Advisor on Effective Laws and Regulations

Advisor on Effective Laws and Regulations

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Advisory Committee on Regulatory Burden Assessment (ATR) 

Job Description

Dutch society faces a number of major challenges. These include achieving a sustainable energy supply, ensuring an adequate supply of affordable housing, and reducing the workload in the healthcare sector. The government is addressing these issues in various ways, with laws and regulations serving as key tools. These laws and regulations must be effective without imposing unnecessarily burdensome obligations on citizens, businesses, and professionals. The Advisory Committee on Regulatory Burden (ATR) plays an indispensable role in this regard. 

Together with 15 other advisors at ATR, you’ll help government agencies draft effective legislation. Like your colleagues, you’ll have your own portfolio consisting of one or more government agencies. Which ones? We’ll be happy to decide that together. Although you’ll have final responsibility for the requests for advice assigned to you, you’ll work closely with your immediate colleagues. You’ll brainstorm extensively with each other and provide feedback on each other’s advice. 

If you receive a request for advice in the form of a draft bill, you should contact the case officer at the ministry. You will discuss the bill with this case officer. Even as you ask critical questions, you ensure that the relationship remains positive. You then assess the bill using our assessment framework. Is this a task for the government, and is legislation the best tool? Can the social objective be achieved in a less burdensome way? Is the legislation workable in practice for the target groups that must comply with it? And has the regulatory burden been fully and accurately assessed? To ensure your recommendations are well-aligned with practical realities, you also take current societal developments into account, such as the views of relevant stakeholders. Based on your findings, you will draft a preliminary recommendation that will be discussed with you (and adopted upon approval) during the weekly Executive Board meeting. 

In the coming years, ATR also intends to focus more on the complexity arising from the convergence and accumulation of regulations. We plan to do this, among other things, by conducting studies on the regulatory burden—including the perceived burden—in everyday practice. We are therefore looking for colleagues who have experience conducting or supervising research. 

Job Requirements

You quickly get to the heart of legislative proposals and, thanks in part to your constructive critical approach, arrive at a well-reasoned assessment. You then clearly communicate this assessment to others, both verbally and in writing. You enjoy working independently and do so effectively, while also serving as a collaborative sparring partner for your colleagues and for the case officers at the ministries. Furthermore, you are able to provide substantively sound advice even under time pressure. 

You also have: 

Undergraduate level.

• Experience in reading and interpreting legal texts.
• Preferably research experience (e.g., doctoral research or contract research).
• For one of the two open positions, we are looking for someone with a strong knowledge of constitutional and administrative law. 

If you don’t fully meet the job requirements but feel that the position is a good fit for you and believe you can make a positive contribution, please feel free to send us a cover letter. 

Skills: 

• Analyze
• Persuasiveness
• Organizational sensitivity
• Flexibility
• Networking
• Planning and organizing
• Creativity 

We value diversity within our organization and take this into account in our hiring process. We believe that diversity enhances the quality and broad support for our work, and we strive to be an organization where everyone can be themselves and has the opportunity to grow. In our work, we therefore examine issues from various perspectives and aim to connect with all segments of society. 

Terms of Employment

Salary level: Grade 11, Grade 12

Monthly salary: Min. €3,608 – Max. €6,227 (gross)

Employment status: Permanent employment contract

Minimum number of hours per week: 32

Maximum number of hours per week: 36 

Other terms and conditions of employment

In addition to your salary, you will receive an Individual Choice Budget (ICB). The ICB consists of money (16.37% of your gross annual salary) and time. With the ICB, you can make choices that suit you and customize part of your employment benefits. For example, you can choose to have a portion of your monthly income paid out whenever you wish. You can also convert this budget into leave and vice versa, or spend it on tax-friendly purposes. The Dutch government is strongly committed to personal growth and career development and offers numerous opportunities for this. Secondary employment conditions include various study facilities, company fitness programs, full reimbursement of your public transportation costs for commuting, and partially paid parental leave. 

Details

• The introductory and selection process consists of at least two rounds of interviews and a final discussion regarding terms of employment.
• Checking references or conducting an assessment may be part of the selection process.
• Colleagues within the central government who are permanent employees may be seconded or transferred while retaining their current employment status. 

What else do we offer you: 

• A pleasant work environment with excellent facilities, just a short walk from the central station.
• Plenty of opportunities to continue developing your skills and specialize.
• We believe it is important to maintain a good work-life balance. Working hours can be arranged flexibly by mutual agreement.
• If you are hired, hybrid work is an option; you will work partly from home and partly at the office. We believe it is important to have a good home office setup. We therefore offer a subsidy for home office equipment and a work-from-home allowance in accordance with the Central Government Collective Labor Agreement (CAO Rijk). 

After the application deadline, the job posting and the employer’s contact information will no longer be visible online. To avoid having to request this information later, we ask that you download and save the job posting. 

We do not accept unsolicited applications for our job openings. 

Interested in applying?

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Advisory Committee on Regulatory Burden Assessment (ATR), invites you to apply on their website. Clicking the button below will take you directly to the application form. The government values a diverse and inclusive organization. Working in diverse teams makes us more effective, more innovative, and makes the work more enjoyable. Everyone is therefore invited to apply.