National Manager of Employment Law Services at Werkbedrijf

What are you going to do?

As National Manager of the Labor Law Services Department (AJD), you are the public face of this UWV division. You have final responsibility for legal proceedings under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act (WAV) and for handling complaints and claims regarding Work Permits (TWV) and termination of employment.

The AJD Department is part of the Werkbedrijf Division and is dedicated to providing employers with prompt clarity regarding their applications for permits to terminate employees or for the admission of foreign nationals to work in the Netherlands. In doing so, we are committed to facilitating communication, ensuring clarity regarding rights and obligations, providing clear guidance on the applicable procedures, and handling data with care and in an ethical manner.

The TWV function is centralized. Dismissal applications are processed from five main locations. The national legal expert team develops implementation policies regarding dismissals and TWV and coordinates these with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment, the IND, and social partners. As National AJD Manager, you directly supervise the District Managers (5), the Manager of Employment and Dismissal Applications (A&O), and the TWV Manager. In addition, you manage a small, supportive staff unit of 5 employees.

The handling of dismissal and temporary work permit (TWV) matters involves politically sensitive issues. The combination of sometimes complex cases and political sensitivity can pose a significant reputational risk, with decisions potentially having major (financial) consequences for both employers and employees.

As National Manager for AJD, in addition to internal contacts, you are responsible for maintaining relationships with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW), the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (WVS), and the Ministry of Justice and Security (J&V) at the highest civil service levels, as well as with the National Ombudsman, employer organizations, labor unions, and the academic community (professors, research institutes) regarding substantive issues concerning the content, application, and implementation of laws and regulations relevant to AJD. In this role, you serve as a connector within the network at Werkbedrijf and beyond, liaising with other divisions/departments of the UWV, as well as with employees at all levels.

As the national manager for AJD, you will make appropriate policy decisions that align with the UWV’s direction, the wishes of the commissioning parties (SZW/J&V), and SBK’s strategy. This requires that you dare to be critical and are well aware of the interests of your counterparts, while also demonstrating creativity in your actions with a view to the expected interests of the client groups—employers and affected employees/citizens. You work and reason based on the objectives and context of regulations, but always with a commitment to maintaining and expanding AJD tasks.

As a national manager, you are ultimately responsible for this aspect of the UWV’s services, so you also serve as a domain owner. Within the UWV, domain owners are responsible for designing, modifying, and managing (part of) the UWV’s services. Together with other domain owners, you will collaborate on an integrated approach and effective client service. Within Werkbedrijf, you contribute to the Domains and Services and participate in broadly composed steering groups that focus on the feasibility of service offerings, particularly from the IV perspective.

In this role, you will report directly to the Director of National Implementation, Staff, and Information Products. The AJD department has a staff of approximately 200 full-time equivalents.

What we expect from you

At UWV, we believe it is important for our people to work together in a customer-focused and results-oriented manner. We ask that you feel comfortable with UWV’s leadership profile, which centers on the concept of “balance.” As a leader at UWV, you operate in a complex world where you act independently yet with political and administrative sensitivity, where you innovate yet also provide stability, where you coach yet also guide, and where you keep an eye on the big picture yet also on the people involved.

In addition:

• Do you have an academic level of work and thinking, preferably with a legal background?
• Are you a manager with strong administrative skills (decision-making, planning, accountability/monitoring, staffing, risk tolerance, budget control, budgeting, KPIs, and value-driven management)?
• Can you think ahead, analyze, anticipate, build support, and engage stakeholders at the tactical and strategic levels?
• Do you possess excellent writing skills? You are able to write a persuasive argument on issues spanning a broad range of policy and/or implementation areas, backed by factual evidence.
• You have a keen understanding of organizational dynamics; you can strike a balance between providing encouragement and offering guidance at both the horizontal and decentralized management levels. You serve as a key point of contact for senior management, operational staff, and other stakeholders.
• Are you able to analyze and forecast trends in the labor market, the economy, and various events that could impact the AJD’s areas of responsibility? In particular, you have up-to-date knowledge of labor law as well as an understanding of how it relates to other specialized (legal) fields.
• Are you able to promote and position AJD’s vision and mission both within and outside the UWV’s Werkbedrijf division? It is also important that you are able to safeguard AJD’s autonomy within that division.
• Finally, you’re sociable, have an open-minded attitude, are naturally curious, are a good listener, and have a positive influence on others.

We’re asking quite a lot of our new National Manager of Labor Law Services.

We hope we’ve inspired you to apply for this challenging position.

Don’t hesitate to apply, and make a strong case in your cover letter!

What can you expect from us?

• We offer you a place within an organization where we value you for who you are and what you bring to the table. For us, the development of our employees is a top priority. You’ll be working in a fascinating field that directly impacts people’s lives. You’ll interact with various stakeholders—who often have conflicting interests—and collaborate with people who primarily have a legal focus but also a strong social conscience.
• We offer a full-time position with a permanent contract. The position is classified in pay grade 14 in accordance with the UWV Collective Labor Agreement and carries a maximum gross monthly salary of approximately €9,358, excluding fixed allowances, vacation pay, and year-end bonus, as well as the employer’s pension contribution. A company car is included in the terms of employment. The final offer will depend on your experience and profile.
• We offer flexible working hours and excellent remote work facilities. We are actively implementing a hybrid work model.
• For more information, see also the UWV Collective Bargaining Agreement 2023

A little more about our company

About Labor Law Services (AJD)

The team’s mission is to make lawful, careful, and timely decisions on applications for work permits and employment.

The AJD department is part of UWV Werkbedrijf. AJD has five regional offices for handling layoffs, one central office for handling WAV matters, and a staff and policy department. The department has a total of approximately 200 full-time equivalents.

The Dismissal Task

AJD processes permit applications from employers who wish to terminate employees for business reasons or due to long-term disability. We determine whether the legally required termination permit (based on the Civil Code) can be granted or must be denied.

If at least 20 employees are being laid off at the same time, the employer must report this to the AJD and consult with the employee representative body (unions/works council). The AJD verifies that this “WMCO notification” is correct before processing the applications for collective layoffs.

The WAV Task

AJD processes work permit applications from employers who wish to hire employees from outside “Europe” (the European Economic Area or Switzerland) to work in the Netherlands. We determine whether the work permit required by law (under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act—WAV) can be granted or must be denied. This permit is formally known as an “employment permit.”

AJD also handles requests for advice from the IND regarding the Combined Residence and Work Permit. This work is carried out in close collaboration with the IND.

AJD also records reports related to, among other things, cross-border service provision and the knowledge industry.

Information and education

AJD provides answers to questions about employment law from citizens and employers. These include questions about (entering into and terminating) employment contracts, probationary periods, temporary contracts, rights related to temporary work and payroll services, non-compete clauses, terms and conditions of employment, and more. AJD also provides answers to questions about required permits. Extensive information about this work is available on the websites UWV.nl and werk.nl.

Every year, AJD holds regional employer conferences and a national conference, all with a legal focus.

The priorities for 2024 are:

•  Ensuring that employers and employees feel seen, heard, and supported, in line with the UWV’s commitment to a more human-centered approach to service delivery.
• Improve the department’s accessibility and visibility both within and outside the UWV.
• Managing the transition resulting from the various digitalization initiatives in our business unit over the next two years.
• Cooperation and data sharing with the Labor Market Information Division,
• Employer Service Centers, Regional Mobility Teams, and Regional Job Centers (under development) to support the matching of job openings with job seekers.
• Translating the new cabinet policy into the implementation of AJD. Key issues here include the effects of labor migration and the increasing flexibility of the labor market.

Interested?

We value diversity. Different perspectives, backgrounds, and insights enhance our intellectual capacity and expand our range of solutions, enabling us to best meet the needs of society. It doesn’t matter where you were born, what you believe in, how old you are, or whom you love. In this way, we work together to create an inclusive work environment where everyone feels at home and has the opportunity to grow.

Are you interested in this position and do you think you’re a good fit? If so, please send a brief cover letter along with your current resume.

You can upload your cover letter and resume only through the application link. The deadline is December 12, 2023.

The interviews will take place on January 3, 2024.

An assessment may be part of the process.

As part of this process, preliminary interviews may be conducted with potentially suitable candidates.

More information about the job opening

For further details regarding this job opening, please contact Henk Meines, Director of National Implementation, Staff, and Information Products. Phone: 06-46358028 or email: henk.meines@uwv.nl. For further information regarding the application process, please contact Ineke Kramer, MD Advisor, at 06-31922339 or via ineke.kramer@uwv.nl.