Area Director

What will you be doing? 

As an Area Director, you build connections. You link neighborhood programs to urban programs and strategic priorities. You draw on the knowledge within the neighborhoods to inform your work and thinking, and you actively communicate this within the civil service, the political sphere, and its social partners. You do this by advancing concrete cases involving diverging interests. These cases are complex and socially oriented. You propose a course of action and priorities to resolve the issues. You ensure administrative support and the corresponding implementation of the mandate. You do this on behalf of the urban neighborhood manager, following the advice of the neighborhood council.

In addition, you will be responsible for:

• Defining tasks in concrete terms and developing results-oriented assignments; maintaining and expanding internal and external networks;
• Contributing ideas for neighborhood programs based on the new neighborhood policy document;
• Implementing and advancing the strategic goals in the neighborhoods;
• Developing the role of area director.

Who are we? 

Together with the Neighborhoods Team, you will (soon) be working within the Neighborhoods and Services Cluster as part of the Living Environment Teams. In this role, you will work closely with neighborhood managers, program managers, and administrative advisors.

For now, this position is part of the Living Environment Department; you will be a member of the Neighborhoods Team, which also includes the administrative advisors for neighborhoods and citizen participation.

What do we offer you? 

This position is for 32 to 36 hours per week with the City of Arnhem. The salary is in pay scale 13, ranging from a minimum of €5,309 to a maximum of €6,993 gross, based on a 36-hour workweek. You will receive 144 statutory vacation hours plus 50.4 hours of additional vacation time. You will receive a flexible spending allowance of 17.05% (up to €1,192 per month), which you can choose to have paid out or use for your professional development. You will also accrue pension benefits through the well-known ABP. The municipality of Arnhem will offer a one-year contract at the start, with the intention of a permanent position. We have listed our entire benefits package for you.

We have listed our entire benefits packageforyou.

Who are we looking for? 

​​ You can provide strategic advice on issues affecting the neighborhood. You are a decisive individual who approaches your work with courage. You can turn nothing into something. And you quickly identify opportunities for collaboration because you naturally see connections with developments in society and the city. This makes you a high-level discussion partner, able to draw on a solid foundation of professional knowledge and expertise in the field. You are capable of working and thinking in a project-based manner. This enables you to convince and engage others at all levels. As a result, you are also able to resolve complex administrative issues. You work on an assignment basis and are a reliable contractor. You are also capable of connecting parties such as the civil service, social partners, and the administration to our social challenges in the neighborhoods within a complex landscape of interests.

You should also bring: 

• University-level work and thinking skills; 
• Several years of experience with contract work and project-based work, in both the social and physical sectors;
• Demonstrable knowledge of community-based work;
• Demonstrable years of relevant work experience in a municipal organization, during which you have dealt with the impact of your work following new council elections and the formation of a new executive committee;
• You are a creative thinker, approach problems from different angles, and are able to come up with innovative solutions;
• You are responsible for drafting documents such as memos for the executive board and the council, and you are able to communicate effectively in writing, presenting information in a clear and concise manner.

Where will you be working? 

With more than 165,000 residents, Arnhem is the 12th-largest municipality in the country. The city’s diversity is what makes it who it is. Arnhem is a municipality where urban dynamism, a natural living environment, and economic strength reinforce one another. We have a rich history and are the capital of the province of Gelderland. The municipal organization employs approximately 1,200 dedicated and enthusiastic staff members who work hard every day for the city, its residents, visitors, businesses, and institutions. 

How do you apply? 

You can apply for this position through the application button until October 22, 2023. Please submit your resume and a cover letter. The cover letter can be in any format—for example, a letter, an image, or a video. We’d love to hear what motivates you to apply for this position. We’d also appreciate your response to the motivation question described below. By October 24 at the latest, you’ll hear about the next steps, such as an invitation to an interview. Interviews will take place on October 25 between 1:30 PM and 5:30 PM. Please mark this date in your calendar.  

The motivation question:  

1. Case Study

Can you give an example of a case you’ve handled in which the interests of the various parties involved differed? Preferably one involving conflicting policies.  

2. Political and administrative sensitivity 

Give an example of the context in which you work or have worked. What have you learned from the political tensions within an organization? What would you do differently than you did? 

We would like to see a concrete example in your cover letter, using the STARR method. Could you use some help writing your cover letter? Check out our job application tips at: https://www.werkenvoorarnhem.nl/sollicitatietips/. 

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position or would like to get in touch informally, please contact Janna Brouwer, Head of the Living Environment Teams Department, at +31 631 102 194.

If you have any questions about the recruitment and selection process, please contact Fardis Americaan, recruiter, at +31 615 393 619, viaWhatsApp, or byemail (werkenvoor@arnhem.nl). 

The City of Arnhem works for and with its residents to build a diverse and inclusive city: a city where everyone is welcome and can be their true selves. To achieve this, we also need an inclusive organization with a diverse workforce where no one is excluded. We want to attract and retain talented individuals with their unique backgrounds, because we are convinced that diversity strengthens us. That is what we need to become that diverse and inclusive city. So feel welcome at the City of Arnhem, no matter who you are or what your life circumstances may be.