Program Director

The position

As Program Director, you are joining at a time when the Bridges and Quay Walls Program has already achieved a great deal, and stability and safety have been secured. However, a backlog of maintenance is growing, there is no prospect of funding to address it in the short term, and the city’s quality of life is under pressure. The challenge of bringing the project under control remains as great as ever.

The complexity of working in the heart of the city creates daily challenges for the organization. We need to do more, faster, and—above all—differently (innovation!), all while fostering an open culture that engages with residents, interest groups, and businesses. As Program Director of the Bridges and Quay Walls Program (PBK), you ensure that the organization resolves these dilemmas more effectively and thus more decisively. In an organization that draws on staff from other departments such as the Engineering Bureau and Traffic & Public Space, and that works through long-term partnerships with market stakeholders, this presents a challenge for you. The focus is on translating the content for the city and its administration, maintaining connections internally within PBK and across the municipality, preventing inertia, engaging, uniting, and driving progress forward. You’ll do this alongside a management team that is well-versed in the subject matter and maintains a positive atmosphere. As program director, you’ll serve as the inspiring figurehead within the management team and create space for the many talents within PBK to shine.

The Program Director for Bridges and Quay Walls has the following responsibilities:

• Properly implementing the city council’s goals regarding the work on bridges and quay walls in the city.
• From that perspective, serve as the first point of contact for the board.
• Serving as an internal and external spokesperson and point of contact for all relevant market stakeholders, knowledge institutions, and interest groups in the city. Internally, deepening partnerships with municipal departments that intersect with PBK, and organizing collaborative efforts—including establishing agreements on when initiatives have been fully developed and can be handed back to the relevant departments—is a key priority for the coming period.
• Implementing projects that involve making explicit decisions and establishing a multi-year strategy. The director drives this process, coordinates with other departments, and discusses it with the board. A key focus here is fostering innovation and renewal in our working methods.
• Contributing to the MT cluster of Spatial Planning and Economics; not only in terms of the urgent issues addressed in the PBK, but also as an example of a task-oriented, agile, and confident approach.

Here's what you do on an average day

• In a typical workweek, as a program director, you’ll be working on PBK’s operations.
• You chair the weekly management meeting and lead the Monday kickoff session, which is well-attended by employees and provides an open forum for sharing updates on the past week and the week ahead.
• You will discuss progress on key issues with fellow directors, covering topics such as staffing, programming in public spaces, finances, and policy matters like logistics.
• You will discuss current issues, progress, and strategy with the alderman.
• You will be attending a meeting at a location where the project team will be engaging with the community.
• You hold regular meetings with business owners in the downtown area. In short, you connect people, build relationships, and drive progress!

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!

Who wouldn’t want to work in the most beautiful city in the Netherlands? You can at the City of Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a diverse city that is growing rapidly and constantly evolving. The City of Amsterdam is undergoing a transformation into an organization that is future-proof, efficient, and modern, providing optimal services to the city’s residents. The City of Amsterdam’s organization consists of Administration and Organization, the clusters of Spatial Planning and Economy, Social Affairs, Services and Information, Operations, City Management (in development), and seven city districts, and has 16,000 employees.

The Spatial Planning and Economy Cluster works to establish the spatial and economic conditions necessary for a strong Amsterdam: a city that is easily accessible, sustainable, and offers every opportunity for high-quality living environments and optimal economic development. This involves attention to all levels of scale: neighborhood-focused initiatives, integrated urban challenges, regional cooperation, and Amsterdam’s international appeal as a business hub. The Spatial and Economic Cluster is led by the Urban Director and consists of 13 departments that work closely together on the city’s physical challenges.

The Bridges and Quay Walls Program is led by the Program Director, who primarily serves as the external face of the program, acts as the point of contact for the board, and is responsible for its implementation. In addition, there are four executive members, and tasks and responsibilities are divided among them. The organization has a matrix structure, with development and strategic tasks on one side and project-based implementation taking place in various areas of the city on the other. Amsterdam’s bridges and quay walls are suffering from a backlog of maintenance. In the coming period, a total of 800 bridges and over 200 km of quays must be inspected, secured, repaired, or renovated. This intervention will have a major impact on residents’ living environment and requires a substantial commitment from the municipality in close coordination with the city. This initiative has now become a structural component of the municipal budget. Each year, Amsterdam spends over 100 million euros on the infrastructure of bridges and quay walls, and hundreds of people contribute to this program in various roles—from structural engineers and hydrologists to work planners and project managers, from construction managers and planners to risk analysts, innovation drivers, and procurement professionals.

What you bring

A position as program director at the City of Amsterdam requires versatility within the organization. We strive for inclusive leadership and a management team that sets a good example and fosters a safe, ethical, and inclusive work culture.

For this position as Program Director, you must have:

• Experience as a public-sector entrepreneur (at least five years) and the ability to manage the organization in a business-like manner.
• Knowledge of the city of Amsterdam and an overview of all the challenges and developments; you understand what it means to implement such a large-scale program within an urban network involving numerous stakeholders.
• A strong network in the physical domain that you can leverage for the municipality. We are looking for someone with extensive experience with and a vision for complex projects and programs in a metropolitan setting.
• An understanding of and feel for political and bureaucratic dynamics; you know what it means to work in a political organization.

You should have the following skills:

Leadership

• You are capable of managing complex programs and projects, conduct yourself professionally, and are able to build relationships with the city and stakeholders.
• You are an inspiring and approachable manager with a vision.
• And you have excellent communication skills and empathy.

Entrepreneurship

• You are a visionary leader who manages a team of professionals with a business-minded approach and a big heart.
• You are customer-focused and can take a supportive approach toward the board.
• You identify opportunities and know how to turn them into results for the organization and the city of Amsterdam.

Collaborate/Connect

• You are able to foster collaboration and build coalitions with the city and stakeholders outside the city, within the cluster, and with the city districts—through networking as well as through determination.

Strategic thinking/analysis

• You have strong analytical skills, know how to prioritize, are decisive, and have perseverance.
• You can operate at multiple levels simultaneously and bridge the gap between strategy and project and program implementation.
• You will translate our work into administrative issues and ensure that they are placed on the administrative agenda.

What we offer you

As a program director, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• An office space in downtown Amsterdam, overlooking the canals.
• A gross monthly salary between €6,073 and €8,758 (pay scale 16) 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 intention of converting it to a permanent position thereafter.
• 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.
• We offer (home) office supplies to help you set up a safe and healthy workspace.
• A cell phone and a laptop.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.

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

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by November 9 at the latest using the “Apply Now” button.
• We look forward to receiving your cover letter and resume, in which you explain why your work experience and skills are a good fit for this position. Your cover letter and resume will be taken into consideration during the selection process. The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of two rounds of interviews with various directors and staff members from PBK, as well as a preliminary interview with your direct supervisor or the board.
• A development assessment may be part of the process.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.
• 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.
• The municipality has a preference policy for positions at pay grade 15 and above. This means that, for all positions at pay grade 15 and above, candidates with a non-Western immigrant background will be given preference if they are equally qualified.

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.