Head of the Department of Spatial Legal Affairs, Housing, and Environmental Services

What will you be doing?

Strategy, Policy, and Coordination Cluster

As a department head in Strategy, Policy, and Coordination (SBR), you will work for the ambitious city of Arnhem. Issues such as creating a sustainable, green, prosperous, and connected Arnhem, as well as urban development, require leadership and collaboration to realize our ambitions. Our organization is evolving alongside these changes. You will therefore join a team that is developing and a department that is in flux. Together with your fellow department heads, you will take the initiative to build our department. You will do this by staying connected with one another and acting in alignment with a shared vision.

Across various departments, we work together with great enthusiasm to achieve our goals. In your role as department head within the physical domain, you will provide guidance on the substantive tasks at hand. You provide direction and guidance in a collaborative manner regarding (the effects of) political, administrative, organizational, and societal influences, and serve as a substantive discussion partner for the board, cluster manager, and program managers. You are responsible for ensuring the department’s strategic direction, quality, implementation, and finances, and you facilitate political and administrative coordination. You do this in close collaboration with experts, such as program managers, strategists, and advisors.

Head of the Physical Environment Division: RJZ, Housing, and ODRA

The departments within SBR each consist of approximately 30 administrative and policy advisors. You will provide comprehensive leadership to the “Housing” and “Spatial Legal Affairs” departments and know how to instill confidence in your staff and give them the freedom to thrive. For the Housing department, the focus is on developing a new, comprehensive housing vision and implementing it. In Spatial Legal Affairs, the focus is on implementing the Environment Act, executing the initiative consultation, and ensuring the legal and digital implementation of spatial policy. In addition, you will serve as the delegated client for the Arnhem Region Environmental Service and advise the alderman and management on these matters.

As a department head, you maintain close contact with our employees and ensure they have a safe and supportive environment within your department. You provide clear guidelines and foster a safe work and learning environment. Of course, you know how to empower employees to work together to create a pleasant work environment and achieve results as a team. You have ultimate responsibility for the scope of work, the budget, and the people.

In the role of Head of the Physical Domain Department, you will be expected to work with the three other department heads to shape spatial strategy, foster integrated collaboration, set priorities, and manage capacity. You will also collaborate with the other department heads from all clusters within our organization, working together to ensure coordination between the various departments. The real challenge and satisfaction in this role come from realizing our goals for the city, advising, coaching, and connecting people.

Who are we?

In this role, you’ll be part of the Strategy, Policy & Coordination cluster. What was relevant yesterday is history tomorrow—and vice versa. That’s what makes working at SBR so exciting, dynamic, and multifaceted. We translate new trends into new strategies, programs, and (policy) plans. We always do this in collaboration with the city, but we are the ones in charge. We leave the implementation to our colleagues and partners in the city.

The SBR cluster is one of the clusters operating under the management. The work within SBR is organized into various departments. SBR has eight departments in the social, economic, and physical domains, each with a department head.

What do we offer you?

Based on a 36-hour workweek, the City of Arnhem offers the following:

• A competitive gross monthly salary in pay grade 13, ranging from €4,965 to a maximum of €6,616;
• Together with you, we are committed to building a long-term working relationship;
• 144 statutory vacation hours for each calendar year of full-time employment;
• 17.05% flexible spending allowance in addition to your salary;
• An individual career budget of €500 per year;
• Opportunities for personal development and career advancement through our comprehensive training programs;
• A laptop and a phone;
• Having an assistant;
• In Arnhem, we have a hybrid work arrangement: you have the freedom to alternate between working from home and working in the office.

We have listed our entirebenefits packagefor you.

Who are we looking for?

Someone who can provide substantive leadership on initiatives related to RJZ, housing, and the environmental services department. In this role, political sensitivity is a key strategic competency you must possess. You recognize the complex interests and dilemmas that politics and administration face, as well as what this means for our employees. As the person ultimately responsible for the content, you are also organizationally sensitive; you are aware of the effects of choices, decisions, and/or activities on the entire organization and its various units.

You know how to build trust with employees and inspire, motivate, coach, and empower them in a way that fosters connection. You help employees and teams develop and grow. Together with your fellow MT members, you seek to place the right person in the right position at the right time. You know how to focus on results, attitude, and behavior. This requires a degree of self-reflection that allows you to reflect on yourself, the department’s performance, and the political and social context.

We also ask:

• Academic / university-level work and thinking;
• Experience in the public sector is preferred;
• Substantive experience and an affinity for the physical/spatial domain;
• Demonstrable, relevant, long-term management experience and experience with organizational development;
• Inclusive leadership: You ensure that there is a safe environment within the department where everyone can share their ideas and every team member is heard;
• As a networker, you develop and strengthen relevant relationships—primarily within the organization—and work with them to build support for initiatives, ideas, and plans. That’s why you’re confident and self-assured;
• In addition, you will be fully committed to achieving our cluster-wide goals, such as implementing a programmatic approach within a matrix structure and continuously improving the quality of our advice to the board.

Where will you be working?

With over 164,000 residents, Arnhem is the 12th-largest municipality in the country. The city’s diversity is what makes it who it is. Arnhem is a municipality where urban dynamism, a natural living environment, and economic strength reinforce one another. We have a rich history and are the capital of the province of Gelderland. The municipal organization employs approximately 1,100 dedicated and enthusiastic staff members who work hard every day for the city, its residents, visitors, businesses, and institutions.

How do you apply?

You can apply for this position through the application button until November 6, 2022. Please submit your resume and cover letter, in which we’d like to see your answers to the motivation questions listed below. You’ll hear back about the next steps—such as an invitation to an interview—by November 11 at the latest. The interviews will take place on November 18 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Please keep this in mind when planning your schedule.

The motivation questions:

In your cover letter, please provide an example that is as specific as possible, following the STARR method .

1. Inclusive leadership: Describe an example of a situation in which you helped develop a team. What was your goal? What leadership style did you use? How did you ensure that everyone felt heard and valued? How do you look back on this experience, and what would you do the same way or differently next time?
2. What experience and interest in the physical/spatial domain do you bring to the table?

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Jan Gronouwe, SBR Cluster Manager, at +31 650 194 033. If you have any questions about the recruitment and selection process or would like to get to know the City of Arnhem informally, please contact Lars van Boxel, recruiter, by phone at +31 631 114 802, viaWhatsApp, or byemail.

The City of Arnhem works for and with its residents to create a diverse and inclusive city: a city where everyone is welcome and can be their true selves. To achieve this, we also need an inclusive organization with a diverse workforce where no one is excluded. We want to attract and retain talented individuals with their unique backgrounds, because we are convinced that diversity strengthens us. That is what we need to become that diverse and inclusive city. So feel welcome at the City of Arnhem, no matter who you are or what your life circumstances may be.