Director of the Breitner Academy

We are seeking a new director for the Breitner Academy, a top-tier higher professional education program in visual arts and design in Amsterdam and part of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK). We are looking for a collaborative, results-oriented leader who can effectively position this faculty both within and outside the AHK, empower staff, and guide the organization’s continued professionalization and development.

At the Breitner Academy, we love art, we create art, and we are passionate about helping others experience art—whether by creating it, talking about it, writing about it, or teaching it. Visual arts and design play an indispensable role in society and serve as a source of inspiration for a constantly evolving, dynamic community.

Due to the departure of our current director—after ten wonderful years—we are looking for a new leader. In short, if you love the visual arts, education, and Amsterdam in all its diversity, and if you see yourself in the profile below, then the Breitner Academy is looking for you as

Director (m/f/x) [0.8/1.0 FTE]

Breitner Academy

The Breitner Academy is a leading institution for art education, offering a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and Design Education, a Master’s degree in Art Education, and several post-bachelor’s programs in art education (film and elementary education). Characteristic of the Breitner Academy are the small scale and personal nature of the education, the warm, welcoming atmosphere, and the collaboration among the various disciplines within the academy, as well as with the outside world. Students explicitly choose the Breitner Academy. With a bachelor’s degree in hand, graduates hold a first-degree teaching certification and are ready to enter the entire field of art education. You can work in education or choose a career at a cultural institution. Alumni also often choose to combine teaching with their own practice as visual artists. The career prospects are excellent; nearly 90 percent of graduates find a job at their level.

The Breitner Academy offers a rich combination of visual arts instructors who maintain their own artistic practices and know better than anyone how to bring an idea to life, theory instructors who impart knowledge of visual arts and design from various eras and cultures, and educational instructors who teach you how to develop educational programs, teaching skills, and research. In addition to traditional skills, the program focuses on both new and less conventional visual innovations. For example, the Artechlabconnects artwith science and technology, and the academy collaborates closely with the Art Education research group and the Center of Expertise Art Science and Education at the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK). Furthermore, through its collaboration and connections with the mainstream education sector and art and cultural institutions in Amsterdam and the surrounding region, the academy is strongly attuned to its metropolitan environment.

Art allows children and young people to experience new worlds of thought and imagination. They learn to observe and listen, to marvel, and to analyze, explain, interpret, nuance, and appreciate (complex) subjects. This is important for all students and for ensuring a level playing field for children in our region. Not all students are exposed to art, culture, and heritage early on in their home lives. Developing a love for art and experiencing it now means they will also enjoy museums, performances, concerts, and other events later in life.

Organization and developments

The Breitner Academy is part of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK), which, with approximately 1,000 dedicated staff members, educates over 3,000 students. In addition to the Breitner Academy, the AHK comprises the Academy of Architecture, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, the Netherlands Film Academy, the Reinwardt Academy, and the Academy of Theatre and Dance. Within the AHK, the Breitner Academy is a small academy with approximately 220 students. In the context of operational and financial management, streamlining processes, making strategic decisions regarding the allocation of limited financial resources, securing future-proof and sustainable facilities, and promoting vitality and a healthy work-life balance among staff are of great importance. Achieving a greater influx of students from all neighborhoods of Amsterdam and from the province of North Holland, strengthening the new management team structure, and fostering connections—both internally and externally—are key challenges for this academy. The AHK has a strategic consultation body, which, under the leadership of the Executive Board (CvB), initiates university-wide policy and steers policy-making and policy-implementation processes. The director of the Breitner Academy, together with the directors of the other faculties and the director of the Service Bureau, forms this strategic consultation body (SO).

Director

What will you be doing?

As director, you will have overall responsibility for managing and leading the Breitner Academy and will report to the Executive Board of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK). You will shape this strategic leadership based on a clear and forward-looking vision for the Academy. You provide clear overarching frameworks and, together with the Management Team, set the Academy’s strategic goals regarding student enrollment, facilities, education, and operations, while ensuring the sustainability of previously established initiatives. As director, you maintain an overview of the various processes and provide decisive leadership, while simultaneously fostering visible, internally delegated leadership. Committed, inspiring, open, and distinctive are key words for the Breitner Academy.

The director serves as the public face of the Breitner Academy, both internally and externally. Positioning the Breitner Academy and developing and maintaining networks with internal and external stakeholders is an essential part of this role. This includes stakeholders such as the Executive Board of the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK), the directors of the other academies within the AHK, other higher education institutions, the cultural sector, and the city of Amsterdam, from North to Southeast. In addition, you will work closely with the many training schools in Amsterdam and North Holland and, in your role, participate in various local, regional, and national networks and partnerships focused on education and cultural education. Finally, as director, you are naturally ultimately responsible for ensuring that the Breitner remains an attractive and socially safe academy for students, for future-proof facilities, and for a balanced budget within a financially sound organization. You also serve as a sparring partner and leader for the other Management Team members and staff, and as a point of contact for the Student Council (Academic Council) and the Advisory Board.

Although the Breitner Academy is the only comprehensive teacher training program within the Amsterdam University of the Arts (AHK), arts and cultural education—and the training of students to become teachers—are of great importance to multiple academies within the AHK. Cultural education makes a valuable contribution to the general and personal development of young people and to greater equality of opportunity. There are many developments in the field of education surrounding cultural education; therefore, it is essential that the new director of the Breitner Academy, together with the other directors, fosters greater connection and collaboration among them regarding cultural and arts education, so that they can act more effectively together in the professional and educational fields.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a passionate, enterprising manager to lead the Academy’s continued professionalization and strategic positioning. You are development-oriented and inspiring, with a compelling vision for contemporary education. You have a clear understanding of the education system and recent educational developments, and an eye for opportunities within primary and secondary education in Amsterdam and North Holland. You have a keen eye for social safety, diversity, and inclusion, and the role of arts education within these areas. In doing so, you are inspiring, transparent, and steadfast. As a people-oriented manager, you take the lead when necessary and step back when it is more appropriate. You exude confidence and are skilled at delegating, which makes both the Management Team and other colleagues feel empowered while also knowing they can turn to you for urgent matters. Based on a vision of shared leadership, you ensure that you form a collegial MT and discuss and resolve strategic challenges collaboratively. But as director, you are also decisive and decisive, and you provide clarity when necessary. You are a reliable discussion partner for the AHK’s Executive Board. You are accustomed to working in an informal, open organization with short lines of communication. You ensure structure and clear frameworks, as well as a healthy financial climate at the academy, within a balanced budget and an appropriate staffing structure. Last but not least, as director, you are an entrepreneurial person with a strong affinity for visual arts and art education, who understands what motivates both students and faculty and can creatively respond to opportunities and changing needs in education, the cultural sector, and society.

Skills and qualities:

• You have extensive leadership experience as a director or manager, preferably in the field of education or within a cultural-educational organization;
• You have experience working in a metropolitan and political-administrative context; having a network (particularly in the education sector) in Amsterdam is a plus;
• You have an interest in the visual arts and, more broadly, in developments in the cultural sector;
• You have knowledge of and insight into business principles and financial management.
• You are analytical, strategic, and have the ability to develop a vision;
• You are a dedicated, inspiring, and supportive leader who isn’t afraid to roll up your sleeves and get things done;
• You have a creative mind that can think outside the box and in terms of scenarios;
• You’re bold, enterprising, and have a keen eye for opportunities;
• You are a strong communicator and networker;
• You value principles such as justice, inclusion, and diversity;
• You love visual art, personal growth, and Amsterdam.

What do we offer?

The Breitner Academy is a vibrant, welcoming organization with enthusiastic and dedicated colleagues. We offer an environment where entrepreneurship, commitment, and decisiveness are valued. In addition, we offer you a position with a competitive salary and excellent benefits in accordance with the HBO Collective Labor Agreement (scale 15); pay grade is based on expertise and experience. Initially, this is a one-year employment contract, but with the intention of converting it into a permanent contract. A (development) assessment may be part of the hiring process.

Interested?

We are being assisted in the recruitment and selection process for this position by the executive search firm Colourful People. For more information, please contact senior partner Naima Azough at 06-43449717 or n.azough@colourfulpeople.nl. You can express your interest by uploading your resume and cover letter no later than Friday, September 29, 2023, via the “Apply” button at the bottom of this page. Interviews at the Breitner Academy will take place in weeks 41 and 42. We aim to complete the process by the end of October 2023.