| since January 2014 Federal Government Coordinator for the Maritime Industry. |
His stations:
| seit 2013 | Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy | |
| 2011-2013 | Maritime Coordinator of the SPD parliamentary group | |
| 2004-2011 | Spokesman for the working group Transport, Building and Urban Affairs of the SPD Parliamentary Group | |
| 2006-2010 | Regional chairman of the SPD Bremen | |
| seit 2002 | Member of the German Bundestag | |
| 1987-1999 |
Member of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, among others in office of the Senator for Economics, for ports for traffic, for work and for Federal Affairs | |
| 1975-1987 1999-2002 |
Deputy of the Bremen Regional Parliament (Landtag) for the SPD; Group Vice Chairman | |
| 1972-1987 | Chairman of the SPD subdistrict Bremerhaven | |
| 1970-1975 | teaching profession in the city of Bremerhaven magistrate as maths and physics teacher | |
| 1968-1970 | 1st and 2nd State Exam (Study of Education) |