Director of Participation and Community Development

Challenges of the role:

• The nationwide reform as part of the transformation of youth care will bring about many changes. How can you effectively anticipate these developments in the best interests of Leiden and the region?
• Strengthen Leiden’s leadership role in the region, based on the principle that partners participate as equals and work together to find solutions.
• An aging population, complex household challenges, and inequality of opportunity mean that services can make a real difference in finding solutions. How can you provide appropriate services and break through these patterns?
• The tight labor market. How do you remain an attractive employer and attract enough talent? How can you simultaneously leverage the talent you have and unlock the expertise within your organization?
• The City of Leiden is striving to increase diversity, based on the idea that problems can be viewed from a variety of perspectives. This can lead to creative and unconventional solutions to problems within existing systems. How can you foster greater diversity within the organization?

What do you have to offer?

You care deeply about developments in society, particularly in the social sector. You have a clear vision of how we can move closer to a future where everyone has equal opportunities and possibilities. You have administrative and/or leadership experience in a complex organization and know how to provide optimal support to the people in your cluster, while simultaneously fostering collaboration within the region. That “region” can vary, by the way; for some issues, we collaborate at the Leiden region level, while for others, at the Holland Rijnland level. This requires a lot of flexibility. You have excellent networking skills and know how to navigate a political and administrative setting. Without letting yourself be overly influenced by the issues of the day, you maintain a broad perspective, and with your vision for service delivery, you set the frameworks necessary for a future-proof organization. Thanks to your way of thinking, you’re able to shed light on things from a slightly different angle. You’re a free thinker who demonstrates creativity independently of the system. In addition to your solid leadership experience, you have experience either in the social sector or in government. With your enthusiasm, you know how to inspire and challenge your team and other colleagues across the organization. You value the quality of your employees, are approachable, and are a good listener. You are able to reflect effectively with your colleagues and employees. You are open to feedback yourself, offering space and support. You are approachable and can communicate effectively at various levels. You have a strong understanding of the context in which Leiden operates as a central municipality, providing direction and clarity on what is and isn’t feasible. A values-driven leader for whom “a human touch” and “working with purpose” are not empty phrases, but who places the needs and potential of residents at the center. You rely on the knowledge and skills of your staff and encourage their professional growth. With energy and courage, you set to work every day to provide the residents of the city of Leiden (and the Leiden region) with a healthy living environment and equitable services. In short, you enjoy working with people toward a common good.

Required skills:

• Politically sensitive
• Visionary (in terms of content, collaboration, and service)
• Connecting
• Forward-looking
• Inspiring
• The courage to bring things up
• Bird's-eye view
• Empathy

PMO Director:

• Has final responsibility for the PMO cluster;
• leads the cluster’s managers and inspires and supports them in carrying out their work and innovating processes, including innovations in the area of ICT/information systems;
• as a member of the Executive Board, shares responsibility for the organization’s ongoing development (based on the “Leiden in Verbinding” organizational development plan);
• is jointly responsible for the management and effectiveness of the entire organization;
• actively contributes to ensuring that policy is developed in an integrated manner, both in terms of content and through a supply chain approach;
• is focused on serving the municipal executive and takes long-term developments and impacts into account;
• As a representative of the municipality and the cluster, maintains contact with external partners and other organizational units in order to fulfill agreements and mutual expectations as effectively as possible;
• serves as the official contracting authority for the substantive management agreements with the director of the reintegration and social development agency DZB;
• represents the cluster and the municipality of Leiden in regional and national networks.

The organization

Leiden is vibrant, sociable, and entrepreneurial. It is the city of knowledge and culture, with a rich history. We are proud of that. Thanks to the diverse connections in the Leiden region, our administrators and staff collaborate with colleagues from neighboring municipalities in numerous areas. Our municipal organization is characterized by a collegial and open work atmosphere, with plenty of room for innovative ideas and a fresh perspective. Our employees take ownership of their work and approach their tasks independently and professionally. Our ambition is to be an agile organization that also reflects the diversity of our city’s residents. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you believe in, or who you love; we want to be an organization where everyone feels at home!

Cluster PMO

Within the municipality of Leiden, the Participation and Social Development (PMO) cluster is responsible for the various tasks within the social domain, such as providing social assistance benefits and offering reintegration programs under the Participation Act through the Work and Income Department. The Social Support and City Bank Department is responsible for implementing the Social Support Act (WMO) and providing debt assistance. The Social Development Policy Department also falls under PMO. In addition to the aforementioned topics, this department focuses on policy development in areas such as sports, youth, health, social care, neighborhood management, and education and school facilities. The PMO Support Department facilitates and supports the cluster in all its tasks. This department includes staff members, the grants team, and legal staff. In total, there are approximately 300 employees.

What we offer:

• A full-time (36-hour) position in pay grade 16 (up to €8,758)
• A one-year contract with the intention of leading to permanent employment.
• A casual atmosphere where we work with dedication and enthusiasm to achieve the best possible results for our residents
• A professional work environment where we focus on your personal development
• Excellent benefits, which you can choose yourself through an Individual Choice Budget. This 17.05% Individual Choice Budget is paid in addition to your salary.
• A major factor affecting your work hours: working from home part-time is the norm.
• You will be provided with a cell phone and a laptop.

Interested?

The City of Leiden has engaged the executive search firm Colourful People to assist with the recruitment and selection of the new PMO director. For more information about the position and the application process, please contact Hatice Türkmen (06-46081232).
If you are interested, please apply by January 6, 2023, by submitting your resume and cover letter via the "Apply" button.
The preliminary interviews will take place (online) on January 9 and 12, 2023.