Department Manager, Income Support

In short

• We are looking for an inspiring and adaptable manager for the Income Support Department. Are you a manager who puts the people of Amsterdam first and can think beyond the boundaries of your department to deliver appropriate services?
• The mission of the Income Support Department (IKV) is to provide financial security for Amsterdam residents who are unable to support themselves. Every day, the IKV works to help more than 50,000 Amsterdam residents!
• As a department manager and process owner, you have an affinity for the social sector, demonstrate a coaching leadership style, are able to operate at a strategic level, and can provide direction for our multidisciplinary approach.

The position

As Department Manager of Income Support, you will lead 11 team managers in an inspiring and motivating manner; 8 of these team managers oversee 10 Income Support teams, while the remaining teams consist of a Back Office team, a Digital Customer Mail team, and a Processes, Quality, and Innovation team. The latter team is the driving force behind process improvement and innovation, led by the collegial Management Team.

The challenges in the social sector are significant. Within the Work, Participation, and Income (WPI) Directorate, we are working on further development, particularly in the areas of digitization, system renewal, and task-oriented work in neighborhoods close to Amsterdam residents. At the strategic level, you will lead department-wide change initiatives in areas such as innovation, digitization, and the review of legislative and policy changes. In doing so, you will ensure strategic, integrated, and substantive coordination within the WPI department. Administratively, there is a strong focus on ensuring the livelihood security of Amsterdam residents. In particular, extra attention is being paid to livelihood security in the Nieuw West, Zuidoost, and Noord districts. Together with your MT colleagues, your team managers, and strategic policy advisors, you will help shape and define these initiatives.

In addition to your role as department manager, you will also serve as the process owner for Income and oversee the design and implementation of new processes and tasks (resulting from new automation). You will also ensure optimal coordination with relevant partners within the Income process and alignment with other relevant process chains, such as Work and Participation.

Here's what you do on an average workday

• You will lead the department and determine how resources are allocated to achieve the objectives and deliver products and services.
• You will lead cross-organizational change initiatives in areas such as innovation, digital transformation, and the implementation and revision of (new) legislation, and you will serve as the primary point of contact for progress updates regarding your process(es).
• You will ensure coordination and integration among the various internal and external parties working together on the projects, and you will serve as the department’s primary point of contact.
• You will prepare the annual plan and the budget.
• You translate the organization's policies into the desired outputs and products or services for your department.
• You make suggestions for improvement and focus on increasing effectiveness and efficiency 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 support the learning and development of both new and existing employees.

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 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 Income Division supports people who are unable to find work or transition off benefits on their own. The goal is to provide Amsterdammers with financial security and to help them transition to regular employment as quickly as possible. The Income Department consists of the following divisions: Enforcement, Special Target Groups, Poverty Reduction, Entrepreneur Support, Policy and Quality, and Income Support. The Income Support Department provides tailored income services for Amsterdammers who cannot sufficiently ensure their own livelihood; standardized where possible, customized where necessary. A total of 220 employees work there. The income consultants and income client advisors work from the city districts, taking a multidisciplinary and area-focused approach to the challenges at hand. Last year, the i-teams began using a shared caseload per team. Agility is essential to keep Amsterdam residents at the center of our work, both now and in the future. Working together on a caseload requires effective collaboration and consistent documentation and assessment. The department therefore places great emphasis on the quality and consistency of our work, including through joint weekly and daily kick-off meetings, which are also multidisciplinary.

What you bring

For this position as Department Manager of Income Support, you must have:

• A bachelor's degree (or equivalent level of work experience and intellectual ability).
• At least 3 years of work experience in the field of management and strategic consulting.
• At least 3 years of experience leading organizational transformation efforts in the context of designing and implementing new IT systems.
• Senior-level work experience in the social sector at a large municipality or a large organization.
• Demonstrable work experience in HR, implementing change processes, and resolving organizational issues.
• Knowledge of and experience with continuous learning and improvement are preferred.

You should have the following skills:

• Vision: Possesses a vision that extends beyond the field and the organization.
• Leadership: As a leader in an inclusive organization, you think and act inclusively. You ensure that the organization and/or its divisions develop in a clear direction over the long term; in doing so, you empower your employees and actively seek feedback.
• Results-oriented: You set specific goals as the basis for your own behavior and stick to them until the goal is achieved, despite complex obstacles.
• Inspirational ability: Understanding and experiencing what drives and motivates you, and being able to convey that to others in a way that inspires them.
• Focus on Development (in Collaboration): Understanding relevant developments. Paying attention to people’s personal development. Identifying opportunities and threats. Anticipating them and responding appropriately.

What we offer you

As the Income Support Department Manager, you will join our team for 32–36 hours per week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary of up to €8,758 (pay grade 16) 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, up to a 45-kilometer one-way commute, for the number of days you work in the office, and/or a work-from-home allowance of €2 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.

Interested in learning more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Municipality of Amsterdam Personnel Regulations (PGA).

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Renger Visser, Director of the Income Department, at renger.visser@amsterdam.nl and/or 06-18308805.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Carola Koster, Senior HR Advisor, at c.koster-burg@amsterdam.nl and/or 06-20541409.

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by April 2 at the latest using the “Apply Now” button.
• 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 an interview with a selection and advisory committee.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• 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.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

We do not appreciate unsolicited solicitation by 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.

#LI-POST