Program Manager, Health Literacy

The Position of Program Manager (
) As Program Manager, you will have strategic and tactical responsibility for implementing the GGD Amsterdam’s “Making Healthy Living Easier” program. This program was launched in early 2022 under the heading “Health Skills,” with the goal of improving the health-related skills of residents of Amsterdam and the Amstel region—particularly those in vulnerable situations—in order to reduce health disparities in Amsterdam. This program involves close collaboration with city districts, partners in the social sector, and Amsterdam Vitaal & Gezond.

As program manager, you will be responsible for implementing a complex and important initiative. After all, a person’s health-related skills depend on many factors—not only individual circumstances and choices, but also the environment and social network. The program therefore focuses on both people’s cognitive and practical abilities, and on both the individual and the environment.

Your strategic insight, networking skills, and leadership qualities are crucial to getting as many Amsterdammers and stakeholders in the city as possible to participate in the program’s initiatives. The initiatives focus primarily on three elements. First, working to make social organizations—including the GGD Amsterdam itself—more understandable and accessible. Better aligning existing activities with the needs of—and in collaboration with—Amsterdam residents, city districts, and social organizations. Finally, expanding existing interventions that already align well with the health literacy of the target group.

You are the key figure in a network of colleagues and partners, both within and outside the GGD and the City of Amsterdam. You will also coordinate the work of a program team of approximately 8 colleagues, consisting of communications specialists, project leaders, behavioral experts, and public health educators. In addition, you will act as the client for various external agencies with which we collaborate on this project. You will work on clear performance agreements and monitor the progress of the assignments.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You will be responsible for implementing the “Making Healthy Living Easier” program. You will report on, monitor, and evaluate progress, and present the results to the GGD management and the board.
• You are responsible for addressing administrative inquiries, as well as for administrative decision-making and accountability regarding the program.
• You will functionally manage the network of internal and external project leaders and staff who carry out the work, and you will play a coordinating and liaising role with the many (external) partners and departments within the municipal organization.
• You will report to the Communications & Health Literacy Team Leader and work closely with other program managers and clients within the GGD’s “Healthy Living” department.
• You are responsible for providing financial and operational accountability for the program to the department head, the GGD management, the Board of Mayors and Aldermen, the city council, and the provincial government. In addition, you advise stakeholders on future projects and programs based on the results achieved.

Get started here
We want to be a great employer that ensures all colleagues feel seen and valued. We cherish the differences among our colleagues; all these differences lead to better results for our organization and our city. In doing so, we strive for a workforce that reflects Amsterdam’s working population. So whoever you are: you’re more than welcome here!

Your home base is the Communication & Health Skills team, which launched on January 1, 2022, as part of the new Healthy Living department at GGD Amsterdam. The department is characterized by an open and collegial work atmosphere. We generally work 50% from home and 50% in the office. On the fifth floor of our historic building on Nieuwe Achtergracht in the heart of Amsterdam, our flexible workspaces are set up, where we regularly meet. In this role, you will also regularly visit the city districts and various organizations throughout the city.

In addition to the “Making Healthy Living Easier” program, the team is responsible for all communication activities of the GGD Amsterdam. These include: public relations, digital communication, communication consulting, campaigns, stakeholder communication, crisis communication, and documentation. Within the Healthy Living department, you will work closely with programs such as “Thrive Mental Health,” “Healthy Promising Start,” “Healthy School,” and “Area-Based Working.”

What you’ll bring to the table
For this position as Health Literacy Program Manager, you’ll have:

• At least 5 years of experience in program or project management and leading a team in a functional capacity.
• At least 3 years of experience with political and administrative processes and working with various internal and external stakeholders.
• At least 3 years of work experience in organizations, programs, or projects that focus on hard-to-reach and vulnerable target groups.

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills: you are able to analyze complex issues effectively and identify opportunities and possibilities;
• Connective leadership: you lead by delegating responsibilities effectively, and you are a true networker who actively seeks out and fosters collaboration with various parties and people;
• Inspirational ability: You know how to convey the importance of and vision for “Making healthy living easier” in an inspiring way to others. You inspire and motivate others to give their all and think innovatively;
• Results-oriented: You work based on a goal-oriented and concrete action plan that includes objectives, personnel, resources, scheduling, etc. You establish clear KPIs, monitor progress, and adjust your approach based on results.

Here’s what we offer you
As a Health Literacy Program Manager, you’ll join our team for a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 36 hours per week, and you can count on the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary between €4,447 and €6,103 (pay grade 12) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A fixed-term employment contract for a period of 12 months, if you do not currently have an employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, or if you have only a temporary contract.
• If you already have a permanent employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, you will retain it and be assigned to another organization under a temporary assignment agreement.
• Hybrid work: In this role, you can work approximately 50% from home and 50% in the office, with the flexibility to choose which days you work from each location. We provide the necessary equipment to help you set up a safe and healthy workspace at home.
• 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 €2 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• A cell phone and/or laptop.
• An office space in downtown Amsterdam, overlooking the canals.

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

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by December 22, 2022, 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 an interview.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• We have put together a three-person selection committee consisting of the manager, an HR advisor, and a direct colleague with whom you will be working. We believe it is important that you have the opportunity during the interview to introduce yourself and ask us any questions you may have.
• The interviews will take place in person during the week following the application deadline at our office located at Nieuwe Achtergracht 100 in Amsterdam.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

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.