View Vacancy - Senior Business Development Manager Duesseldorf, Germany (DEU18.380)

The British Consulate General in Germany is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. The Welsh Government will be establishing a presence at the Consulate for the first time and is now looking for a Senior Business Development Manager (B3L) (m/f) based in Dusseldorf.

The new post offers an exciting opportunity to deliver tangible economic benefits to Wales while working in the dynamic German business environment.

The primary purpose of the post is to provide support to the Head of Germany (who is based in Berlin) in delivering Welsh government objectives with a strong focus on the business agenda. The post holder will be located primarly in the British Consulate in Dusseldorf, but there will be a requirement for regular travel across Germany to deliver post`s objectives.

The post holder will be part of the wider Welsh Government Overseas team, which has a presence in the USA, Canada, India, China, Japan, Dubai, Belgium and Ireland.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will identify and develop new foreign direct investment and trade opportunities in the Dusseldorf region through pro-active business development and lead generation activities involving direct contact with decision makers of companies, intermediaries and other networks and can effectively result in new business being secured for Wales.

• They will be instrumental in the development of effective strategies, FDI target lists and marketing propositions alongside the Wales based Major Projects team and the Sector teams. Outputs will positively result in the identification of quality leads, business networks and inward investment opportunities.
• They will work closely with trade development colleagues in Wales in the identification of trading opportunities, in providing information and guidance for Welsh businesses on issues such as local trading conditions and in organising and delivering trade missions to target markets.
• The postholder will also have responsibility for representing the Welsh Government and furthering Welsh Government interests in all areas of devolved policy, including academic collaboration, strengthening governmental ties between Wales and Germany, and other profile raising initiatives, inculding the promotion of Welsh Government activity on social media channels.
• Regular engagement with senior staff in corporations, intermediaries and wider networks will be required, with the postholder developing high level contacts across the key markets. Establishment of close woking relationship with DIT will be particularly important.
• The incumbent will also work with trade development colleagues to help organise and deliver trade missions to target markets, liasing with Department of International Trade (DIT), local trade organisations and groups, hotels and other organisations as appropriate.
• They will undertake an annual and ongoing comprehensive and expansive sector and market analysis which should be outline the business approach to be adopted, growth areas, company targeting and methodology, events and shows to ensure that operational targets are met and exceeded. It should include a focused activity plan.
• They will be required to develop a thorough understanding of the business issues, dynamics, drivers and trends in Germany, and to understand how these factors impact on inward investment and trade market, opportunities within it and the approach needed in Germany in order to achieve success.
• The postholder will need to prepare and present professional sales propositions to clients which positively influence decision makers of identified targeted companies to invest in Wales.
• They will need to provide appropriate business intelligence and feedback to colleagues in Wales on sector specific developments, regional opportunities, product weaknesses and shortfalls in order to maximise the effectiveness and marketing message of Wales to potential inward investment and trade leads.
• The postholder will attend appropriate conferences, events and seminars which support the continued personal development of the main business dynamics, drivers and trends across Germany.
• The will jointly coordinate the preparation of an effective marketing/awareness programme in Germany. In association with colleagues in Germany and Wales, they will identify high profile marketing events/opportunities which can raise the profile of Wales and improve the delivery of quality leads, enquiries and projects from Gemany.

• University degree in a relevant subject or supported by equivalent professional experience in business development;
• Good communication and strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to network with a range of stakeholder and the confidence to build business relationships at a senior level;
• Must be a team player and be able to demonstrate ability to work within a small immediate team and a larger virtual team;
• Able to demonstrate the ability to quickly understand essential components of the Welsh Economy, its priority sectors and Welsh Government´s International Strategy
• Evidence of being a self-starter with the ability to juggle a broad range of tasks whilst maintaining a clear focus on delivery;
• A good knowledge of Dusseldorf region and Germany's business environment;
• Proficient German and English (both written and spoken, minimum of C2 level for CEFR framework*)
• Capability to think strategically;
• IT literacy (particularly MS Office tools);
• Social Media literacy

* 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.