The GERMAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE MIDWEST, INC. (GACC MIDWEST), located in Chicago, is looking for a full-time Consultant with 1-3 years of work experience. GACC Midwest is a non-profit organization whose mission is to foster trade and investment between Germany and the US through membership, events, and services. For more information, please visit www.GACCMidwest.org.

Our organization is part of a worldwide network of German Chambers Abroad and we are associated with the German Chamber network (IHK), www.ihk.de and www.dihk.de.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Consultant's role focuses on assisting German clients with their market entry strategy for the U.S. market.

This position will primarily be responsible for the “Virtual Office” service for German and other overseas clients, though will also be responsible for other Market Entry and Business Development services. The core focus is to thoroughly evaluate the clients' interests and needs and translate them into recommended U.S. market entry and expansion activities/strategy.  

Specific responsibilities may include the following:

• handling day-to-day business and inquiries on behalf of clients
• overseeing, defining, and executing strategies to (further) develop client's global expansion and increase market penetration
• gaining an ever-increasing understanding of the clients' products in order to better serve them
• advising clients on activities for expanding their market presence
• developing marketing activities on behalf of clients including but not limited to website, press releases, social media, brochures and special publications
• arranging meetings for the client, including cold outreach to potential partners and customers
• coordinating with local distributors and customers
• researching sales channels, competitors, regulations, trends and potential opportunities for clients
• attending trade shows on behalf of clients
• ensuring phone calls and postal mail are appropriately handled and tracked
• tracking incoming payments from clients' customers
• acting as the “face of the client” in the US and being a general facilitator and troubleshooter for clients' needs, from administrative to strategic
• liaising between client's customers, including answering inquiries and order processing and invoice generation
• other duties as required

The Consultant will be responsible for marketing the virtual office and related services, through both general marketing and PR activities and face-to-face meetings with potential clients.

As part of the GACC Midwest team, the Consultant will also:

• Answer general trade inquiries in English and German
• Support the ongoing activities of GACC Midwest, including participation in GACC Midwest member events, supporting other projects and departments as needed, etc.
• Build and maintain working relationships with key industry partners, organizations, and clients
• Continually increase knowledge of issues and developments in key industries
• Document all relevant communication with partners, clients and members within GACC Midwest's CRM system

Some limited overnight travel is required, usually 2-4 days within the US and possibly 5-7 days in Germany if projects require.

The Consultant should be able to manage assignments across a wide range of industries and technologies (water, automotive, manufacturing & automation, medical devices, software, retail, consumer products, renewable energies, etc.).

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant business or technical field required
• 1 to 3 years of relevant work experience
• Industrial/technical background within a strong international and intercultural context
• Strong English language skills (both written and oral) are required; German language skills are of significant value
• Excellent customer service skills as well as a solid understanding of the U.S. and German business cultures
• Excellent attention to detail with ability to manage multiple projects concurrently
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of responsibility
• Familiarity with industries of importance to GACC Midwest preferred, such as water, manufacturing, automotive, renewable energies, as well as an interest in learning about new technologies
• Self-motivated, highly dedicated, with strong networking skills
• Experience with QuickBooks, PayPal, Google Marketing Tools, WordPress, or similar programs