Economic and Financial Policy Officer

The British Embassy in Berlin is part of a world-wide network, representing British political, economic and consular interests overseas. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Economic and Financial Policy Officer based in Berlin.

Main Purpose of Job:

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 / 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.

Essential Experience, Skills and requirements

• 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).

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience

• 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;

Additional information 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 bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your languages skills are going to be assessed.

Please note that we can only accept applications submitted through the FCO‘s recruitment platform. 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.