Mid-level Policy Advisor for Youth Work

The position

In this role as a mid-level policy advisor for Youth Work, you will be responsible for the city’s policy on youth work. To this end, you will work very closely with the districts of the City of Amsterdam, Amsterdam-based youth work organizations, and other partners in the city, such as schools, the police, and youth services. If the city council requests a plan to develop a vocational academy for Amsterdam’s youth work, or to ensure that youth work can better contribute to the prevention of juvenile delinquency, you will work with the city districts, youth work organizations, experts with practical experience, and the academic community to determine what is needed to achieve these goals.

As a mid-level policy officer, you will work independently on these kinds of major issues. This role requires you to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders in the city. You understand the various interests at play and are able to work within these sometimes complex fields, under time pressure, to achieve clear results and solutions that everyone supports. Solutions that work not only on paper, but also in practice, in the neighborhoods of our city. Of course, you’ll do this in consultation with your coordinator and manager.

You draft the recommendation for the alderman and sit in on the meeting to explain it. You highlight risks and dilemmas and aren’t afraid to advise against something when necessary.

Here's what you'll do on a typical workday:

• The day begins with a meeting with colleagues from the city districts. You’ll discuss the budget for the coming years with them. In a few years’ time, there will be less funding available. What exactly does this mean for the plans already in place and the deployment of youth workers in the various areas of our city?
• After the meeting, you return to the office and draft a recommendation for the alderman, advising him on the establishment of the vocational academy. How can we ensure that this truly becomes an academy run by and for youth work organizations? The challenge is that we need to bring the right expertise on board very quickly in order to develop educational modules for youth workers. This includes expertise both within the municipality—in the areas of procurement and grants—as well as from the youth work sector and knowledge institutions.
• In the afternoon, you’ll visit a school where the municipality provides funding for youth work programs. You’ll meet with school officials and the youth work organization to discuss their request to increase the number of hours. You’ll explain why this isn’t possible and, together with a colleague from the district office, suggest other options available within the district.
• At the end of the day, you have an urgent meeting with colleagues from the Education Department. You disagree on a motion that has just been submitted. Time is of the essence, as the alderman is scheduled to debate this with the city council as early as tomorrow morning. You will discuss this with the alderman’s political assistant.

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!

In this role, you will be working in the Youth & Care Policy Department. The department is responsible for, among other things, developing policy, implementing and overseeing youth care, the Social Support Act (Wmo), social services, and youth work. Your team consists of approximately 25 employees working on preventive care and youth policy. Together, we are committed to promoting maximum opportunities for the city’s residents. We are located on the Amstel, at City Hall.

What you bring

For this position as a mid-level policy advisor for Youth Work, you must have:

• At least 3 years of work experience as a policy advisor.
• At least 3 years of experience working within a complex organizational structure, collaborating with internal and external partners at various levels within the organization.
• At least 3 years of experience working under time pressure to find common solutions when interests conflict. Please explain this in your cover letter.

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills: Able to distinguish between main and secondary issues, break down a problem into its components, and establish logical connections between the various aspects.
• Environmental Awareness: Demonstrates a solid understanding of professional, organizational, social, and political developments, as well as other environmental factors, and knows how to effectively apply this knowledge to one’s own role or organization.
• Results-oriented: You actively strive to achieve concrete results and objectives; you set goals and stay committed to them until they are achieved.
• Persuasiveness: You are able to convince others of a particular point of view and gain support for certain plans and ideas; you can overcome resistance and communicate ideas clearly.

What we offer you

As a mid-level Policy Advisor, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary ranging from €4,020 to €5,725 (pay grade 11) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A one-year employment contract, with the possibility of a permanent contract thereafter, if you do not currently have an employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, or if you have only a temporary one.
• Opportunities for professional development and training. Our in-house training center, the Amsterdam School, offers a variety of training programs, professional 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 €3 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.

Interested in learning more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Amsterdam Municipal Personnel Regulations (PGA):www.amsterdam.nl/pga.

Apply for this job

If this job opening interests you, we look forward to receiving your application no later than April 7 via the application form 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.
• The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of a CV/cover letter review and two rounds of interviews. A writing assignment may be included in the second round of interviews. We have formed a selection committee of three people. If your CV meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The interviews will take place in person at our office located at Amstel 1 in Amsterdam.
• This job opening is being advertised internally and externally at the same time. Employees of the City of Amsterdam will be given priority in the hiring process. Internal candidates first,
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Ismahan Massaabi, corporate recruiter (i.massaabi@amsterdam.nl / 06 14 24 45 39). If you have any questions about the position, please contact Marjolein Dekker (marjolein.dekker@amsterdam.nl / 06-52518222).

We do not appreciate unsolicited solicitation from recruitment agencies, and such actions may result in exclusion from our other recruitment initiatives. We also consider the unsolicited submission of resumes by agencies to our employees to be solicitation. We will not review these resumes.