Department Head

SEARCH THIS POSITION Department of Business and Minerals

The Department of Business and Minerals is seeking an experienced and strategically strong department head for the Business and Trade Department. The position is central to the development of the framework conditions for business in Greenland and involves close collaboration with the Naalakkersuisut, other departments, municipalities, the business community, as well as national and international partners.

About the department

The Business and Trade Department handles the operational and departmental tasks related to the preparation and management of business legislation. In addition, the department is responsible for the analytical work concerning the framework conditions for industries, including tourism, ice and water, as well as trade.

The department works with business promotion and the development of Greenlandic businesses. Furthermore, the department is responsible for coordinating industrial projects and large-scale projects in collaboration with other relevant stakeholders.

As the department works closely with political decision-makers, ministerial support and follow-up on the Naalakkersuisut's political objectives as well as the decisions of the Inatsisartut constitute a significant part of the task execution.

The Business and Trade Department is organizationally divided into two offices, each with its own office manager. In addition, the department has a total of 10 caseworkers. As the department head, you have the overall responsibility for management, coordination, and prioritization across the offices. Emphasis is placed on a delegating and inclusive leadership style that can motivate employees and optimize processes.

Department's areas of work

The Office for Business Development and Entrepreneurship

• Tourism: Development of a new tourism strategy and tourism law, as well as administration of tourism concessions.
• Business promotion: Development and strengthening of framework conditions and concrete initiatives that support the growth of the business community – including in rural areas.
• Export permits: Issuance of export permits for the commercial export of Greenlandic goods.
• Service agreements: Case processing and follow-up on service agreements, including agreements with Great Greenland, Nalik Ventures, Visit Greenland, and agreements on decentralized business promotion.
• Ice and water: Case processing of applications and licenses as well as development of a new ice and water strategy focusing on exports.
• Genetic resources: Case processing and follow-up on applications regarding research and export of genetic resources with a focus on sustainability and fair benefit-sharing.

• Trade policy: Development of Greenland's trade policy framework
• Trade agreements: Responsibility for negotiating and drafting trade agreements
• Joint Committee: Greenlandic participation in joint committee cooperation with the USA focusing on trade, investments, and tourism.
• Marketing and business promotion: Participation in national and international marketing and export initiatives.
• Nordic and EU-oriented cooperation: Participation in Nordic officials' committees as well as the EU's Interreg NPA program.
• Investment screening: Development and implementation of frameworks for investment screening as well as case processing of specific screening cases.

As the department head, you have the overall professional, personnel, and financial responsibility for the department. You must ensure high quality in political proposals, strategies, and decision-making bases, as well as actively contribute to the Government of Greenland's business and trade policy priorities. The position involves extensive collaboration and representation both nationally and internationally.

As department head, you are also responsible for ensuring high quality in the department's legislative preparatory work and legal assessments. You do not need to be a lawyer yourself, but you must be able to set direction, prioritize, and ensure legally sound solutions in close collaboration with subject matter experts and relevant partners.

Professional and managerial requirements

It is required that the department head is an experienced leader with strong management skills as well as a deep understanding of and experience with public administration, politically governed organizations, and financial management. Emphasis is placed on:

• Relevant higher education
• Solid leadership experience and understanding of politically governed organizations
• Strong analytical and strategic competencies
• Ability to translate political objectives into concrete action and management
• Good collaboration skills and impact.

We offer

• An exciting and influential leadership position in the Government of Greenland.
• Opportunity to influence the development of business and trade in Greenland
• A high professional environment with dedicated and competent employees.
• Salary and employment conditions according to the applicable agreement for managers in the Government of Greenland.

The position is currently salary-fixed corresponding to 38. The salary with fixed salary components and the employee's contribution to the pension in LR 38 amounts to DKK 64,048 monthly and DKK 768,576 annually as of April 1, 2026.

Employment will initially be on collective agreement terms, where applicants who are already civil servants under the civil service laws for public Greenland may be employed on civil servant terms.

For the position, it applies that no maximum length of service has been established and that the provisions regarding compensation for overtime and the provisions regarding compensation for lost days off do not apply; the working hours are initially 40 hours per week.

Salary and employment conditions, including the right to relocation and moving expenses, in accordance with the collective agreement in force at the time of commencement between the Government of Greenland and the relevant negotiating organization.

Housing

No staff housing is provided for the position. If an applicant already has staff housing through employment in the Self-Government, the right to the assigned staff housing is retained. The staff housing is linked to the employment relationship and must be vacated upon the termination of the employment relationship.

Submit your application, CV, educational and course certificates, as well as other relevant documents by clicking "Send application."

We do not accept applications via email.