sequa as Employer
Attractive Jobs
sequa offers jobs at the company headquarters in Bonn and also in the IPD office in Berlin and at various international project locations.Our headquarters in Bonn city center and our Berlin office in the immediate vicinity of Friedrichstrasse station are easily accessible by public transport. As an employer, we provide the Deutschlandticket.
In the 2021 employee survey, our employees confirmed that sequa offers very good working conditions and a pleasant working atmosphere: Almost 100% of employees say that they enjoy coming to work!
Aside from a fair, competitive monthly salary, we offer all our permanent staff a yearly bonus payment, an annually varying wage component, a vacation allowance, capital-forming payments and a company pension scheme.
You can expect flexible working hours, highly variable part-time models, the option of mobile working, 30 days' vacation and, depending on the federal state, two or three additional days off (Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, "Rosenmontag").
Your further development is important to us: we support every employee with a generous training budget. You discuss your development wishes in regular feedback meetings with your manager. We want our employees to stay healthy. That's why we offer preventive healthcare measures and pay subsidies for membership of the Urban Sports Club.
Unfortunately, we cannot consider unsolicited applications.
Are you curious? We look forward to hearing from you!
Fair, social and flexible
Our full-time work week consists of 39 working hours. Part-time employment can be arranged individually, depending on personal circumstances. We do not use time recording systems. All our employees operate on the basis of a “working time on trust” model. The works council represents the interests of our staff.The management and the works council can negotiate works agreements that stipulate identical regulations for all employees. Current works agreements regulate such issues as working hours, partial retirement, information and telecommunication systems, VDU work, one-time payments, further training, feedback interviews, job ticket, salaries.
Strong together
„We achieve our successes as a team“ – this credo is part of our self-image. All employees working on projects for the same customer form a „Client Group”. As a general rule, each employee is part of at least two such groups. This principle facilitates knowledge sharing in the company, keeps work more varied and makes our employees widely deployable. Regular teambuilding activities contribute to a positive, cooperative company culture.
We openly communicate the results of our regular employee surveys to all our staff and discuss them jointly to improve ourselves.
Promoting Development
For all new staff members we organize a thourough induction phase and provide them with a mentor for their first steps in the company. The discussion of individual qualification requirements is an important element of the regular feedback interviews with the line manager.
We cover the costs for further training either in whole or in part, depending on the individual case. The balance on a personal further training account, that is stocked up annually, can be used to finance individual training measures.
sequa worldwide
sequa operates globally. We expect our staff to be willing to go on business trips regularly both in Germany and abroad.
We trust our employees and give them a high degree of personal responsibility.
As a member of the sequa team you will gain a lot of valuable experience in exciting projects worldwide in which you can take an active part.
sequa as Training Company
Sound training with qualification: office management assistant
At our Bonn headquarters, we offer you varied and extensive training that will be profitable and fun for you. As a sequa trainee you have many friendly colleagues who will always be ready to answer your questions. Our headquarters are located in Bonn’s city centre and can be reached easily by public transport.
The office management apprenticeship lasts three years. It covers all commercial-administrative tasks in our areas programme management, project controlling, finance & controlling, human resources and marketing. In addition to a fair training salary, sequa also pays a job ticket and subsidizes various sports activities.
A safe start
Our well-qualified trainers at sequa offer competent instruction and guidance for your career entry. You can gather valuable experience in exciting projects worldwide. Your colleagues will actively involve you in the project work. You will be able to acquire know-how and skills in office administration and organisation. Moreover, you will receive comprehensive training in all business processes and contexts. After your successful graduation you have good prospects of being offered permanent employment.
Apprentice Statement
My name is Benedikt and I was an apprentice for office management at sequa gGmbH from 2015 to 2018.
In the course of my three-year apprenticeship I passed through all departments of the company. During this time I got to know my field of work in a very practical way and from the very beginning I took on tasks on my own responsibility. In so-called "apprentice interviews" I was able to interview my colleagues in order to gain more insight into the diverse projects at sequa.
My main fields of work were accounting, controlling and assistance. Here I was responsible for a wide variety of tasks ranging from formatting contracts, organising events, booking invoices to auditing travel expense reports. At sequa I was trained fairly and supported on my way: For example, I was allowed to take part in a three-week learning stay in London, where I was able to use and significantly improve my English skills.
After the successful completion of my training, I had the opportunity to support sequa as a junior controller while studying for a B.A. degree in economics. Since 2019 I have been employed as a controller in sequa’s project controlling.
Benedikt Grunenberg
Former Apprentice (2015 - 2018)
Internship
For students interested in development cooperation
As a globally operating development organisation, we conduct projects in many different cooperation countries. As an intern at our Bonn headquarters, you will gain a comprehensive view of our demanding business activities as well as of our mode of operation.
Your internship at sequa should last a minimum of two months and a maximum of three months. At the start of the internship you should be at least in your fifth semester. We expect very good spoken and written German and English skills (language level: at least C1) and would be glad about any additional foreign language skills.
Your tasks will range from collaboration in project applications and reporting for various clients to research on economic data and issues of development policy to attending to foreign delegations.
We pay a monthly internship salary of 520 EUR. Your internship comprises 39 hours per week.
Have we aroused your curiosity? Would you like to know more? Then download our Internship Flyer.
As an Intern at sequa
My name is Svenja and I was able to get to know and support the management of programmes and projects at sequa gGmbH during a voluntary internship in spring 2021.
From the first day of my three-month internship, I was involved in projects and tasks and got to know the everyday tasks, but also challenges of project managers in internal meetings, which were conducted via tools such as Teams and Zoom due to the pandemic. In personal meetings, there was always time to ask questions and to get more deeply acquainted with individual topics of development cooperation or the cooperation between sequa, donors and project partners.
My tasks were very diverse and exciting, as my colleagues involved me in very different projects. For example, I contributed to the preparation of annual reports, compared target indicators of projects with monitoring evidence and collected, evaluated and adapted suitable references for applications for new projects for the specific case. I accompanied the preparations of a virtual intensive training in Asia, took care of the social media presence of mobility programmes and searched for experts for short-term assignments and accompanied the further recruitment process.
For me, the internship was a great enrichment and a valuable, very practical addition to my studies. I was able to learn a lot through the collegial working atmosphere.
Short-term sourcing expert(s) in South Africa (m/f/d)
sequa gGmbH is a globally operating non-profit development organisation. Since 1991 sequa has carried out programmes and projects of international cooperation in close collaboration with the German private sector. sequa offers know-how and long-term experience in capacity development for chambers and associations (BMOs), vocational education and training, private sector development and trade promotion. The organisation is based in Bonn, Germany. sequa employs more than 100 persons (2023) and reported a turnover of EUR 71 m in 2022.
The Project
In close cooperation with the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) sequa gGmbH is implementing the project Import Promotion Desk (“IPD” or the “project“). It is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The project started with its initial phase on October 1st, 2012. Beginning on July 1st, 2021, it is active in its fourth project phase. This phase will last until December 31st, 2024. An extension of the project duration by further three years is expected.
The IPD aims to facilitate and to sustainably increase imports from developing and emerging countries to Europe. Likewise, itcontributes to strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to building sustainable economic structures in the partner countries. At the same time, new or alternative sourcing opportunities and contacts are being offered to German and other European importers.
Several analyses have been carried out to determine the demand for imports from developing and emerging countries to Europe for different sectors (currently: fresh fruits & vegetables, natural ingredients, cut flowers, sustainable tourism, sustainable fish & seafood and IT-Outsourcing). Based on these results, the IPD is working in the following partner countries: Brazil, Colombia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
IPD’s core team is based in Bonn and Berlin (Germany). Regional hubs are located in Quito (Ecuador), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Casablanca (Morocco), Nairobi (Kenya), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
Your Tasks / Responsibilities
- Sourcing missions: Support IPD’s “Experts Sourcing + Markets” in the preparation, organisation, and implementation of sourcing missions in South Africa. Goals of these missions are to find, evaluate and select suitable exporters for the IPD program in the cut flowers and/or natural ingredients sectors via virtual discussions and onsite visits. Main tasks of the consultant will be to search for suitable companies, and coordinate the visits, of visits as well as the logistics.
- Coordination of trainings for exporters: Coordinate and support the Expert Sourcing + Markets in planning activities for exporters including trainings in relevant topics related to the EU market (quality, marketing, technical information regarding products and processes);
- Cooperation with Business Support Organizations (BSOs) BSOs): Coordinate and exchange with relevant sector BSOs in South Africa
- Documentation and monitoring of activities
Your Qualification / Skills
- Excellent knowledge of agricultural production in South Africa: At least 5 years of practical experience in consultancy, trade promotion or sector development within the South African agroindustry;
- Strong organisational skills;
- Own network within the cut flower and/or natural ingredient sectors in South Africa is a strong asset;
- Practical sector-specific experience in cut flowers and/or natural ingredients; experience with audits for common certifications, knowledge of quality and other requirements in the European market is an asset;
- Long-term experience in implementing sector strategies in developing countries;
- Willingness to work as part of a team with various stakeholders and partners under complex conditions;
- Capability and flexibility to use various tools (e.g. CRM, MS Teams, Zoom, OneDrive, GetFeedback) and willingness to apply the respective associated usage guidelines;
- Excellent command of written and spoken English;
- Strong communication and presentation skills;
- No conflict of interest with partner organisations (e.g. German sector associations, other import promotion programs) and other target groups (e.g. German/European importers or exporters of IPD partner countries).
Please send us a cover letter, your CV, your suggested daily rate, and relevant resumes.
Subject to comparable qualification, handicapped persons will be preferred.
Please send your application by no later than February 6, 2024 to Dr Andreas Gemählich :E-Mail
Short-term international expert in the IT-Outsourcing sector (m/f/d)
sequa gGmbH is a globally operating non-profit development organisation. Since 1991 sequa has carried out programmes and projects of international cooperation in close collaboration with the German private sector. sequa offers know-how and long-term experience in capacity development for chambers and associations (BMOs), vocational education and training, private sector development and trade promotion. The organisation is based in Bonn, Germany. sequa employs more than 100 persons (2023) and reported a turnover of EUR 71 m in 2022.
The Project
In close cooperation with the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) sequa gGmbH is implementing the project Import Promotion Desk (“IPD” or the “project“). It is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022.
The IPD aims to facilitate and to sustainably increase imports from developing and emerging countries to Europe. Likewise, it contributes to strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to building sustainable economic structures in the partner countries. At the same time, new or alternative sourcing opportunities and contacts are being offered to European importers.
Several analyses have been carried out to determine the demand for imports from developing and emerging countries to Europe for different sectors (currently: fresh fruits & vegetables, natural ingredients, cut flowers, sustainable tourism, sustainable fish & seafood and IT-Outsourcing). Based on these results, the IPD is working in the following partner countries: Brazil, Colombia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
IPD’s core team is based in Bonn and Berlin (Germany). Regional hubs are located in Quito (Ecuador), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Casablanca (Morocco), Nairobi (Kenya), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
Your Tasks / Responsibilities
We are looking for sector experts in one or several of the following areas:
- Sourcing Missions to IPD partner countries: support IPD’s “Experts Sourcing + Markets” in the preparation and implementation of sourcing missions. Goal of these missions are visits and the evaluation of service providers in the ITO sector for the IPD program.
- Coaching of companies: Coach and train exporters in the ITO Sector (virtual, on-site, via IPD learning platform) in relevant topics related to the EU market (quality, marketing, technical information regarding products and processes).
- Matchmaking: Match IPD partner companies with European companies interested in outsourcing IT services or business processes. Acquisition of contacts, promoting of IPD services, selection of suited matchmaking events for participation, preparation of partner companies, accompaniment in business meetings, documentation and monitoring of meetings.
- Follow-up: Carrying out periodic follow-up of companies’ progress and the status of business relationships with European companies.
- Cooperation with Business Support Organizations (BSOs): Implement services for SMEs, with a focus on preparing them for the European market, within local BSOs in the ITO sector, involve BSOs when fitting in IPD’s support activities for SMEs.
Your Qualification, Working Experience and Skills
- At least 10 years of practical sector-specific experience in Europe and/or experience in IPD partner countries;
- Long-term experience in trade promotion between developing countries and Germany / Europe;
- Competent knowledge of the European ITO sector and the demand side, knowledge of quality and other requirements;
- Long-term experience in consulting IT companies, especially in developing and emerging countries;
- Willingness to work as part of a team with various stakeholders and partners under complex conditions; Knowledge of business culture in IPD partner countries;
- Excellent command of written and spoken English, other languages are an advantage (e.g. Spanish, French, Arabic);
- Strong communication and presentation skills;
- Capability and flexibility to use various IT tools (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom, ownCloud, b2match, GetFeedback) and willingness to apply the respective associated usage guidelines;
- Readiness to travel regularly worldwide;
- No conflict of interest against counterparts, partner organisations (e.g. German sector associations, other import promotion programs) and other target groups (e.g. German/European importers or exporters of IPD partner countries).
Please send us your aplication (cover letter, your CV in the EuropeAid format, relevant resumes, and your fee expectation) per E-Mail to Mrs Tabea Mack, E-Mail,
Short-term international expert for matchmaking in the coffee sector (m/f/d)
sequa gGmbH is a globally operating non-profit development organisation. Since 1991 sequa has carried out programmes and projects of international cooperation in close collaboration with the German private sector. sequa offers know-how and long-term experience in capacity development for chambers and associations (BMOs), vocational education and training, private sector development and trade promotion. The organisation is based in Bonn, Germany. sequa employs more than 100 persons (2023) and reported a turnover of EUR 71 m in 2022.
The Project
In close cooperation with the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) sequa gGmbH is implementing the project Import Promotion Desk (“IPD” or the “project“). It is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022.
The IPD aims to facilitate and to sustainably increase imports from developing and emerging countries to Europe. Likewise, it contributes to strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to building sustainable economic structures in the partner countries. At the same time, new or alternative sourcing opportunities and contacts are being offered to European importers.
Several analyses have been carried out to determine the demand for imports from developing and emerging countries to Europe for different sectors (currently: fresh fruits & vegetables, natural ingredients, cut flowers, sustainable tourism, sustainable fish & seafood and IT-Outsourcing). Based on these results, the IPD is working in the following partner countries: Brazil, Colombia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
IPD’s core team is based in Bonn and Berlin (Germany). Regional hubs are located in Quito (Ecuador), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Casablanca (Morocco), Nairobi (Kenya), and Abidjan (Ivory Coast).
Your Tasks / Responsibilities
- Matchmaking IPD exporters with European buyers at different matchmaking events/activities (e.g., World of Coffee, AFCA, etc.): Contacting European buyers before the events, as well as arranging and accompanying meetings onsite during the event. Adding other suitable European buyers to the matchmaking activities from own network is expected.
- Follow-up: Carrying out periodic follow-up meetings with IPD exporters to determine the status of business relationships with European buyers.
Your Qualification, Working Experience and Skills
- At least 10 years of practical experience in the trading of coffee in Europe and/or experience in IPD partner countries such as Ethiopia, Colombia, Indonesia;
- Excellent knowledge of product requirements, prices and minimum quantities, as well as sales channels in the European market for coffee;
- Proven record of own network of European coffee importers and roasters. Willingness to make use of own network in the promotion of IPD exporters and to share contacts with IPD;
- Long-term experience in consulting agricultural production companies, preferably in the context of emerging and developing markets;
- Long-term experience in trade promotion between emerging and developing markets and Europe is an asset;
- Willingness to work as part of a team with various stakeholders and partners under complex conditions;
- Capability and flexibility to use various IT tools (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom, ownCloud, b2match, GetFeedback) and willingness to apply the respective associated usage guidelines;
- Excellent command of written and spoken English (command of other languages relevant to the IPD partner countries is an asset);
- Strong communication skills;
- Good presentation skills;
- Full computer literacy;
- No conflict of interest against counterparts, partner organisations (e.g. German sector associations, other import promotion programs) and other target groups (e.g. German/European importers or exporters of IPD partner countries
Please send a cover letter, CV, daily rate and relevant references to Nicole Schauer, email.
Subject to comparable qualification, persons with handicap will be preferred
Internship for German and international students (m/f/d) with an interest in development cooperation in the tourism sector
sequa gGmbH is a non-profit development organisation operating worldwide. We have been implementing international cooperation programmes and projects in close cooperation with the German business community since 1991. The company offers competence and experience in the business areas of chamber and association promotion, vocational training and trade promotion. The company is headquartered in Bonn. sequa employs over 100 people (2023) and generates a turnover of EUR 71 million (2022).
The project
Together with the Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) and other partners, we are implementing the project "Import Promotion Desk (IPD)". The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and aims to strengthen promising sectors in selected developing and emerging countries by improving access to the European market, and thereby promoting trade with and tourism to the partner countries. The project has offices in Bonn and Berlin. Your internship will be in either Berlin.
Your Tasks / Responsibilities
- Assistance with the organisation and implementation of events and other project activities (e.g. international trade fairs such as the ITB Berlin/ wtm London, study tours, Fam Trips)
- Research about relevant tourism companies
- Support with public relations tasks (e.g. photo database)
- Assistance with reporting on IPD sub-projects
- Support for project administration
Our Requirements / Your Qualification
- Education/ degrees: Tourism-related studies, at least in the 3rd semester
- Expertise: Excellent user skills in the common Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and organisational skills;
- Language skills: Written and spoken English and, if possible, knowledge of another foreign language. (French, Spanish, Russian). Basic German is recommended.
- Social skills: resilient personality with a lot of initiative, flexibility, communicative and socially competent attitude in a dynamic, multicultural environment.
- Further requirements: Diplomatic skills in working with numerous stakeholders at various levels (governments, associations, companies) and in different intercultural fields of action.
- We offer you the opportunity to work within an extremely committed team with a great deal of Responsibility.
In addition, we offer flexible working hours and compatibility of career and family life.If equally qualified, people with disabilities will be given preferential consideration.
Please send your application documents (cover letter and CV in English) by email to Mrs Manuela Borkenhagen.