Communications Manager

The position

As Communications Department Manager, you will lead a team of eight team managers responsible for executive communications, policy and strategy, corporate media, online communications, the city events agency, external relations, and visual and verbal communication.

Together with your colleagues, you’ll work on a wide range of projects and topics that all contribute to the positioning and branding of the city of Amsterdam. A key aspect of this is defining Amsterdam’s narrative. Who are we, and how do we respond to an environment that demands more and more of us? And how do we ensure, at the same time, that we continue to truly listen to people’s questions, needs, and concerns?

You and your team will develop communication policies and strategies that align with this narrative and our organization’s objectives. These include the communication compass, the inclusive language guide, and a diversity policy for events such as Pride Amsterdam, Keti Koti, and SAIL.

As a leader, you serve as an inspiring coach, supporting your team managers and guiding them in coaching their teams. You strive to create a work environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. You emphasize growth and development, and you empower others to develop themselves and succeed. With your active listening skills and open communication, you contribute to a culture of collaboration and respect, leading by example.

Our field

When it comes to communication, you prioritize expertise, quality, and a human touch. You have a clear and well-founded vision for the future of the communications profession and stay up to date on the latest developments. You think big, take current communication trends into account, and then translate those ideas into practical, realistic communication strategies.

Here's what you do on an average day

• Provide advice on the organization’s strategic goals, taking into account local and international political, administrative, and social developments.
• Ensure that work remains focused on specific tasks and areas, while monitoring the relationship between management objectives and organizational tasks, and thoroughly evaluating results to ensure they meet the established goals.
• Be responsible for prioritizing and translating executive decisions into long-term policies, projects, and programs, including multi-year planning and budgeting, and for allocating the appropriate personnel and resources.
• Closely monitor external developments and translate them into ideas, concepts, and plans within a complex and integrated field, with a focus on initiating and fostering innovation.
• As part of the Communications Management Team, you will articulate your views and work with the other members of the management team to reach a decision.
• Have final responsibility for developing, updating, and maintaining subject-matter frameworks.
• Be responsible for providing advice and overseeing operational implementation in crisis situations and on city-wide issues.

This is where you get started

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

The Communications Division consists of three departments: People and Resources, Governance and Corporate Affairs, and Urban Challenges and Projects. The Communications Hub (a department dedicated to professional development) forms the heart of the division, where we work together to promote quality, professional development, and job satisfaction. We work in a task-oriented manner: the city’s challenges guide our work. For example, the city’s sustainable future. As a division, we approach this holistically. The various communication disciplines therefore work together on this.

Board and Group

The Governance and Group Division of the Communications Department is responsible for developing the communications vision, the (strategic) substantive communications frameworks, and the city’s strategic direction in the area of communications. It is a broad division with diverse areas of expertise. Across various teams, colleagues focus on:

• Corporate communications, strategy, research, and campaigns.
• Spokesperson and communications management for the Municipal Executive.
• Citywide online communication and advisory services, as well as the editing, development, and management of Amsterdam.nl.
• Metropolitan events and external relations.
• Municipality-wide guidelines regarding language and imagery.

What you bring

For this position as Communications Department Manager, you must have:

• At least 3 years of work experience in the broad field of communications.
• At least 3 years of experience in corporate communications within a large, complex organization in an administrative setting.
• At least 3 years of experience leading large multidisciplinary teams and guiding staff in their professional and personal development.

You should have the following skills:

• Inclusive thinking and action: You take responsibility for creating an environment where everyone feels heard, seen, recognized, and valued—and therefore safe. You approach situations from different perspectives and are aware of your own biases and your position as a leader. You can put yourself in others’ shoes, listen, and ask open-ended questions. You understand what is needed in the city and within the organization for different target groups and act accordingly.
• Providing direction: You set the direction and guide efforts based on the content of the field and the tasks at hand. You facilitate and organize in a way that enables your department to deliver added value and results. You are transparent about how strategic decisions are made and how progress on the tasks is monitored. You act decisively and are decisive.
• Collaboration: You build strong networks both within and outside the organization and encourage others to do the same. You are attuned to your surroundings by focusing on the common good and bring cohesion to the work on the tasks at hand. You collaborate in the interest of the city and look beyond the boundaries of your own department and cluster. You act with administrative sensitivity and are aware of relationships, interests, and positions, and see through them.
• Encouraging innovation: You encourage employees to cultivate a growth mindset and provide them with the space to continue learning and to make any mistakes that may come with it. You trust in your employees’ abilities and are able to let go of the need to micromanage or patronize them. You give and receive feedback. You are knowledgeable about developments in the digital world, such as AI, and know how to leverage them for effective communication and branding. You engage employees in exploring new opportunities.
• Personal leadership: You are aware of your own actions and their effects and influence on others, and you reflect on them. You lead by example by showing vulnerability. You demonstrate resilience in new and unexpected situations and are willing to take responsibility. You are curious about what is happening in the city and within your own organization, and you show compassion by putting the human element first

What we offer you

As Communications Department Manager, you will join our team for 32 to 36 hours per week and can expect the following employment terms.

• A gross monthly salary between €6,316 and €8,779 (pay grade 15) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A one-year employment contract, with the possibility of a permanent contract thereafter, if you do not currently have an employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, or if you have only a temporary one.
• If you already have a permanent employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, you will retain it and be transferred
• Opportunities for professional development and training. Our in-house training center, the Amsterdam School, offers a variety of training programs, professional development tracks, and on-the-job coaching to help you continue to challenge yourself.
• An individual flexible budget (IKB) equal to 17.05% of your salary, which you can use 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, €0.15 per kilometer for travel by bicycle, and €0.21 per kilometer for travel by public transportation. This applies to a one-way commute of up to 45 kilometers and for the number of days you work in the office.
• For days you work from home, you will receive a work-from-home allowance of €3 net per workday 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. We provide the necessary equipment to help you set up a safe and healthy workspace at home.
• A cell phone and/or laptop.
• An office space in downtown Amsterdam, overlooking the canals.
• An (electric) rental bike that lets you travel between work locations in a sustainable and healthy way

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

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by July 3, 2024, at the latest, using the “Apply Now” button.
• The municipality has a preference policy for positions at pay grade 15 and above. This means that, for all positions at pay grade 15 and above, candidates with a non-Western immigrant background will be given preference if they are equally qualified.
• 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 would like to receive your cover letter, in which you explain, in no more than one A4 page, why your work experience and skills are a good fit for this position. Your cover letter will be taken into consideration during the selection process.
• The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of a review of resumes and cover letters, followed by two rounds of interviews. A case study or assessment may be part of the selection process.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The interviews will take place at Amstel 1.
• 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 consider these resumes.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

For more information about this position, please contact Rinske Wieman, Director of Communications, at rinske.wieman@amsterdam.nlor call 06 4135 0089. For questions about the application process, please contact Linde Tholenaar, HR Advisor, at l.tholenaar@amsterdam.nl or call 06 3444 9290.