Administrative Secretary / Independent Policy Advisor, Youth & Wmo Advisory Board

What will you be doing?

You will serve as the administrative secretary and independent policy advisor for the Youth & Wmo Advisory Council. You will actively collaborate with advisory council members to determine how they can gather information, how they can provide advice from a broad public perspective, and what approaches can be taken to shape the advisory role. In addition, you ensure that meetings, requests for advice, thematic sessions, and draft recommendations are well prepared. This will ensure that the workload of the advisory board members is balanced with their volunteer commitment. Adequate support for the advisory board guarantees the quality of both solicited and unsolicited advice. It also strengthens coordination and collaboration with other advisory boards, residents, and the municipality.

You will be responsible for three key areas:

1. Assisting the chair and secretary with all administrative, secretarial, and organizational matters. This includes drafting the agenda, taking minutes at meetings, scheduling meetings, providing logistical support, processing invoices, and distributing information and relevant documents to the members of the advisory board.
   
2. Policy support activities. This includes providing feedback to the advisory board on policy developments within the City of Arnhem. You will also edit the advisory board’s (draft) recommendations for content and style and prepare the advisory board’s annual report.
   
3. Primary point of contact for communication between the advisory board, residents, and the municipality. You will consult with policy and administrative advisors in the areas of Youth & Wmo, maintain the advisory board’s website, stay in touch with residents and organizations on behalf of the advisory board, and connect people and stakeholders. You will explore ways to ensure residents’ perspectives are effectively reflected in the advisory board’s recommendations and work closely with the inclusion team to bring the municipality closer to the lives of its residents.

What is the challenge?

You will be employed by the City of Arnhem, reporting to the chair of the Youth & Wmo Advisory Council. Your greatest challenge will be maintaining an independent stance toward the city. This is necessary to serve the advisory council and residents as effectively as possible. This also requires your critical eye, and in consultation with the advisory board, you will have the freedom to further develop your role as an administrative secretary/independent policy advisor. Each year, you and the advisory board will review the specifics of the role. Your colleagues at the municipality, of course, fully understand your role and the independence it requires.

Who are we?

The Arnhem Youth & Wmo Advisory Council is an independent advisory body to the Mayor and Aldermen. We provide both solicited and unsolicited advice to the Mayor and Aldermen on matters related to the social domain. We always base our advice on the question: what does this mean for the residents of Arnhem? Our advisory council consists of thirteen members, including the chair. All members are volunteers and residents of the municipality of Arnhem. We do what we do best: maintaining contact with residents (and resident groups), gauging the concerns of the community, and providing deeper insight into policy issues from the residents’ perspective. We advise the municipality with a focus on all residents of Arnhem and the broader community.

Your role and collaboration with members will take the form of an administrative secretary and independent policy advisor. You will also work closely with colleagues—the policy and administrative advisors—at the City of Arnhem.

What do we offer you?

With the City of Arnhem, you can count on:

• A competitive gross monthly salary in pay grade 9, ranging from a minimum of €3,167 to a maximum of €4,537, based on a 36-hour workweek;
  
• A 12-month employment contract with the intention of a permanent position;
  
• 144 statutory vacation hours and 50.4 additional vacation hours per calendar year, based on a 36-hour workweek;
  
• A 17.05% discretionary financial allowance of up to €773 per month, based on a 36-hour workweek, is available to you. You can choose to have this allowance paid out or use it for various purposes;
  
• A solid pension that you build up with ABP;
  
• An individual career budget of €500 per year;
  
• Opportunities for personal development and career advancement thanks to our range of training programs;
  
• A laptop and a phone;
  
• Hybrid work: You have the freedom to alternate between working from home and working in the office. We also believe a healthy work-life balance is important; you can discuss and agree on your workspace and working hours.
  

We have listed our entire benefits packageforyou.

Who are we looking for?

Someone who has a strong sense of independence and self-reliance. You are not swayed by other people’s opinions and can withstand (social) pressure. You are also aware of your surroundings and the organization. You are attentive to and take into account relevant internal and external developments and the consequences these may have for the Youth and/or Wmo policy areas. You are a skilled networker; you easily establish contacts and know how to develop, maintain, and utilize them both within and outside the organization.

You’re a good listener, ask questions to clarify, and know how to get to the heart of conversations, texts, and issues. We also like to draw on your creativity. Creativity is about thinking outside the box and looking at things from new perspectives to come up with something new. You enjoy working with others toward a shared goal, actively seek collaboration, and are eager to share information with others. In doing so, you prioritize the collective outcome over individual interests.

We also ask:

• Proficiency in Dutch, both written and spoken;
  
• Flexibility in terms of availability. This is because some of the Youth & Wmo Advisory Board’s meetings are held in the evenings. Tasks such as maintaining contacts are carried out during the day;
  
• Flexibility in your role. You must be able to switch easily between the administrative (secretary) and substantive (policy support) roles;
  
• Customer focus: you actively respond to the needs and interests of the advisory board;
  
• An understanding of political dynamics, relationships, and interests, or a desire to develop this understanding.

Where will you be working?

With more than 165,000 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 1,200 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 July 2. Please submit your resume and a cover letter. The cover letter can be in any format—for example, a letter, an image, or a video. We’d love to hear what motivates you to apply for this position. We’d also appreciate your response to the motivation question described below. By July 10 at the latest, you’ll hear about the next steps, such as an invitation to an interview. Interviews will take place on July 12 between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Please mark this date in your calendar.

The motivation question, competence and independence:

Can you give an example of a situation in which you acted independently? This could be a situation in which you dared to express a different opinion or in which you did not let yourself be influenced by other views or (social) pressure. What was your role? What was your advice? What was the outcome?

In your cover letter, we’d like to see an example that’s as specific as possible, using the STARR method. Could you use some help writing your cover letter? Check out our job application tips at: https://www.werkenvoorarnhem.nl/sollicitatietips/.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position or would like to get in touch informally, please contact Elvira Flaton at elviraflaton@adviesraadarnhem.nl. If you have questions about the recruitment and selection process, please contact Angela Eikelboom, recruiter, at +31625181933, viaWhatsApp, or byemail (werkenvoor@arnhem.nl).

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.