Director of the HKU Utrecht Conservatory

HKU Utrecht Conservatory has been in existence for 150 years and is one of the nine academies within HKU. HKU Utrecht Conservatory offers the Bachelor of Music (Jazz/Pop, Classical/Historical, and Musician 3.0), Bachelor of Music in Education, and Master of Music programs. It trains students to become professional musicians and teachers. They are prepared to become part of the music world in the Netherlands and beyond. HKU Utrecht Conservatory has 140 staff members (50 FTE) and approximately 540 students.

We are looking for a [position] at HKU Utrecht Conservatory

Director of the HKU Utrecht Conservatory, 1.0 FTE

Are you a strategic and people-oriented leader with a vision for higher music education? Someone who can position a “conservatory” as an “innovatorium” within a broad arts college? Who ensures quality, provides clarity, sets the direction, and drives development and results based on trust and transparency? And who is also a networker with connections in education and the arts? Then we are looking for you.

What will you be doing?

As director, you will be responsible for the strategic, organizational, and academic leadership of the HKU Utrecht Conservatory. You will monitor and enhance the quality of education and research, and ensure a stable, well-organized, and inspiring learning and working environment within the broader context of HKU.

You provide strategic direction, establish clear frameworks, and set priorities. You allow others’ expertise and leadership to shine and strike a balance between vision and execution. Through your leadership, you instill confidence, provide space, offer clarity, and inspire a team of passionate professionals. You ensure coherence between artistic ambitions, educational development, human resources policy, and financial sustainability.

You will report to the HKU Executive Board and, together with the other academy directors, contribute to HKU-wide policy. Your management team will include five program directors with hands-on experience in the field and an educational specialist. Your policy will focus on collaboration within HKU, and you will maintain strategic relationships with external partners in the professional music sector, both nationally and internationally.

Key topics for the coming period:

• Continuous development toward a future-proof organization with clear structures and responsibilities;
• Focusing on educational quality and innovation;
• Focus on organizational culture, workplace safety, behavior, and team development;
• Strengthening collaboration across HKU and establishing a presence in the external professional field.

Who are we looking for?

A unifying and steadfast leader who:

• Has experience in leadership, preferably in higher education (in the arts);
• Has a clear vision of leadership, governance, and quality assurance;
• Thinks strategically and leads decisively, with an eye for people as well as for quality and organizational matters;
• Makes decisions with openness and a sense of humor;
• Strengths include building teams, collaborating, delegating responsibilities, and instilling trust;
• can represent HKU Utrecht Conservatory professionally and with conviction both at home and abroad;
• It has an affinity for contemporary music education and its social context, allowing for a variety of perspectives.

What do we offer?

A meaningful leadership role at an inspiring and leading art college. You will have the freedom to set strategic direction and make a lasting impact. You will work in a collaborative environment where artistic quality, professionalism, and social relevance go hand in hand.

The position is classified in pay grade 14 (between €6,460 and €8,235) in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement for higher professional education, depending on your knowledge and experience, plus an 8% vacation allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus. You will initially be offered a one-year contract with the prospect of a permanent position.

Procedure

The recruitment and selection process is being managed by the cultural recruitment firm Marina Wijn Consultants. The contact persons for this position are Maartje Broekhans and Marjolein de Boer. Please submit your application (resume and cover letter) by Sunday, May 10, 2026, at the latest, via info@maartjebroekhans.nl.

• Around the application deadline, you may be invited to a preliminary interview.
• The first round of job interviews will take place on Wednesday, June 3.
• The second round of interviews will take place on Tuesday, June 9.
  A reference check will be conducted, and an assessment may be part of the process.

Additional information

For more information about HKU Utrecht Conservatory, visit www.hku.nl. If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Maartje Broekhans: 06 18254470, info@maartjebroekhans.nl.