View Vacancy - Trade Policy Officer (DEU20.221)

Note: Due to COVID-19, you may experience some delay in the progress of this recruitment campaign. We are working hard to minimise any disruption. You may find more information in the Additional Information section below.

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 a Trade Policy Officer to be part of the Department for International Trade (DIT) team in Germany.

DIT has overall responsibility for promoting UK trade across the world and attracting foreign investment to the UK. We are a specialised Government body with responsibility for negotiating international trade policy, supporting business, as well as delivering an outward-looking trade diplomacy strategy.

The UK and Germany are long-standing trade and investment partners. This is a new and demanding position and the combination of the economic and political backdrop offers the right candidate an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping and delivering DIT strategy in one of our biggest and most important markets.

As Trade Policy Officer, the jobholder will be required to build and maintain a network of contacts in Berlin, attend events and provide reports and analysis to colleagues in Berlin and London. The core objective is to undertake reporting and analysis on German trade policy based on knowledge of the broader economic and political issues involved. The jobholder will need to be proactive in identifying policy developments of interest to colleagues in London and providing timely reporting and analysis on these, in addition to responding to varying requests.

What will be your key responsibilities?

Analysis:

• Identify and monitor key developments in German economic and trade policy with a potential impact on UK interests, in particular policy towards the European Union and Germany’s key trading partners (such as the US and China);
• Provide value added policy intelligence and analysis on key sectors and risks and opportunities for future trade;
• Respond to specific requests on the policy and administration of German trade policy to strengthen UK policy-making by providing evidence from the German experience.

Reporting:

• Use analysis to develop evidence-based reporting and formulate recommendations on strategy for senior management at the Embassy and policy leads at the Department for International Trade (DIT) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Stakeholder engagement:

• Build and maintain excellent relationships with a network of contacts across Ministries, Parliament, think tanks, industry and academia to support UK policy objectives;
• Maintain relationships with stakeholders in London as well as colleagues in the Economic and Political team in Berlin and DIT HQ.

Other tasks:

• Any other duties that may reasonably be required and which are in accordance with the grading and core competencies of the job.

• Proficient in English and German (both written and spoken, minimum of C2 level according to the CEFR framework*);
• University degree in relevant field (economics, law, international relations etc.);
• Minimum of 2 years of previous commercial/economic and/or policy experience;
• In depth knowledge of the German and UK business environments;
• Strong project management experience;
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills;
• Ability to work under pressure and juggle multiple priorities effectively;
• Strong analytical and research skills, especially quantitative skills;
• Ability to work well on own initiative;
• Good IT skills, especially Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Outlook;
• Flexibility to travel to the UK or other Post if necessary.