View Vacancy - Business Development Manager – Automotive & Advanced Engineering (DEU18.605)

The British Consulate-General in Munich is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking for a Business Development Manager – Automotive & Advanced Engineering to be part of the Department for International Trade (DIT) team based in Munich.

The economic relationship with Europe is a fundamental building block of the UK’s national prosperity. The UK exports £37 billion worth of goods and services to Germany each year making it the country’s most important export destination. The UK is also the most attractive inward investment market in Europe, with European companies accounting for 49.4% of total Foreign Direct Investment in the UK. In March 2019 the UK will leave the European Union, and while the economic relationship will remain a priority for both the UK and the EU, the UK will need to embrace new ways of working and seize new opportunities. The Department of International Trade (DIT), supported by its European Regional Trade Plan and the British Government’s new Industrial Strategy, has placed attracting inward investment and increasing exports as a share of GDP at the very top of our priorities in the region.

This exciting job offers the opportunity to work at the heart of the UK’s post-EU Exit strategy to promote inward investment and boost exports in the automotive and advanced engineering sectors. Working across Government and in partnership with a growing UK diplomatic network in Germany, you will support the relevant sector leads in growing exports from the UK to Germany as well as growing investment into the UK. This involves supporting and/or managing exciting and innovative projects as well as working with the sector lead to advise and assist potential exporters and investors on taking advantage of opportunities in Germany or the UK.

The job offers much autonomy and freedom to influence the work of the team in line with an agreed business plan, as well as manage your own companies and events. The challenges of Brexit make the work both more important and more interesting. You will work as part of a friendly and supportive team in Munich and a wider network across Europe, with regular opportunities to travel. You will also be encouraged to play an active role in the corporate life of the Consulate and Germany network and you may be asked to undertake other duties commensurate with your grade. You will also contribute to the UK’s approach to enhancing its relationship with the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

Roles and responsibilities:

To be successful in this role you will need to manage two principal areas of responsibility:

1) Business Engagement

 To support the DIT trade and investment teams achieve their goals with business engagement. This includes:

• Organise dedicated business events, roundtables, bilateral company meetings and senior diplomatic visits;
• Carry out targeted market research and event organisation for UK companies;
• Create new opportunities for UK companies to attract German buyers;
• Make first contact with potential new investors;
• Support the management of Key Accounts in Trade and Investment;
• Identify new platforms and methods to engage with the DITs target audience;
• Work with teams to provide input on trade policy imperatives, including gaining insight through interaction with UK and German businesses;
• Proactively bring new suggestions to sector leads on how to increase DIT Munich’s impact with UK companies and German investors;

2) Market and Company Research:

To support the DIT trade and investment team leads in researching, developing and managing their sector portfolios around automotive, advanced engineering and manufacturing. This involves:

• Market research and scoping activities with a focus on cross-cutting themes around Future Mobility and Industry 4.0.;
• Compile sector and company briefings for senior diplomats;
• Identifying companies that fit with the sectors teams key focus themes;
• Generating business intelligence using databases and liaising with internal and external stakeholders to source new investment and export leads;
• Project management and engagement of virtual team members in Germany and the UK;
• Closely collaborating with teams ensuring the trade and investment pipeline on the CRM system is up to date;

• Proficiency in English and German (written and spoken, minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework*);
• Have or in process of completing University-level or equivalent professional qualification;
• First experience in business development (incl. market research);
• Strong interpersonal and team working skills;
• Ability to deliver high quality products to fixed deadlines;
• Ability to handle multiple priorities effectively and flexibly;
• Self-starter, pro-active and collaborative spirit;
• Good IT skills, especially MS Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel;