategy for Wales are:
1. To raise Wales’ profile in Germany – and build on the reputation as a place buzzing with creativity where people are free to innovate and experiment
2. To grow the economy by increasing exports and attracting inward investment, creating new jobs and opportunities for people in Wales
3. To establish Wales as a globally responsible nation. The Well-being of Future Generations Act underlines our commitment to sustainability
The role encompasses:
- Develop strong networking and partnership relationships with decision makers and intermediaries across Germany, and with a focus on NRW, BW and Bavaria
- Lead on internal and external communication for the Germany Office; manage the comms contract ensuring value for money, and connect activity to the wider overseas network, and Wales based activity and projects
- Support the identification, development and delivery of new, quality inward investment projects
- Work with the rest of the Germany team, and other members of Team Europe and colleagues at the Embassy and Consulates, to identify, develop and help deliver incremental investment from existing German investors
- Work closely with trade development colleagues in Wales to provide information and guidance for Welsh exporters, including advice on local trading conditions, market access and other market intelligence, key sector contacts, and bespoke research
- Manage information across the WG’s activities in Germany, by logging and updating budgets, business cases, reports and FDI project pipelines
- Work with trade development colleagues to help organise and deliver trade missions, liaising with UK Government networks, as well as local trade organisations and groups as appropriate
- Attend and speak at conferences, events and seminars that offer opportunities to promote Wales as a business-friendly location, sharing feedback and intelligence with appropriate contacts in Wales and across the WG overseas network
- Support and/or lead on bespoke events, seminars, Ministerial visits and other PR activity to promote Wales and the Welsh Government across Germany
- Manage a wide range of tasks at pace, prioritising as appropriate, using initiative in the processing and analysis of information, and determine how work could be progressed, with a clear idea of the bigger picture
Our ideal candidate will have:
- Professional proficiency in English and German (minimum C1 level as per CEFR framework)
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field - A minimum of 5-8 years professional experience in an international environment, preferably with a proven track record of fostering strong business (and other) relationships
- Familiarity with current economic, political and cultural context in Wales, the UK and Germany
Knowledge of the business environments in Wales, the UK and Germany - Ability to act as a credible representative for the WG in a wide range of public settings
- Ability to engage with companies/organisations at a senior level
Excellent information management and communication skills
Strong networking skills - Complete proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, as well as social media networks
- Ability to undertake occasional travel within Germany and the UK/Wales as required