The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.
The British Consulate in Düsseldorf is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. It is also part of the UK’s Germany Network. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a UK Government department which helps build an appetite for British goods and services globally, promotes and finances international trade and investment, and champions global free trade. DBT at the British Consulate in Düsseldorf is currently looking for a Head of Professional and Business Services (PBS).
This is a new role that will lead the development and delivery of PBS for DBT in Germany and will predominantly focus on supporting commercial export opportunities from the UK, requiring significant links into PBS markets/ buyers in Germany. The role will also have responsibility for managing the established International Markets team (based in Düsseldorf and Munich), which has a particular focus on supporting Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) export from the UK across all sectors, the teams also work closely with colleagues in our International Markets Trade Hub based in Prague.
Why you should apply:
Are you passionate about international trade?
Would you like to make an impact in a fast-moving, high-profile international environment?
Are you interested in working on a new business area and developing a plan for Professional and Business Services for DBT Germany across DBT 4 Pillars (Trade, Investment, Market access and Policy)?
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 on Operations, 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:
PBS are a critical component of the UK economy, representing around 11% of UK Gross Value Added (GVA), employing over 5 million people, generating £277 billion in turnover, and exporting services worth over £125 billion.
The UK has significant global comparative advantage in professional and business services being the world’s second largest exporter, with a global market forecast to grow dramatically through to 2030. The UK is also HQ for 3 of the Big 4 professional services firms; home to five of the world’s 15 top law firms with English law used in 40% of all global corporate arbitrations.
SMEs are crucial to the UK and represent 99.8% of the business population. Their impact extends beyond national-level statistics, as they also play a vital role in local communities by providing jobs and supporting town and city centers.
Role Overview:
The Head of Professional and Business Services leads the UK Government’s efforts to significantly enhance the export of professional and business services from the UK to Germany. The PBS sector includes legal services, accountancy, consultancy, marketing, architecture, engineering, and related sectors.
Recognised as one of the high-growth sectors in the UK Government’s strategic trade priorities, PBS plays a central role in driving innovation, high-skilled employment, and economic resilience. DBT has committed to deepening international demand for these services and levelling up regional participation in PBS trade.
This strategically important senior role will drive commercially-focused initiatives, leveraging deep networks and industry-specific expertise to proactively identify, develop, and maximize commercial opportunities within the German market. The role is critical to advancing the UK’s strategic economic and trade objectives in Germany, requiring an individual who is commercially astute, strategically proactive, and adept at navigating complex international environments. In addition to export promotion activities, the role includes leading a small team dedicated to supporting UK SMEs in exporting their services successfully. This team act as the key point of contact for the Head of Trade at the Embassy supporting the DBT trade team on matters related to the triage of export enquiries and the wider DBT Export Support Eco-system. They also provide expert guidance and support to sectoral teams in Germany , helping them determine the best ways to assist exporters through DBT Export Support Service.
To deliver on these goals, your key responsibilities:
Commercial Leadership and Export Promotion (70%)
- Develop and implement targeted, strategic plans to increase UK professional and business services exports to Germany.
- Conduct detailed market analysis to identify growth sectors, emerging market trends, and competitor positioning.
- Identify market access barriers, advocate proactively for policy changes, and develop strategies to navigate and mitigate these barriers.
- Design best practice approaches to services tenders or common market access issues that occur across services in different sectors
Support other sector teams to identify higher value services market access barriers and higher value services opportunities - Foster and maintain robust industry networks across Germany and the EU, securing partnerships and strategic alliances to boost trade.
- Act as the primary representative of DBT and the UK Government at high-profile industry events, sector-specific conferences, and official bilateral engagements.
- Provide expert strategic advice to UK businesses, guiding and facilitating their entry and sustainable expansion within the German market.
SME Export Team Leadership (30%)
- Lead, motivate, and manage a specialist team dedicated to delivering tailored export support to UK SMEs.
- Oversee the development and execution of innovative export programs, training initiatives, and advisory services designed specifically for SMEs.
- Establish clear and measurable performance objectives for the SME support team, monitoring outcomes and continuously driving improvements in service delivery and export results.
- Ensure seamless collaboration with wider DBT teams, other UK government departments, and local German stakeholders to leverage collective resources and maximize effectiveness.
Our ideal candidate has:
- Fluency at C1 level in German and English, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
- Extensive senior-level commercial experience in or with professional and business services, demonstrating a clear track record of driving successful commercial outcomes.
- Well-established network of influential industry contacts within Germany’s professional and business services market.
- Comprehensive understanding of German market dynamics, regulatory frameworks, business culture, and bilateral and EU trade environment.
- Proven leadership capabilities, with substantial experience managing, developing, and mentoring high-performing teams.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills, with strong capabilities in communication, relationship-building, and strategic influence.
Good to have:
- Prior experience working in international environments, with UK business or trade promotion organizations.
- Demonstrated experience in delivering measurable results against commercial targets and KPIs.
Changing and Improving, Communicating and Influencing, Leadership, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture