Operations Manager

About Woonwaard

'A home for everyone, now and in the future'

Woonwaard manages 14,500 rental units in the municipalities of Alkmaar and Dijk en Waard. Our mission is: “A home for everyone, now and in the future.” In our vision for the future, we have translated this into the themes “a suitable home, a pleasant neighborhood, a healthy home, and a valuable organization.” We operate as a modern, process-oriented organization and collaborate with our tenants and (supply chain) partners to achieve our social goals. As a housing corporation, we are defined by our ambition, our ability to deliver, and the commitment of our employees.

The Operations Team

The Operations Team consists of about 30 professionals who work in subteams focused on their respective areas of expertise:

• Finance (financial administration and control).
• IT & Automation (IT & Automation Policy, IT Projects, and Functional Management).
• Business Intelligence.
• Purchasing,
• HR,
• Facilities

The Operations Team is a dynamic group of experienced, highly skilled professionals who operate largely independently and are committed to advancing their expertise in their field. The manager facilitates professional development and policy formulation, maintains communication with the board and the management team, and serves as a sounding board on both content and process.

The position

In this broad-ranging role, you will lead the subject-matter experts. The desired management style is visionary (based on the Woonwaard vision), development-oriented—with trust, freedom, and responsibility as top priorities—and unifying within the team and externally. Together with your fellow managers and the board, you will contribute ideas on the organizational goals to be achieved and provide direction for the development of plans and policies in the aforementioned areas. You are also able to translate these into implementation within the organization.

Our priorities

Although the various areas of focus within the operations team are well under control, we do see a number of key priorities for the coming period:

• Strengthening collaboration within the organization by maintaining close ties with other teams: providing guidance, taking a proactive approach, and offering expert advice. In doing so, support the Management Team members in working more consistently based on the principle of integrated management.
• Further strengthening I&A. This involves enhancing information management and shaping the digitization of internal and external processes. Another key priority is the implementation of IT projects based on well-defined client-contractor relationships (IT governance).
• Developing the business control function, which involves better aligning business operations with the core process and our organizational goals.

Your position within the organization

You are a member of Woonwaard’s Management Team. Woonwaard has a two-person collegial board that provides guidance to the Management Team, which includes the managers of the Operations, Leasing, Property Management, Housing & Neighborhoods, and Customer Contact Center teams, as well as a broadly composed Strategy and Development team. You report directly to the board member responsible for the Operations portfolio. You advise and participate in the audit committee of the Supervisory Board.

What do you bring to the table?

You are enthusiastic and have a broad perspective (and vision) regarding the operational management functions assigned to the team. You have at least some experience in financial and business management at the strategic level and a strong affinity for IT. Above all, you are someone who knows how to link operational management to the core business process and our strategic objectives

Your leadership style is motivational and coaching-oriented, focused on improving performance and fostering the development of team members. You have a clear vision of what is needed to guide the team’s future development. You are able to establish substantive and relational connections between your team and other teams. You serve as a sounding board for employees, provide autonomy and responsibility, and know when to let go or step in to provide more guidance. In your communication, you are clear and consistent. And you know how to bring calm and clarity when needed. You know how to position the operations team appropriately within the organization.

You have a background in finance and possess strong financial and analytical skills. You have a clear vision for information management and the digitization of processes within a housing association. You know how to realistically and systematically map out the opportunities offered by digitization and implement them in close collaboration with your colleagues in the field. You have the necessary expertise to professionalize digitization within the organization. You know how to integrate new developments and technologies into internal processes while playing an active role in maintaining integrity, such as in the area of security.

In doing so, you will address the questions and needs of other teams and provide the necessary expertise, tools, and systems from your team. If necessary, you will step into your role as a manager when escalations are imminent (for example, when projects are delayed and this has a significant impact). You will serve as a strong and senior point of contact for the board and add value to the Executive Management Team and the Audit Committee of the Supervisory Board.

In short:

• You have extensive management experience leading professionals.
• You are a team player and adopt a coaching leadership style, using it to inspire and motivate your employees.
• You bring experience and a steady hand to the table, as evidenced by your process management skills and your ability to maintain calm, keep a clear overview, and set priorities.
• You are proactive and decisive; you focus on processes and results;
• You have broad knowledge of and experience with—preferably—all areas of expertise within your team, but at a minimum with business and financial issues as well as information management/IT, and you know how to link these to our core business processes and strategic goals.
• You enjoy taking on a wide range of responsibilities, which requires you to be able to switch easily and quickly between different areas of expertise and between the strategic and tactical/operational levels.
• You have strong analytical skills and are able to work with your subject-matter experts to develop policies in various key areas;
• Knowledge of and experience with housing associations is a plus, but not required.

What do we offer you?

A challenging work environment where you’ll work alongside dedicated and motivated colleagues to serve our tenants every day. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to develop both personally and professionally. We’re initially offering a one-year contract based on a 32–36-hour workweek. You’ll receive a salary of up to €7,345 (Scale M of the Housing Services Collective Labor Agreement). We also offer a solid pension plan and a healthy work-life balance. This includes a 4*9 work schedule, the option to purchase additional vacation days, and working hours between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM. In addition, we collaborate with 16 other housing associations in “Project Loopbaan,” and we encourage employees to get the best out of themselves and to make the most of and develop their talents. We facilitate this through a website, an opportunities portal (where job openings and internships are shared), educational and career counseling, training sessions, professional meetings, and events.

Procedure

Woonwaard is being assisted in this recruitment process by the executive search firm Colourful People. For more information about Woonwaard, the position, or the recruitment process, please contact Rick Verhoeven, a partner at Colourful People (06 2670 6757). You can express your interest by submitting a cover letter and resume (PDF) no later than April 15 via the “Apply” button on this page. Rest assured that your information will be treated confidentially. Interviews with the selection and advisory committees are scheduled for Monday, May 15, between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM.