Development Positions: Project Manager

Development Positions: Project Manager (m/f/x)

Job Description

Are you interested in working on (large-scale) projects? Are you results-oriented? Are you able to maintain an overview and drive innovation? Do you want to develop your skills and qualities as a project manager and become a versatile project manager? Do you value your personal development as much as your professional growth? If so, read on, because the OCW Project Pool has two development positions available for a two-year term. At the end of this period, you will have gained valuable experience from various assignments both within and outside the ministry and will be capable of independently taking on a variety of projects.

Whenever there’s an assignment that requires a project manager, you’ll be called upon. You’ll work on a variety of assignments in a project-based manner. As much as possible, you will be assigned to assignments where your strengths are best utilized, where you want to grow, or where your interests lie. You will do this through the Projects Pool, a division of the POOL, which is part of the Knowledge Directorate at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW). The Projects Pool provides project and program managers for various assignments.

As a project manager, you’ll take on increasingly challenging assignments involving multiple stakeholders and interests. Over the past year, the Projects Pool has contributed to initiatives such as the rollout of COVID-19 self-tests in schools, improving information security at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and leading the government-wide program for the Year of Remembrance of the History of Slavery. You ensure that the right people are involved, and you keep the project on track and moving forward. You are attentive to the client’s needs and enjoy seeking out innovative methods and solutions to achieve your goals. You are a driving force within the project team and lead the project into its next phase.

Depending on the scope and complexity of the assignments, you will work on one or two assignments at a time. Sometimes you will carry out the assignment with a project team, but often you will work individually or in a pair with another project pool member. Each assignment is always time-bound and delivers a clear result. After a request from a client, an intake and an exploration of the assignment follow. An assignment agreement drafted by you forms the basis of your work and describes the outcome, the timeline, and the various roles and responsibilities within the assignment. During and after the assignment, you evaluate it together with your client and your manager from the Project Pool.

In addition, the Project Pool offers project and program consulting, project and program coaching, and facilitation of sessions, such as project kickoffs.

Our clients highly value our dedication, and we are proud of that. At the Project Pool, we view self-reflection on our own performance as a prerequisite for quality improvement and personal development. Over the course of two years, you’ll participate in the Projectenpool’s training programs, starting with a course in Project Management. In addition, you’ll engage in peer review with your fellow project leaders, participate in the buddy system, develop your project management skills, and work on your personal development with every assignment. The development positions are designed to help you further develop your skills and qualities as a project manager within a defined period. That is why you will be assigned a mentor during the two years to assist you in this process.

As a member of the Project Pool, you’ll have the opportunity to get to know the department as a whole and grow into the role of a versatile project manager. As a new colleague, we expect you to use your professional knowledge and experience to contribute to the quality and continuity of the Project Pool. This means you’ll help shape organizational development, working methods, and culture both within and outside the team.

We believe in the power of a diverse team that embraces a variety of skills, areas of expertise, and social and cultural backgrounds. We’d love to hear from you!

Job Requirements

• You have a proven track record of working at a professional level and an affinity for project-based work and/or facilitating sessions in a political-administrative environment;
• You have an understanding of the dynamics within government agencies and within politically complex environments and processes;
• You have an analytical mind and can quickly get to the heart of the matter. Active listening and asking questions are your key strengths;
• You enjoy planning and organizing, monitoring and tracking progress, chairing meetings, giving presentations, providing advice, assessing risks, and taking action;
• Over the course of a year, you’ll feel confident enough to offer constructive criticism and engage in constructive dialogue about the tasks required to achieve the (social) goals you’re working toward;
• You work and think inclusively, have an open and eager-to-learn attitude, and are willing to be vulnerable;
• You are able to reflect effectively on both your own actions and those of the people you work with, and you are not afraid to bring these issues up for discussion. You are focused on growth and enjoy being part of a team that wants to learn from one another;
• You are a unique asset to our team, whether in terms of your expertise or your personality.

Terms of Employment

• Pay grade: 12
• Job Description
• Depending on your knowledge and experience, a starting salary may be an option.
• Monthly salary: Min. €4,214 – Max. €6,227 (gross)
• Employment status: Fixed-term employment contract
• Contract term: 2 years
• Minimum number of hours per week: 32
• Maximum number of hours per week: 36

Other terms and conditions of employment

In addition to your salary, you will receive an Individual Choice Budget (ICB). The ICB consists of money (16.37% of your gross annual salary) and time. With the ICB, you can make choices that suit you and customize part of your employment benefits. For example, you can choose to have a portion of your monthly income paid out whenever you wish. You can also convert this budget into leave and vice versa, or spend it on tax-efficient purposes. The Dutch government is strongly committed to personal growth and career development and offers numerous opportunities for this. Secondary employment conditions include various study facilities, company fitness programs, full reimbursement of your public transportation costs for commuting, and partially paid parental leave.

We offer you the opportunity to celebrate the holidays that are important to you without having to take a day off. For example, you can swap Ascension Day and/or Whit Monday for another holiday. You can make arrangements for this with your manager.

Details

• Job interviews will take place in weeks 39 and 40.
• We aim to respond to your application within two weeks.
• Hybrid work is the norm.
• Meetings can take place either in person or online.
• The Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science is actively committed to creating an inclusive work environment. Together, we are working to build an organization where every employee feels engaged and valued.
• If candidates who have "work-to-work" status apply, they will be given priority over employees who are voluntarily mobile. If you belong to this group, please include a recommendation or supporting documentation and indicate this in the appropriate field.
• We do not welcome unsolicited sales calls regarding this advertisement.

Additional information:

We will notify you via email. Please check your email regularly. Add dienstpostbus.wervingselectie@minocw.nl to your list of trusted senders and make sure no messages have been sent to your SPAM folder.

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Interested in applying?

The Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science invites you to apply on their website. Click the button below to leave this site and go directly to the application form. The government values a diverse and inclusive organization. Working in diverse teams makes us more effective, more innovative, and makes the work more enjoyable. Everyone is therefore invited to apply.