Director of the Facilities Office

The position

Amsterdam is growing, changing, and full of ambition—and the Facilities Department is right there with it! As director, you will lead a team of over 700 employees who ensure that all City of Amsterdam staff have a pleasant and comfortable workplace suited to their responsibilities. Your field of work? Diverse and challenging. From municipal office space and energy procurement and management to security and services. Issues such as hybrid working, sustainable procurement, innovation in service delivery, and an accessible government call for a proactive, future-proof, and accessible facilities policy.

You will oversee the smooth execution of tasks such as technical building management and the provision of services and resources, as well as strategic consulting and complex project management. With a diverse team of employees—ranging from contract managers and policy advisors to cleaning staff, facilities staff, and technical property managers—you will build an organization that thinks ahead and evolves alongside the city. As a strategic thinker, you position the Facilities Department as an indispensable partner within the municipal organization. You ensure that your department is involved early on, responds to user needs, and positions your department as a full-fledged discussion partner for other departments and stakeholders, navigating the tension between sustainability, affordability, and user satisfaction.

You will continue to build a proactive, future-proof organization that not only provides support but also makes a difference. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and inclusion and diversity, you will work to improve our services, with key responsibilities including:

• Sustainability:reducing energy and resource consumption in the municipality and lowering CO2 emissions, with the goal of becoming a climate-neutral organization by 2030
• Government office space: Developing future-proof and accessible workspaces and efficiently managing municipal real estate.
• Inclusive services:Providing facility services that are accessible and relevant to everyone

You will report to the City Director of Operations

Here's what you do on an average day

• You will be part of the management team for the Operations cluster.

• Together with six other managers, you will form the Management Team and oversee a staff of over 700 employees—from policy development to implementation—across multiple locations throughout the city.

• You will focus your strategic efforts on topics such as sustainability and inclusive service delivery.
• You will advise the Municipal Executive on how to make municipal housing future-proof.
• You bridge the gap between policy and implementation and ensure that your teams perform at their best. 
• You actively invest in collaborating with your immediate colleagues in HR, procurement, finance, and real estate. Together, you work to reduce “silo thinking” and provide more efficient and better services to the city.
• You will focus on ensuring that the internal organization reflects cultural diversity in order to better reflect the superdiverse city of Amsterdam.
• You set a good example by conveying the message, both internally and externally, that Amsterdam does not tolerate discrimination, exclusion, inappropriate behavior, microaggressions, etc., and that these policies are strictly enforced.

This is where you get started

We strive to be a great, modern, diverse, and inclusive 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 working population. So, whoever you are, you’re more than welcome here!

The Facilities Office is part of the Operations Cluster, which manages the day-to-day operations of the City of Amsterdam and provides flexible and reliable group-wide services to colleagues and the administration. The cluster consists of the following departments: HR, Finance & Procurement, Facilities Management, Communications, Legal Affairs, Interim & Consulting, and the Greater Amsterdam Insurance Company (VGA). Would you like to read more about this? Clickhere.

The Facilities Office manages the facilities for a wide range of users. It supports the civil service in its day-to-day operations for as many as 19,000 employees. In addition, the office ensures that our buildings are accessible and inclusive for residents and visitors to the city. Various departments contribute to this effort, each with its own focus:

• The site teams: provide cleaning, security, reception, and facility services.
• Housing Department: Responsible for technical management, maintenance, facilities management, and housing strategy.
• Services Division: Focuses on soft services (catering, office furnishings, security, contract management) and strategic policy.
• The Staff Department: Facilitates decision-making processes, organization-wide development, and management support. Assists the Management Team and the Director with strategic vision and policy development.
• The Service Desk (HSP): Providessupport to employees via phone, online, and in person for office and workplace-related services, IT, and software applications. Focus on quality management, customer contact, and service improvement through data analysis.
• Greenoffice: Acceleratesthe sustainability transition by monitoring and advising within the organization and encouraging sustainable thinking and practices.

What you bring

• Academic level of work and thinking
•  At least 5 years of managerial experience at a strategic and executive level within an operational organization
• Demonstrable experience with inclusive leadership within a diverse organization or experience working to foster diversity within an organization; this must be evident in your cover letter
• Demonstrable experience in change management, cultural transformation, and organizational development; this should be evident in your cover letter
• Demonstrable experience in stakeholder management and an innovative approach to facility services; this should be evident in your cover letter

You should have the following skills:

• Inclusive thinking and action: As a leader in an inclusive organization, you think and act inclusively, are sensitive to cultural and religious differences, are committed to fostering and maintaining a diverse work environment, and create a socially safe environment while caring for employees regardless of their identity. You are open, empathetic, and approachable. You are a good listener, reliable, and predictable, and you inspire trust by embracing vulnerability in yourself and others.
• Collaborate and build connections: you break down silos and build bridges within the organization.
• Driving change: You are a pioneer who inspires others to join you on the journey of transformation.
• Providing vision and direction: You have a clear vision for facilities management, and with well-defined goals and decisive leadership, you guide your management team toward the future.

What we offer you

As Director of the Facilities Office, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary ranging from €7,529 to €10,662 (pay grade 17) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A permanent contract with a five-year term of appointment.
• 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 €3 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• Flexibility when it comes to your work hours and location. With the Amsterdam Digital Workplace, you can log in wherever and whenever you want.
• A laptop and a cell phone.

Hybrid work: The City of Amsterdam has adopted a hybrid work model. For you, this means that, if you wish, you can work partly from home and partly at the office, depending on your job responsibilities. You may request remote work equipment to set up a home office that complies with health and safety standards.

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

Apply for this job

• Please apply by February 4 at the latest using the"Apply" button.
• The selection process will begin immediately after the application deadline.
• The selection process will consist of two interviews with the selection committee and the advisory committee. This will be followed by a consultation meeting with a delegation from the Employee Participation Council and an interview with the alderman responsible for the portfolio. 
• An assessment may be part of the process.
• Requesting references may be part of the process.
• This job opening is being advertised both internally and externally. Employees of the City of Amsterdam will be given priority in the hiring process.
• Every new colleague who joins our team must submit a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG).
• The municipality has a preference policy starting at level 15. This means that, when candidates are equally qualified, preference is given to those with a non-Western immigrant background.
• Would you like to review the job posting again? If so, be sure to save it, because it will no longer be available after the application deadline.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

Please feel free to contact Vera Enklaar, recruitment consultant, at 06-27174724 or v.enklaar@amsterdam.nl. From January 1 through January 16, please direct any questions to Babette des Bouvrie, management development consultant, at 06-28364248 or b.des.bouvrie@amsterdam.nl.