Director

Director of the Creative Coalition

Who are we?

We are the Creative Coalition. We are an association of 44 advocacy groups from the cultural and creative sector, representing a total of more than 45,000 members. Together, we advocate for the interests of everyone working in the cultural and creative sector. We are committed to ensuring a healthy, safe, and fair labor market in our sector. Fair Practice—including Fair Pay, Fair Share, and Fair Chain—are the Creative Coalition’s priorities for the coming period.

Following its founding phase, the association is currently in a transition toward stabilization. At present, we are focusing on connecting and professionalizing our members, building knowledge and representing the association externally, establishing and managing our operational structure, and securing sustainable funding—for example, by entering into agreements with the sector and raising funds. In recent years, the Creative Coalition, together with its members, has gained an increasingly strong position in The Hague’s political arena to represent the voice of workers. It is partly up to the new director to continue these developments.

If you'd like to learn more about what we do, please visit our website: decreatievecoalitie.nl

Who are we looking for?

You will be the first director of the Creative Coalition, and by establishing and building the organization’s structure, you will help shape the processes and culture essential to effectively supporting the association. You will be working in a dynamic environment with members who are dedicated to their professional practices in the cultural and creative sector. You are passionate about the cultural and creative sector and the labor market challenges it faces.

We are looking for a decisive, enthusiastic colleague who enjoys building an organizational structure within a political environment and implementing the Creative Coalition’s policies in a concrete and effective manner. You are a leader who stays the course and knows how to keep it on track.

We are looking for someone who can listen, ask questions, is politically astute, and has strong analytical skills. You are able to bring together a wide range of opinions, bridge divides, and seek the best possible solutions within a highly diverse array of needs and interests across our member organizations. You know how to make decisions. You are able to use your vision and subject matter expertise to develop and implement constructive policies, taking diverse interests into account. Given the size of the organization, a “hands-on mentality” is a plus! You have a university-level education and way of thinking. You are a natural networker and have strong social skills. Experience with organizations undergoing change or in the process of being built is a plus.

The director oversees the organization’s operations and supports, professionalizes, and represents the association (externally), reporting on these matters to the board. The director has an independent mandate within the policy framework but works closely with the independent chair and portfolio holders on the board. The board consists of a minimum of five and a maximum of ten members.

The administrative staff supports the association and the board. The administrative staff consists of a director (0.8 FTE), an office secretary (0.6 FTE), a project manager (0.8 FTE), a marketing and communications officer (0.6 FTE), and staff hired on a (freelance) project basis.

What will you be doing?

• Manages the work organization and bears ultimate responsibility for the quality of its output and for coordination and cohesion within the work organization.
• Sets priorities, provides focus, and ensures effective action and rapid progress in performance and development within the organization.
• Ensures efficient and effective administrative organization and works in accordance with agreed-upon work processes and protocols.
• Manages the project organization and has final responsibility for the projects.
• Working together with the board and the staff organization, develop, formulate, and implement a vision and strategy that meet the needs of the members representing workers in the sector and that support the growth and positioning of the Creative Coalition within the field.
• Work with the board and the staff organization to make proposals for strategic policy regarding ad hoc developments in the sector.
• Reflects on and evaluates the policies implemented.
• Is responsible for gauging the association’s views on the policies and positions taken in lobbying efforts and for ensuring that these are implemented in a clear and effective manner.
• Represents—in consultation with the chair—the Coalition at various external bodies and boards.
• Maintains relationships with the association and relevant organizations in the field.
• Achieve the objectives of the Creative Coalition, based on the policy plan and budget agreed upon with the board.
• Monitoring progress and ensuring the strategic implementation of the Creative Coalition’s mission in fundraising and organizational development.
• Ensuring the professional development of the organization's employees.
• Increase the visibility and strengthen the positioning of the Creative Coalition and its members within the sector.
• Helps to increase the membership of the Creative Coalition and to encourage and promote individual membership among professionals in the sector with one of the Creative Coalition’s member organizations.
• Prepares the budget, the financial statements, the annual report, the strategic plan, and the annual plan for the board.
• Assists the board in setting the agenda for board meetings and the General Members' Meeting.

What do we offer you?

• This is a salaried position.
• The position is initially for a period of one year, with the possibility of a permanent position if the candidate proves to be a good fit and achieves the desired financial goals.
• The position is for 32 hours per week and offers a gross salary of up to €5,510 for 32 hours, depending on experience, excluding vacation pay and a 3% year-end bonus.

We don't have an office (yet). Depending on where our employees live, we'll either find workspace at our members' locations or rent space elsewhere.

We strive to achieve a good balance of diverse backgrounds within our board and our organization, including age, sex, gender, experience, and cultural background. We therefore warmly invite all interested candidates to apply.

If you are interested, please email your cover letter and resume by February 25, 2023, to annemarieharmsen@decreatievecoalitie.nl, addressed to Anne-Marie Harmsen. For more information: 06-46613250. Introductory interviews are scheduled for the last week of February and the first week of March.