Member of the Supervisory Board

About MeerWaarde

MeerWaarde is a social services organization in Haarlemmermeer that aims to prevent people from having to rely on more intensive or long-term assistance. MeerWaarde helps people develop and strengthen their own resilience. At the same time, it encourages people to get involved in the community and facilitates initiatives to that end. In this way, MeerWaarde contributes to a social environment that provides support to people who need it (for a while).

In MeerWaarde’s vision, the resident takes center stage. This is a resident who is capable of contributing to their own well-being within the social environment in which they are active, and who can also draw support from that environment. By connecting, engaging, and encouraging residents, MeerWaarde empowers them to increase their self-reliance and mutual support. MeerWaarde strengthens social networks by encouraging residents to be socially active. MeerWaarde collaborates intensively within the local social sector.

MeerWaarde is active in a wide range of social work fields: child welfare, youth work, elder care, (youth) social work, neighborhood mediation, social counseling, social brokerage, volunteer coordination, and corporate social responsibility. The organization has about 100 staff members and approximately 350 volunteers.

MeerWaarde’s core values are commitment, reliability, curiosity, accessibility, courage, and professionalism. The budget amounts to just under €7 million. MeerWaarde operates under a Supervisory Board model. The organization is led by an executive director who bears ultimate statutory responsibility and reports to the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board has five members. As of January 1, 2024, a vacancy will arise on the Supervisory Board due to the expiration of one member’s term of appointment. The Supervisory Board is seeking a new member.

About you as a new member of the MeerWaarde Supervisory Board

In deze tijd van snelle veranderingen, zoals op het gebied van digitalisering en maatschappelijk debat, streven wij er bij MeerWaarde naar om altijd aansluiting te vinden bij de mensen voor wie wij werken. Dit betekent dat we diversiteit aan perspectieven in onze samenstelling van groot belang achten. Om onze RvT nog veelzijdiger te maken, zijn we op zoek naar een lid dat behoort tot de jongere generatie (<40 jaar) en zich thuis voelt in een multiculturele samenleving. Je kunt op een voldoende abstractieniveau meedenken over de uitdagingen van MeerWaarde, denkt in innovatieve oplossingen, maar houdt voldoende afstand als toezichthouder. Kennis van de regio of een sterke binding hiermee is een pre. Ook ervaring en/of kennis van ondernemerschap en digitalisering zijn gewenst. Kennis van ontwikkelingen in het sociaal domein, in het algemeen, en in het sociaal werk, in het bijzonder, is eveneens een pluspunt.

About you:

• You have an intrinsic motivation to contribute to society, particularly to the social services sector.
• You have a curious and appreciative attitude.
• If you don’t yet have experience as a supervisor but do have professional or personal experience in the social services sector, we warmly invite you to apply!
• You bring unique talents, expertise, and skills to a team of individuals who each make their own contribution, but who also work together to uphold MeerWaarde’s values.
• You have a collaborative attitude; the ability to build connections on various levels is essential for this role.
• You reflect on your own actions and those of the entire Supervisory Board.
• If necessary, you’re not afraid to stray from the beaten path.
• Your cultural and ethnic background reflects the diversity of our society, allowing you to bring your own perspective to the council.
• You enrich the conversations with your unique perspective.
• MeerWaarde, and by extension the Supervisory Board, values a composition that is as broad and diverse as possible in terms of gender, age, cultural background, and specific expertise. Given the location where MeerWaarde operates and the current composition of the board, you will have an advantage if you have a connection to the municipality of Haarlemmermeer and the surrounding area.

About the Supervisory Board

The Supervisory Board oversees the CEO in line with recent developments in corporate governance. The board is also the CEO’s employer, reviews decision-making, and provides both solicited and unsolicited advice to the CEO. The board serves as a sounding board and, if the articles of incorporation so require, approves decisions. Both internally and externally, the board fulfills an ambassadorial role, in which it is accountable to the outside world. A good board can adapt and strike a balance between distance and proximity, oversight and sounding boards, personal involvement and administrative detachment, and can combine firmness with accessibility. Members of this supervisory board receive an annual compensation of €4,000.

The Supervisory Board’s core values are aligned with the organization’s core values and with the board’s responsibilities and authorities:

• Committed to MeerWaarde’s social mission
• Accessible, Visible, and Approachable
• Independent: The Supervisory Board maintains its independence and remains impartial toward all parties
• Trust: The Supervisory Board acts on the basis of trust in the organization’s management and governance
• Collegial: The Supervisory Board as a whole is responsible for fulfilling its supervisory roles. Decisions are made collectively and may be prepared by committees (such as the Compensation Committee, the Audit Committee, and the Quality Committee).
• Transparent: The Supervisory Board is transparent in its words, writing, and actions

The areas the board oversees include:

• Development, implementation, and evaluation of the strategy
• Organizational Performance
• Work environment and the quality of representative consultation
• Performance of the director
• Key external developments
• Relationships with key stakeholders and external reputation
• Duties prescribed by the articles of incorporation

General competencies required to serve on a Board of Supervisors:

• Engagement with civil society in general and the social services sector in particular
• General supervisory qualities, with the right balance between engagement and administrative detachment
• Extensive knowledge of municipal politics and local government
• Be able to contribute to the board in an inspiring manner, with a focus on collaboration and connection both within the board and with the executive board, while maintaining the relationship and offering constructive criticism
• An understanding of the demands that quality, efficiency, and continuity place on an organization such as MeerWaarde

The board meets 5 to 6 times a year. In addition, the audit, compensation, and quality committees are active. A good board consists of members who complement one another, both in terms of expertise and style; they interact with one another in a constructively critical manner and are eager to contribute collectively.

About the application process

Procedure
In this process, MeerWaarde is being supported by the executive search firm Colourful People. For more information about MeerWaarde, the Supervisory Board, the specific Supervisory Board position, or the process, please contact Jantien Plooij, senior partner at Colourful People (06-18403805). You can express your interest by submitting a cover letter and resume (PDF) via the Colourful People website. We guarantee that your information will be treated confidentially.

Schedule The application deadline for this position is December 4, 2023. Interviews with the selection committee are scheduled for December 21, 2023. The anticipated appointment is scheduled for January 2024.