Program Manager, Participation Team, Team Aanpak Noord

The position

As Program Manager for Participation at Team Aanpak Noord, you will be responsible for increasing and innovating resident engagement and participation. In the context of equal opportunity, we are working toward the further empowerment and democratization of neighborhoods and districts, particularly in those areas and among those groups we have not yet heard from. This involves, in part, reaching people we do not yet reach or know, and in part, engaging highly empowered residents. To this end, you will make proposals to the civil service and administrative clients, as well as your colleagues at Team Aanpak Noord, and ensure that these proposals are actually implemented. You won’t be doing this alone, as you will also encourage and drive others within the City of Amsterdam to increasingly engage with resident participation.

Team Aanpak Noord works closely with RAN (Red Amsterdam Noord). RAN has drawn up a Participation Protocol, which has been largely incorporated into the municipality’s new participation policy framework and participation ordinance. In Noord, we are ambitious in this area; we want this to be implemented and put into use as soon as possible because we believe it contributes to trust between residents and the municipality. We are therefore looking for a highly experienced program manager with a proven track record in innovating, developing, and improving participation processes within the municipality. Someone who understands the outside world and knows the municipal organization well, and who can effectively bridge the gap between the two.

Together with residents, partners, administrators, and colleagues, you will develop ways to increase resident engagement with the themes of the approach and ensure the development and refinement of tools to improve participation, such as the Resident Impact Report (BER), support for resident platforms, and guidelines for resident involvement. You will initiate and monitor pilots and experiments and encourage innovative working methods, while also measuring the results they yield.

You will be working in the Team Aanpak Noord (TAN), which is part of the Amsterdam Noord district organization. TAN employs a number of program managers who are responsible for one or more of the substantive result areas of the North Approach. Like you, they work to advance resident participation, but specifically on certain themes. With your knowledge and expertise, you will serve as their go-to resource, source of inspiration, and overall coordinator for the renewal of resident participation in the North district.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You will develop tools to renew, improve, increase, and embed resident participation and engagement within the municipality’s system.
• You are in close consultation with business owners and resident organizations, including the resident group “Red Amsterdam Noord” (www.redamsterdamnoord.nl), regarding opportunities and challenges related to participation.
• Together with residents, business owners, housing associations, social and cultural partners, and colleagues from the Noord district and management teams, you will explore new ways of collaborating with residents and/or business owners to strengthen their engagement and the role they can play in addressing (complex) challenges.
• You will translate concrete proposals into action and oversee their implementation, including coordination with administrative bodies.
• You inspire others, spark conversation, ask critical questions, generate enthusiasm, and engage people in the process.
• You achieve breakthroughs, which could be a change in the municipal system or another organization, or a different, better way for residents, the municipality, and other partners to work together.

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!

Amsterdam Noord is changing rapidly, but not everyone involved is benefiting from this. Segregation is a concern and threatens to worsen, partly due to the ongoing increase in construction projects. The original neighborhoods of Noord face significant social and physical challenges, which is why the long-term “Aanpak Noord” initiative was launched. In doing so, we are building on what already exists. The Approach is characterized by strong resident involvement in design and implementation and a focus on the input and engagement of residents and business owners. Desired outcome: trust between the local government and residents/business owners, a pleasant living environment, and equal opportunities for youth. Resident involvement and participation run through all themes. An experienced program manager is sought for this role.

What you bring

For the position of Program Manager, Northern Region, you must have:

• At least 5 years of experience with participation, co-creation, (government) participation, and new approaches to network collaboration.
• At least 5 years of work experience dealing with complex issues, such as the dynamics of resident groups and conflicting interests.
• You have at least 3 years of work experience in one or more of the following areas: international and national developments in the field of public participation; community building; and alternative models of collaboration between government, residents, and businesses.

You should have the following skills:

• Results-oriented: You enjoy achieving results, innovating, and continuously learning and improving.
• Analytical skills: You can distinguish between main and secondary issues and are able to draw logical connections between different aspects.
• Environmental awareness: You are well-informed about external developments and use this knowledge to adapt internal processes, with a particular focus on increasing resident participation and engagement.
• Creativity: You adapt to the direction the project is taking and provide inspiration. You come up with diverse, sometimes original ideas and solutions.

What we offer you

As Program Manager for Aanpak Noord, you will join our team for 32–36 hours per week and can expect the following terms of employment:

• A gross monthly salary ranging from a minimum of €5,309 to a maximum of €6,993 (pay grade 13), based on a 36-hour workweek.
• A 12-month 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 contract.
• If you already have a permanent employment contract with the City of Amsterdam, you will retain it and be transferred.
• 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.
• Hybrid work: In this role, you can work partly from home and partly in the office. We provide the necessary equipment to help you set up a safe and healthy workspace at home.
• A cell phone and a work laptop.

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 January 14, 2024, via the ‘apply Apply’ button.
• 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.
• 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 up to two interviews. An advisory committee made up of residents and business owners may be involved in the selection process.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The initial interviews will be held in person after the application deadline at our office located at Buikslotermeerplein 2000 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.

Recruitment agencies are asked to refrain from contacting us regarding this job opening.