Lead public affairs and advocacy strategies as Head of Public Affairs Spain for APM Terminals in Barcelona, Spain. This full-time role involves working at the intersection of trade and infrastructure, advising senior leadership, and engaging with key stakeholders.
Requirements
10–15+ years of experience in public affairs, government relations, or public policy.
Master's degree in public policy, economics, political science, or a related field.
Fluent in English and Spanish (Catalan strongly preferred; Portuguese, French, or Arabic advantageous).
Strong knowledge of Spain's national and regional political, regulatory, and stakeholder environment.
Skills & Responsibilities
Public Affairs Strategy: Develop and execute advocacy strategies supporting port concessions and commercial growth.
Stakeholder Engagement: Build trusted relationships with national, regional, and local governments, regulators, and industry associations.
Policy Analysis: Monitor political and regulatory developments to provide actionable business insights and issue-management plans.
Crisis Management: Support operational resilience and employee relations through proactive stakeholder alignment.
Potential transition routes: People from senior government relations, corporate affairs, or public policy consulting roles may bring relevant stakeholder management and advocacy skills, alongside meeting the extensive professional experience and language requirements.
Job description
Location: Barcelona, Spain
At APM Terminals, a global leader in port and terminal operations, we enable global trade and drive sustainable growth. What drives us forward is a mindset of always improving — observing how work happens, identifying what creates value, and removing what gets in the way. We constantly look for smarter, simpler, and safer ways of operating. If you thrive in environments where people value learning and are committed to continuously improve daily operations, join us and be a part of our journey.Maersk is a global leader in integrated logistics and has been industry pioneers for over a century. Through innovation and transformation, we are redefining the boundaries of possibility, continuously setting new standards for efficiency, sustainability, and excellence.At Maersk, we believe in the power of diversity, collaboration, and continuous learning, and we work hard to ensure that the people in our organisation reflect and understand the customers we exist to serve.With over 100,000 employees across 130 countries, we work together to shape the future of global trade and logistics. Join us as we harness cutting-edge technologies and unlock opportunities on a global scale. Together, let's sail towards a brighter, more sustainable future with Maersk.
What We Can Offer
At APM Terminals, we foster a dynamic learning and training culture that empowers our employees to excel. Our commitment to improvement means every team member has the opportunity to develop their skills and advance their careers by continuously refining how we work. Experience a diverse, multinational workplace where your operational insights directly influence how we work.This is an exciting career opportunity to work in a multinational, Global 500 company that makes global trade happen. You will be interacting daily with colleagues internationally, giving you the opportunity to develop your professional skills in a global environment. We provide support for you to shape your own career by achieving expertise and learning on the job.
Work at the intersection of trade, infrastructure and geopolitics, supporting strategically important markets.
Collaborate with local, regional and global leaders across Public Affairs, operations, legal, communications and employee relations.
Apply digital and AI-enabled intelligence tools responsibly to improve policy analysis, stakeholder mapping and risk identification.
Develop your expertise through international collaboration and exposure to complex investment, regulatory and operational priorities.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and execute public affairs and advocacy strategies supporting investments, port concessions, infrastructure priorities and commercial growth.
Monitor political, regulatory, labour and geopolitical developments, translating them into actionable business insights and issue-management plans.
Build trusted relationships with national, regional and local governments, port authorities, regulators, industry associations and community stakeholders.
Advise senior leadership on stakeholder dynamics, policy risks, commercial opportunities and emerging issues affecting the licence to operate.
Shape positioning on ports as critical infrastructure, including competitiveness, automation, resilience and decarbonisation.
Coordinate engagement across Spain and neighbouring priority markets, working closely with Maersk, APM Terminals and regional Public Affairs teams.
Support crisis management, employee relations, community engagement and operational resilience through proactive stakeholder alignment.
What We Are Looking For
Continuous improvement mindset: we are looking for someone who brings a thoughtful improvement mindset—curious about how work gets done and motivated to make meaningful, sustainable improvements over time.
Leadership expectation: We are looking for people who consistently put customers first, lead by example with respect for people, deliver results with integrity, and drive continuous improvement by solving problems at the root, developing people, and raising standards every day.
Bring 10–15+ years of experience in public affairs, government relations or public policy within a multinational company, consultancy or public institution.
Demonstrate strong knowledge of Spain’s national and regional political, regulatory, labour and stakeholder environment.
Show proven expertise in advocacy, policy analysis, regulatory strategy and influencing decision-making without formal authority.
Hold a master’s degree in public policy, economics, political science or a related field.
Communicate fluently in English and Spanish. Catalan is strongly preferred; Portuguese, French or Arabic would be an advantage.
Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.
We are happy to support your need for any adjustments during the application and hiring process. If you need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website, apply for a position, or to perform a job, please contact us by emailing accommodationrequests@maersk.com.
