Department Manager for Poverty Reduction

The position

As Department Manager for Poverty Reduction, you will provide inspiring leadershipto five process coordinators, eight team managers, and the manager of the City Pawnshop.The department is divided into teams for Basic Services, City Pass, Process Coordinationfor Basic Services Partners, the Amsterdam Credit Bank, the City Pawnshop, and an administrative office. The challenges in the social domain are significant. Within the Work, Participation, and Income(WPI)Directorate, we are working on further development, particularly in the areas ofdigitization, system renewal, and task-oriented work in areas close to thepeople of Amsterdam.

You will lead city-wide change initiatives at the strategic level, such as the city-wideearly intervention and debt counseling system, the recovery program for victims ofthe Childcare Allowance scandal, and an intensive approach to combating poverty in collaborationwith other departments, such as the Youth, Health and Diversity, and the Municipal Health Service (GGD), and you will beresponsible for the further development of the City Pawnshop.Administratively,there is a strong focus on ensuring the livelihood security of Amsterdam residents. Inparticular,extra attention is being paid to livelihood security in the Nieuw West,Zuidoost, and Noorddistricts. Together with your MT colleagues, your team managers, and strategicpolicy advisors, you will help shape and define these tasks. In doing so,poverty reductionisa constant focus, and policy development is highly dynamic. Youare therefore adaptable in light of the challenges from the city and the policy domain, such asthe implementation of the Energy Allowance last year. Poverty has its own budget of120 million euros, which requires careful financial management and ongoing forecasting.

Here's what you do on an average workday

• You will lead the department and determine how resources are allocated to achieve theobjectives and deliver products and services.
• You will lead organization-wide change initiatives in areas such asinnovation, digitalization, and the implementation and revision of (new) legislation, and you will serve asthe primary point of contact for progresson yourassigned processes.
• You will ensure coherence and integration among the various internal and externalparties working together on these initiatives. You will serve as thedepartment’sprimary point of contactand as WPI’s representative in the field of poverty.
• You will serve as a liaison to the board, represent the department in G4-widesettings and national consultations and initiatives, and act as the primary point of contact forthe neighborhood team leaders.
• You translate the organization's policies into the desired outputs and products orservices for your department.
• In a variety of contractual relationships, you ensure that procurement,grant disbursement, and accountability are carried out appropriately and in accordance with the law.
• You make suggestions for improvement and focus on increasing effectiveness andefficiency in implementation.
• As a department manager,you hold your employees accountable for their personal leadership,invest in their well-being, adaptability, and professional skills, and facilitate the learning anddevelopment of both new and existing employees.

This is where you get started

We strive to be a great employer that ensures all our colleaguesfeel seen andvalued. We embrace the differences among our colleagues; these differences leadto better results for both our organization and our city. We aim to build aworkforce that reflects Amsterdam’s diverse population. So, whoever you are, you’re more than welcome here! 

The Poverty Reduction Division is part of the Work & Participation and Income (WPI). WPI enhances opportunities for Amsterdammers in vulnerable labor market position by supporting them in their development and guiding them toward work, school, or community participation. WPI strengthens income security for Amsterdammers who cannot (fully) provide for their own livelihood. Together with partners in the social sector, WPI aims to provide Amsterdammers with a tailored solution to ultimately become self-reliant. The starting point here is the individual strength of the Amsterdam resident. To achieve its objectives, WPI aligns with developments within the municipality in general and the social sector in particular.

The Poverty Reduction Division is part of the Income Department, alongside the followingdivisions: Work and Income Enforcement, Special Target Groups,EntrepreneurSupport, Policy and Quality, and Income Support. The division has approximately 150employees.

Poverty Reduction Division

The Poverty Reduction Department providessupplementary income support, budget counseling, anddebt assistance to Amsterdam residents whoare unable to adequatelysecure theirlivelihood. Neighborhood teams form the backbone of support services forAmsterdam residents facing financial difficulties. Assignments are carried out in closecollaboration with the Care Department. Promoting participation and lowering financial barriers forlow-income residents arealsokey objectives of the department. The City Pass and various Child Benefits Programs areimportant toolsfor achieving these goals.

For Amsterdam residents receiving benefits under the P-Act, we offer a direct approach andassistance if they have accumulated debt, face asset seizure, or are at risk of eviction. Pawning jewelry at city hall has been possible in Amsterdam for 410 years. Today,weconnectpeople with financial assistance as much as possible, if desired.We strive to provide maximum support tothevictims of the Childcare Allowance scandal.Here too, Neighborhood Teams are our primary implementing partner.

What you bring

For this position as Department Manager for Poverty Reduction, you must have:

• work and thinking level;
• At least 4 years of management experience in a leadership role at a municipalityor organization with at least 5,000 employees, duringwhichyou have gained experiencecoordinating between different departments and external policy areas,network partners, and administrators, and have also gained experience within the politicalarena;
• At least 4 years of experience in strategic management as the person with final responsibility forimplementation, and the ability to translate this into a clear and structuredimplementationpolicy;
• At least 4 years of experience as a manager with overall responsibility, with abroad understanding of all aspects of business operations, including financial management and, inparticular, HR issues such as implementing change processes andresolving organizational challenges;
• An interest in social issues, including poverty. Please explain this in yourcover letter.

You should have the following skills:

• Thinking and acting inclusively: As a leader in an inclusive organization, you think andact inclusively.You are mindful of creating a work environment that includes people fromdiverse cultural and religious backgrounds. You foster a socially safe environment, demonstrating care for employees and ensuring equality in the workplace. Youare approachable and contribute to an open culture in which colleaguesgive and receive feedbackfrom one anotherand build trust. You recognizeemployees’talentsandprioritizetalent development.
• Vision: You have a vision that extends beyond your field and organization. You come up withideas and proposals that have a “time horizon” of several years, and you work onlong-term goals and plans.
• Results-oriented: You set specific goals as a guide for your ownbehavior and stick to them until the goal is achieved, despite complexobstacles.
• Collaboration: You are a unifying figure whofosters collaboration, both with partners in the city and region and internally within thedepartment. You have an outward-looking approach and can effectively position the organization within thefield. You have a broad and relevant regional and national network in thesocial sector,or you are capable of building one.

What we offer you

As the Poverty Reduction Department Manager, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and canexpect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary ranging from €6,745 to €9,614 (pay grade 16) based on a36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based onyoureducation, knowledge, andexperience.
• A one-year employment contract, with the possibility ofa permanent contract thereafter, if you do not currentlyhave an employment contract with the City of Amsterdam,or if youhaveonly atemporary one.
• If you already have a permanent employment contract with the Cityof Amsterdam, you will retain it and be transferred.
• Opportunities for professional development and training. Our in-house training center, theAmsterdam School, offers a variety of training programs, professional development tracks, andon-the-job coaching to help you continue to challenge yourself.
• An individual flexible budget (IKB) equal to 17.05% of your salary, which you canuse for things like additional pension contributions or extra days off.
• A pension plan with ABP, the pension fund for the public sector and education.
• A travel allowance of €0.10 per kilometer for travel by car, €0.15per kilometer for travel by bicycle, and €0.21 per kilometer for travel bypublic transportation. This applies to a one-way commute of up to 45 kilometers and for the numberof days you work in the office.
• For days you work from home, you will receive a work-from-home allowance of €3 net perworkday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• Hybrid work: In this role, you can work partly from home and partly in the office. Weprovide the necessary equipment to help you set up a safe and healthy workspace at home.
• A cell phone and a laptop.

Want to know more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Amsterdam Municipal Personnel Regulations (PGA).

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Renger Visser, Director of theIncome Department, at renger.visser@amsterdam.nl or 06-18308805.If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Carola Koster, SeniorHR Advisor, at c.koster-burg@amsterdam.nl or 06-20541409.

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by June 11,2024, at the latest,by clicking the“Apply”button.
• We would like to receive your cover letter, in which you explain—in no more than one A4 page—your interest in the social sector, including poverty, and why yourwork experience and skills make you a good fit for this position. Your cover letter will betaken into consideration during the selection process.
• The selection process will begin immediately after the application deadline and will consist of an interviewwith a selection and advisory committee. The first round of interviews is expected to take placeduring the first week of June 2024.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for aninterview.
• A selection assessment may be part of the selection process.
• The municipality has a preference policy forpositions at pay grade 15 and above. This means that, for allpositions at pay grade 15 and above, where candidates are equally qualified, preference is given to candidateswith a non-Western immigrant background.
• This job opening is being advertised internally and externally at the same time. Employees of the City of Amsterdam will be given priority in the hiring process.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

We do not appreciate unsolicited solicitation from recruitment agencies, and such actions may result in exclusion from our other recruitment initiatives. We also consider the unsolicited submission of resumes by agencies to our employees to be solicitation. We will not review these resumes.