View Vacancy - Economic and Financial Policy Officer (DEU18.564)
The British Embassy in Germany is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas and is now looking for an Economic and Financial Policy based in Berlin.
The successful applicant will become part of the British Government’s presence in Germany, supporting their work. Germany is the UK’s main economic partner in Europe and the bilateral relationship with Germany will continue to be one of the most important. The Embassy supports this relationship by providing high quality advice on economic and finance policy developments in Germany; by identifying and explaining German interests in preparation of bilateral and multilateral meetings; and by lobbying in favour of UK interests. The jobholder will contribute to this work, in particular by providing expert economic advice.
The jobholder will be required to build and maintain a wide network of contacts in Berlin, attend events and provide reports and analysis to colleagues in Berlin and London. The essential objective will be to provide reporting insight which goes beyond what is available from a simple news and statistical reporting service and can explain and predict events based on knowledge of the broader economic and political issues involved. The jobholder will need to be proactive in identifying economic developments of interest to colleagues in London and providing timely reporting and analysis on these, in addition to responding to varying requests. Key issues include Euro area governance, tax policy, customs policy and trade, but it is expected that the job holder will also be called on to provide occasional specialist economic and statistical advice to others in the Germany network on subjects including foreign policy, environment and Brexit. They will also be required to take on other tasks and roles as required. The incumbent will report to the 1st Secretary, Economic and Global Issues, and will need to work closely with colleagues in the EU and Economic Team, as well as the EU/Economic Counsellor and Ambassador.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
- Identify and monitor key developments in German economic and financial policy with a potential impact on UK interests, in particular policy towards the European Union and the Eurozone;
- Provide background and identify German interests in preparation of multilateral meetings, in particular ECOFIN;
- Explain British economic and financial policies to German government officials;
- Respond to specific requests on the policy and administration of German fiscal policy (including taxation) to strengthen UK policy-making by providing evidence from the German experience;
- Produce economic briefings on Germany and the British-German economic relationship for bilateral meetings and high level visits to Berlin;
- Generate and maintain a wide network of contacts in Berlin in Ministries, Parliament, financial institutions, industry and academia;
- Maintain relationships with stakeholders in London in particular HM Treasury, Foreign Office and DIT; with colleagues in the Germany network, in particular colleagues in the Economic Team in Berlin and DIT;
- Contribute to achieving the wider objectives of the British Government's Germany network and supporting its positive working environment.
- University degree or equivalent professional experience in political economy, economics or finance;
- Strong influencing, communicating and networking skills;
- Ability to work as part of a team;
- Ability to produce clear and concise reports for different types of audiences;
- Capability to think strategically; sound judgement and problem solving skills;
- Aptitude to analyse and process complex information quickly;
- Ability to work on multiple tasks under pressure and meet deadlines;
- Proficient German and English;
- IT literacy (particularly MS Office tools).
- Previous experience working in a Government Ministry or an Embassy in the field of economics or financial policy.
- 2+ years professional experience working on economics/ politics issues;
This is a full-time position of five working days 37.5 hours net (excluding unpaid breaks) per week, for an initial contract period of one year, which may be extended by mutual agreement.
The British Embassy in Berlin has a strong ethos of Learning and Development, including our Learning and Development Week. In addition, there will be many opportunities to attend external seminars and events on relevant issues. This is in addition to the induction programme offered to all Embassy staff.
The successful applicant will be encouraged to be actively involved in the corporate life of the Embassy, contributing to the wider objectives of the British Government’s Germany network and supporting the Embassy’s positive working environment.
Visa/passport requirements: the successful applicant must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Germany and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.
The successful candidate will be subject to professional background check and security clearance.
All applicants should have the right to live and work in Germany. The successful candidate must have pre-existing work authorization for Germany in order to apply. The British Embassy does not sponsor for work permits.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Germany are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local German employment law.
* Please note Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment indicates Level C2 as Mastery or proficiency Level which comprehends that a person can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read; can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation; can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations. For more information please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your languages skills are going to be assessed.
Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline”. We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.
Please be aware that the deadline for submitting applications is considered to be the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.
Please be advised that the British Embassy will not be able to meet the travel costs incurred when travelling to the interview, nor the costs connected with relocation if offered a job.
This opportunity is closed to applications.