Public Affairs Manager

The position

As Public Affairs Manager, your primary responsibility will be to lead and further develop the Public Affairs department. The department’s goal is to effectively advocate for the interests of the City of Amsterdam so that policy initiatives at the regional, national, and international levels contribute to addressing Amsterdam’s challenges, such as the energy transition and equal opportunity. Advocacy ranges from maintaining relationship networks to directly influencing policy. And from managing the City of Amsterdam’s positions to securing EU grants. Your team does this in collaboration with the relevant departments within the municipality and, where relevant, with partners in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and other partnerships, such as the municipalities of Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and the Association of Netherlands Municipalities.

Your team consists of 18 independent professionals, whom you inspire and motivate through coaching and collaboration to achieve organizational results and develop their own talents and competencies. In addition, the Public Affairs department is currently at the beginning of a process to realign its working methods and collaboration. This realignment focuses on a clear division of roles and responsibilities between the Public Affairs department and other municipal units involved in advocacy. The goal is to enable the Public Affairs team to better fulfill its role as an external advocate and administrative advisor. You will oversee the implementation of this reassessment and establish new collaboration agreements with key partners within the municipal organization.

You will also represent the Public Affairs department on the management team (MT) of the Governance and Management Advisory (BMA) division, of which the department is a part. You are one of the seven MT members and, in close collaboration with them, make a significant contribution to the policy, strategy, and development of this directorate. Within the BMA directorate, collaboration between the various departments is being further improved, and we aim to work and advise in a more integrated manner, taking a holistic view and focusing on the city’s challenges. You will help realize this transformation initiative of the division, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the organization as a whole. Furthermore, you will serve as the primary point of contact on behalf of the department for the College of Mayors and Aldermen, the Municipal Management Team (GMT), and directors.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You are responsible for the quality of the strategic and administrative advice provided by the Public Affairs department, as well as for the execution of your team’s work.
• You are the public face of the Public Affairs department and maintain contact with key stakeholders both within and outside the organization. You travel abroad a few times a year, including to Brussels, but most of the international work is carried out by your team members.
• You will set the strategic direction for the department’s operations and organization.
• As a manager, you are directly involved with every colleague on your team. You attend various team meetings each week and maintain personal contact with your team members.
• You will represent the interests of the Public Affairs department within the management team of the Governance and Management Advisory Division. You will do so without losing sight of the broader interests of the division.

This is where you get started

We strive to be a great employer that ensures all our colleagues feel seen and valued. We embrace the differences among our colleagues; these differences lead to better results for both our organization and our city. We aim to build a workforce that reflects Amsterdam’s diverse population. So, whoever you are, you’re more than welcome here!

The Public Affairs Department consists of 18 colleagues. The Public Affairs Department aims to effectively represent the interests of the City of Amsterdam so that policy initiatives at the regional, national, and international levels support Amsterdam in addressing its challenges. This advocacy ranges from maintaining networks of contacts to directly influencing policy, from managing the City of Amsterdam’s positions to securing EU grants. This is done in collaboration with the relevant departments within the City and, where appropriate, with partners in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and other partnerships, such as the G4 and VNG. In this role, you will be responsible for the quality of the strategic and administrative advice provided by this department and the execution of its activities. The department consists of two teams. The National/Regional Team focuses on regional and national advocacy. The EU/International Team focuses on advocacy with the EU, as well as maintaining and, where necessary, adjusting international relations with other cities and networks. The EU/International Team also works on securing EU grants for Amsterdam’s plans.

The Public Affairs Department is part of the Administrative and Management Advisory Division (BMA). In addition to this department, the division comprises the Administrative Advisory Department, the GMT/City Secretary Staff, the Mayor’s Office, the Strategy Department, and the Chief Science Office (approx. 138 FTEs). The BMA division advises and supports the City Council, the GMT, and organizational units/city districts on coherence, consistency, and quality in policy, decision-making, and implementation. It provides administrative and strategic advice for the decision-making of the City Council. BMA applies the three basic principles of “Together for Amsterdam”—task-oriented, agile, and with trust—as a guide for its professional development. In the coming period, the challenge of change is to work and advise in a more integrated, development-oriented manner, taking a holistic view and focusing on the city’s challenges.

What you bring

For this Public Affairs Manager position, you must have:

• a completed university degree;
• At least 5 years of experience as a cross-functional manager and member of the management team;
• At least 5 years of experience in a leadership role, in which you were directly involved in political advocacy;
• At least 5 years of knowledge of and managerial experience in organizational development;
• a currently active network of policymakers and top-level decision-makers in The Hague.

You should have the following skills:

• persuasiveness: you are a passionate manager who naturally inspires people and can drive change. Someone who, thanks in part to their experience in public affairs and their network in the political circles of The Hague, has the authority to effectively advise policymakers and senior civil servants on advocating for Amsterdam’s interests;
• Management: You are a people-oriented manager and a facilitative leader who knows how to lead independent, highly educated professionals based on trust. As a manager, you stand by your team, even during difficult times or when facing challenging issues;
• Environmental awareness: You are a good listener and navigate with ease through a dynamic political and administrative environment where conflicting interests are common, and you are able to make successful interventions in such situations;
• Vision: You have a clear long-term vision. You are able to set priorities, drive structural change, and determine the department’s strategic direction.

What we offer you

As a Public Affairs Manager, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and can expect the following employment terms:

• A gross monthly salary between €5,671 and €7,977 (pay grade 15) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• Retaining your current permanent employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, including a transfer, if you are already employed by the City of Amsterdam and have a permanent contract.
• A one-year employment contract with the possibility of a permanent contract if you are not currently employed by the City of Amsterdam.
• Opportunities for professional development and training. Our in-house training center, the Amsterdam School, offers a variety of training programs, development tracks, and on-the-job coaching to help you continue to challenge yourself.
• An individual flexible budget (IKB) equal to 17.05% of your salary, which you can use for things like additional pension contributions or extra days off.
• A pension plan with ABP, the pension fund for the public sector and education.
• A travel allowance of €0.10 per kilometer, up to a 45-kilometer one-way commute, for the number of days you work in the office, and/or a work-from-home allowance of €2 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• The option to alternate between working in person at City Hall in downtown Amsterdam and working from home.

Want to know more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Amsterdam Municipal Personnel Regulations (PGA).

Apply for this job

If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by November 6 at the latest using the “Apply Now” button on our website. 

We would like to receive your cover letter, in which you explain—in no more than one A4 page—why your work experience and skills are a good fit for this position. Your cover letter will be taken into consideration during the selection process.If your resume and cover letter meet the job requirements, we will be happy to invite you for an interview.

The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of a CV/cover letter screening and two rounds of interviews, which will be held in person at City Hall. A selection committee and an advisory committee have been formed for this process. The selection committee consists of the director, a member of the management team, a stakeholder, and an employee. The advisory team consists of employees from the department, a member of the management team, and HR.A development assessment is part of the process.

This job opening is being advertised internally and externally at the same time. Employees of the City of Amsterdam are given priority in the hiring process.The City has a preference policy for positions at pay scale 15 and above. This means that, for all positions at pay scale 15 and above, preference is given to candidates with a non-Western migration background when candidates are equally qualified. We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.