Department Manager, Healthcare

The position

As a Care Department Manager, you will lead a team that supports Amsterdam residents who are unable to function fully independently. You will be responsible for policy development and implementation under the Social Support Act (Wmo). With a team of approximately 80–100 employees, divided into four teams—Wmo Shelter, Wmo Services, Areas, and Prevention—you will ensure that this group receives the support and guidance they need to manage as well as possible, with the goal of enabling Amsterdam residents to continue living independently in their own communities for as long as possible.

You are responsible for developing policies that address key social issues, such as the shortage of healthcare staff and the aging population. These policies focus on promoting residents’ independence and well-being. You will collaborate with city districts, healthcare providers, and other partners within the city, as well as at the regional and national levels. Through your coordinating role, you ensure that people receive the right care at the right time. This requires strategic insight and the ability to communicate effectively with various stakeholders.

You will steer the department’s strategic direction and ensure that policy objectives are translated into daily practice. By continuously learning from implementation and improving processes, you will foster innovation and strengthen the department’s professionalism. In this way, you will work with your team to improve the well-being of Amsterdam residents in vulnerable situations.

As a client, you are responsible for entering into contracts with care providers, for example for support services, day programs, and respite care. In addition, you are committed to the success and development of your employees. You create the right conditions for their growth and foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the department. As a Care Department Manager, you are part of the Youth, Care, and Diversity Management Team and contribute to the overall direction of the team. You contribute to the further development of the social sector, with a strong focus on implementation and learning from it. By learning from practice and leveraging experiential expertise and diversity in implementation, you work toward continuous improvement.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You encourage open communication within your teams through team meetings and one-on-one conversations. This helps employees feel heard and enables them to actively contribute to policy development and improvement for Amsterdam residents in vulnerable situations.
• You translate policy into action plans that enable partners and healthcare providers in the city to offer appropriate support to Amsterdam residents that meets quality standards and stays within financial constraints.
• You will initiate improvement projects, develop new work processes, and optimize existing ones. Innovation and collaboration are fostered by encouraging employees to come up with ideas that enhance patient care.
• As part of the Youth, Care, and Diversity (JZD) management team, you will help shape the strategic direction and advise the municipal executive and municipal teams to ensure that decision-making aligns with current care needs and developments.

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!

You will be working within the Youth, Care, and Diversity Department. The department consists of the divisions of Youth, Care, Contract Management, Diversity, Services & Data, and Custom Solutions and Breakthroughs. The Youth, Care, and Diversity (JZD) department is part of the Social Cluster within the municipality, which includes the departments of Work Participation and Income, Municipal Health Service (GGD), Social Services, Education, and the Office of Social Procurement Subsidies.

Social Challenges Facing the Youth, Care, and Diversity Division

In 2015, the City of Amsterdam assumed new responsibilities from the national government under the Youth Act and the Social Support Act (Wmo). These include youth care and support for vulnerable residents. The long-term vision for these tasks is clear, and there is broad support for it within the city. The focus now is on effectively implementing this vision and further developing its execution. This is being done not only within the department, but specifically in collaboration with residents, partners in the city, and the city districts. Improving implementation is a key priority in this regard. The Customized Solutions and Breakthroughs team, which is involved in, among other things, supporting Amsterdam residents affected by the benefits scandal and achieving breakthroughs in bureaucracy that stands in the way of effective support, makes a significant contribution to improving implementation and enhancing the organization’s capacity for learning.

Inequality and inequality of opportunity in the city are significant, and Amsterdam has chosen to target its investments to address these disparities. The challenges in social services are also complex, and Amsterdam is taking responsibility by devoting extra attention to supporting vulnerable groups. In addition, Amsterdam has launched an extensive program in recent years to combat discrimination, promote emancipation, and strengthen social cohesion. Through these efforts, the city is working toward an inclusive society that fully embraces the diversity that characterizes Amsterdam.

What you bring

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

• At least 5 years of experience leading team managers and staff within a complex organization—such as a large corporation or a municipal setting—where a culture of open communication, inclusivity, and collaboration is fostered.

Please address the following requirements in your cover letter:

• Demonstrable experience in leading and managing change processes within a politically and administratively complex organization of a similar size.
• Demonstrable experience, commitment, or substantive knowledge of the social sector.
• Practical knowledge: personal experience with issues in the social sector, particularly in healthcare, or insight into the experiences of others through (community) networks in the city.

You should have the following skills:

• Inclusive thinking and action: You have an appreciative and coaching leadership style. You are committed to a diverse and inclusive organization that reflects Amsterdam and contributes to a socially safe work environment. You recognize employees’ talents and support their development.
• Providing direction: You develop a clear vision and provide guidance on strategic issues related to the city, the social sector, and the administration. You draw on relevant practical experience to develop policy-driven contract management. You are also able to act as a client and set priorities effectively.
• Collaboration: You are a unifying figure who actively fosters collaboration, both internally within the municipality and your own department—across various programs and city districts—as well as with partners in the city, the region, and at the national level. You have a good understanding of bureaucratic and administrative relationships and processes. With a good balance between internal and external focus, you can effectively position the department within the field. You have a broad and relevant network within the healthcare sector, or you are able to quickly build and utilize one to improve services with and for the people of Amsterdam.
• Fostering Innovation: You respond flexibly to a changing environment and adapt to new circumstances. You prioritize, organize, and foster innovation, approaching challenges from creative angles and with a fresh perspective. And you encourage employees to come up with innovative ideas.  You leverage the knowledge and expertise of the Breakthroughs department, which addresses bottlenecks and bureaucracy that hinder support for Amsterdammers who need us most.

• Persuasiveness: Able to switch between substance and process, able to identify underlying interests and adapt the "
  " accordingly.

What we offer you

As a Healthcare Department Manager, you will join our team for a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 36 hours per week, and you can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary ranging from €6,829 to €9,734 (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 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.

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

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application byNovember 28, 2024, using the“Apply”button.
• 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 CV/cover letter review and two rounds of interviews. We have formed a selection committee of three people. If your CV meets the job requirements, we will be happy to invite you for an interview. An assessment is part of the process.
• The interviews will take place at our office located at Amstel 1 in Amsterdam.
• 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.
• 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, where candidates are equally qualified, preference is given to candidates with a non-European immigrant background.
• 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.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

For questions about the position, please contact Karima Arichi at k.arichi@amsterdam.nl. For questions about the application process, please contact Ismahan Massäabi at i.massaabi@amsterdam.nl.