Head of Public Affairs Spain

Maersk; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

APM Terminals in Barcelona seeks an experienced public affairs leader to develop and execute strategies that support investments and infrastructure priorities. You will interact with national and regional governments, regulators, and industry groups to shape policy and business opportunities.

The role requires 10-15+ years in public affairs, fluent English and Spanish (Catalan preferred), and a master's degree in a related field.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience in public affairs or government relations.
• Fluent in English and Spanish; Catalan strongly preferred.
• Master's degree in public policy, economics, political science or related field.
• Experience in multinational company, consultancy or public institution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute public affairs and advocacy strategies supporting investments, port concessions, and infrastructure priorities.
• Monitor political, regulatory, labour, and geopolitical developments and translate them into actionable insights.
• Build trusted relationships with national, regional, and local governments, regulators and industry stakeholders.
• Advise senior leadership on stakeholder dynamics, policy risks, and opportunities affecting licences to operate.
• Shape positioning on ports as critical infrastructure including decarbonisation and resilience.
• Coordinate engagement across Spain and neighboring markets with regional Public Affairs teams.

Skills

Public affairs

Government relations

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Regulatory strategy

Education

Master's degree in public policy or related field

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.

#LI-POST #PublicAffairs #GovernmentRelations #APMTerminals #Maersk #GlobalTrade

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.

At APM Terminals, we are a team of over 20,000 employees spread across more than 60 countries united by a passion to provide our expertise in port operations and container management services. By providing the expertise and port infrastructure essential to world trade, we actively support the advancement of the societies around us, enabling local economies to unlock their potential and build an even stronger global community.

Working with a team of talented professionals you will get a chance to experience different cultures and make friends all over the world. You'll find a culturally diverse, stimulating environment at any of our offices, terminals or depots. When you join APM Terminals, the world is your workplace. APM Terminals is an independent business unit within the Danish Maersk Group - a Global Fortune 500 company with about 89,000 employees and offices in 130 countries with global growth opportunities in a range of fields from shipping and energy to our offshore and manufacturing industries - Join us to achieve even your most ambitious career goals!