Lobbyist

As the sixth-largest municipality in the Netherlands and the “capital” of the Northern Netherlands, Groningen has worked hard in recent years to increase its influence in The Hague. Now it is time for the next step: we want to appoint an outstanding lobbyist, a permanent representative in The Hague.

As the City of Groningen’s lobbyist in The Hague, you’ll play a vital role in raising the profile of Groningen and its partners from your base in The Hague! You’ll actively promote the city’s positions and position Groningen as a major player. You will work closely with colleagues in the Corporate Staff and maintain strong ties with colleagues from all relevant departments, the corporate management, and the Municipal Executive.

With your experience and knowledge, you are the persuasive and authoritative voice of Groningen in The Hague. You serve as a full-fledged discussion partner and advisor to both the organization and the Municipal Executive. You ensure an excellent flow of information thanks to your strong connections to the “world of The Hague” and your understanding of its “dynamics.” As a lobbyist, you identify opportunities and risks, such as potential changes in legislation and regulations, initiatives, and funding, and take proactive steps to create opportunities. With your extensive political and administrative network, both regionally and nationally, you will work closely with partners such as VNG, G4, G40, and SNN. Together, you will forge coalitions and alliances to advance the interests of Groningen and the region.

You are the friendly and experienced point of contact for members of parliament, government ministries, and other stakeholders in The Hague; you may have gained your previous experience there as well. Your can-do attitude and skills enable you to contribute ideas on the further development of our lobbying strategy, which you then successfully implement with your colleagues in Groningen. As a lobbyist, you also play a role in promoting advocacy and political and administrative sensitivity within our organization. You encourage knowledge sharing and put advocacy on the agenda throughout the organization.

You will not only lobby on behalf of the municipality, but also work closely with our policy experts and administrators. Thanks to your excellent communication and interpersonal skills, you feel at home in a variety of settings.

Will you be our link between Groningen and The Hague? As a lobbyist, you’ll have the opportunity to work in a dynamic environment. You’ll be based in The Hague, but we also expect you to be in Groningen at least one day a week. In addition, you’ll have meetings at various locations across the country, such as networking events or in other cities. You’ll have an inspiring workplace in The Hague, close to the House of Representatives.

Ready to help take Groningen to new heights with your dedication?

Of course, we’re happy to reward your hard work. When you join our team, you can count on:

• A competitive salary, commensurate with your background and experience, approximately pay grade 12/13.
• A one-year employment contract, with the possibility of a permanent position subject to satisfactory performance.
• The ability to accrue ADV hours.
• In addition to your salary, you earn an extra 17.05% each month through our Individual Choice Budget. This budget includes vacation pay, a year-end bonus, life-course savings contributions, and extra leave hours beyond the statutory minimum. You decide whether you want to save this amount or have it paid out monthly. You can also use it to earn additional leave hours.
• For us, lifelong learning is a given. That’s why we’re offering you access to our digital learning portal, “Groningen Leert.”
• You will be provided with a phone, an iPad, and a laptop to help you work efficiently.
• Because we are constantly evolving as an organization, there are various opportunities for career advancement within both the executive team and the organization as a whole.
• We also offer a range of other employee benefits, which we’d be happy to tell you more about!

We value your dedication and provide a stimulating work environment with excellent benefits.

Information

The City of Groningen has entrusted the management of this recruitment process to the executive search firm Colourful People. If you are interested, please do not send a cover letter or resume; instead, contact Mr. René F. Burgler, senior partner at Colourful People, at r.burgler@colourfulpeople.nl or by phone at 06 28 57 54 36.

"You will then be invited to an introductory interview, during which he would like to learn more about your motivation, values, and aspirations."

During this interview, we’d like to gain a deeper understanding of what drives and motivates you. We’re interested in your personal values and how they align with the role. By reflecting on your past experiences and achievements, we want to see how your motivation and values have influenced your professional growth. In addition, we’d like to know how you handle challenges and setbacks, and how you can use your motivations to find successful solutions. This exploratory conversation gives us the opportunity to get a better picture of who you are as a person and as a professional. We’d like to discover how your motivation and drive align with the organizational culture of the City of Groningen and the team you may end up working in.

Schedule

Due to the holiday season, we ask that you contact us via email in advance. We plan to hold the meetings at the City of Groningen in late September.