Director Government Affairs (m/f/d), Frankfurt or Berlin

At American Express, we know that with the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. Whether we’re supporting our customers’ financial confidence to move ahead, taking commerce to new heights, or encouraging people to explore the world, our colleagues are constantly redefining what’s possible - and we’re proud to back each other every step of the way.

When you join #TeamAmex, you become part of a diverse community of over 60,000 colleagues, all with a common goal to deliver an exceptional customer experience every day.

Join #TeamAmex and let’s lead the way together.

The role

If you are an experienced Government Affairs professional, we have a great opportunity for you to take on a newly created role in Germany. You could be either based in Frankfurt or Berlin.

You will be responsible for managing American Express’ engagement with policymakers and other stakeholders.

Germany is an important country for American Express, with a large and successful local consumer and corporate business. We are looking for a person experienced in working in, or engaging with, German institutions (e.g., BaFin, BMF) to develop the local Government Affairs function. In addition to the focus on Germany, the person will also have regional responsibilities for other key central European jurisdictions such as Austria and for contributing to the broader EMEA Government Affairs strategy.

Your Key Responsibilities:

1) Support American Express’ advocacy strategy in Germany

• Support business leaders’ engagement with policymakers and other key stakeholders
• Develop policy positions on key issues and make them relevant and compelling to stakeholders by conducting research, preparing communication materials, hosting events, etc.
• Build relationships with policymakers, including with the administration (e.g. BMF), Parliament, and with the policy and strategy teams of BaFin, the Bundesbank and other regulatory bodies.
• Build relationships with key third parties who influence the policymaking process, including consumer groups, merchant groups and other actors related to payments and financial regulation (e.g. Bitkom).
• Monitor developments in national policy related to payments and other areas which may impact the American Express business.
• Coordinate with local management, General Counsel Office, Communications and regional Government Affairs.
• Manage external agencies which support American Express on Government Affairs.

2) Support engagement with policymakers in other countries in Central Europe as needed

• Work with regional Government Affairs to monitor developments and engage policymakers in countries where there is no local business or a dedicated American Express Government Affairs professional (e.g. Austria, Hungary, etc.).

3) Leverage media and communications to increase impact of advocacy

• Support key business leaders’ digital engagement with policymakers and industry and develop communication tools on policy issues to increase impact and help shape the debate in Germany on payments.
• Collaborate with Public Affairs & Communications to build a positive reputation with policymakers and other stakeholders.

Your Skills & Experience:

• 3+ years experience in government affairs in Germany, ideally with experience of working in one of the main national institutions.
• Experience of financial regulation, ideally related to payments.
• Native German skills required
• Fluency in English. Other languages an asset.
• Track record of running effective advocacy campaigns to deliver changes in policy

Why American Express?

Talk to our people and you’ll find out what we’re really all about. Open, creative, risk-taking, collaborative and innovative are just some of the expressions you’ll hear. It’s our culture that makes Amex an outstanding place to work. So if you’re ready to take on a challenge and make an impact, you owe it to yourself to launch or grow your career here.