Program Secretary, Ready for the Future Program Directorate

Program Secretary, Ready for the Future Program Directorate

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Ready for the Future Program Directorate

Job Description

Are you looking for a challenging role as a (program) secretary, where you’ll work on innovation within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) to prepare for the challenges of the future? Does the idea of innovative and unconventional ways of working excite you, and can you effectively communicate that to others? If so, we’re looking for you to join us as a program secretary for the “Ready for the Future!” program directorate!

As Program Secretary, you will be the central figure in the new “Ready for the Future” program directorate at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK). The program directorate’s objectives are to bring about a transition within EZK in the way the department operates. You will serve as a recognizable point of contact within the directorate and act as the sparring partner and primary advisor to the directorate’s management team (MT).

You will also ensure a well-organized consultation structure within the entire program team and oversee decision-making and the follow-up on actions. You will manage the project administration effectively and monitor aspects such as budget, timeline, and quality. Thanks to your keen eye, actions are carried out and ensured. You serve as the secretary for the “Ready for the Future” steering group, which includes directors within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK), and you also ensure smooth decision-making and governance throughout the program, at the team, management team, steering group, and board levels. You assist in preparing for meetings attended by board members or the program director that address topics relevant to “Ready for the Future.” This means you are well-informed about interdepartmental issues and can provide clear advice on them both in writing and verbally.

Perhaps the best part of this role is that the “Ready for the Future” program management team is still being established and is in the midst of development. This means there is still plenty of room to contribute ideas on how to shape the management team. Consider the consultation structure, which projects need to be launched, and which interventions need to be implemented in the short term. A key focus here is building a strong team, and as project secretary, you’ll play a vital role in that. In addition to the tasks described above, there is also an opportunity to play a role in a number of Ready for the Future projects, depending on your own interests.

Job Requirements

The "Ready for the Future" Program Directorate is a new directorate within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, where we are working to build a department that is ready to meet the challenges of the future. Working on challenging societal transition tasks requires us to continue developing in the coming years. This means focusing on organizational change within the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy at a time when the workload is already high. This does not happen on its own, and the “Ready for the Future” improvement program therefore focuses on providing support in the areas that will matter in the coming years.

The necessary change begins with establishing a clear and authoritative vision for the broader economy and implementing it in a way that is visible to society. This requires us to invest in our organization’s capacity for change and in our collaboration with our implementing agencies and regulators. We need all stakeholders to help us forge deeper connections with society, citizens, and businesses. To achieve this, we must harness all the talent within the organization and strive to improve our skills and collaboration in a systematic way. In this way, we will restore the trust of our stakeholders in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) and, as an organization, build the self-confidence of our people.

We can only make this transition together. That is why it is important that we learn more from and with one another in the coming years, so that we can improve our work a little bit every day. We will experiment with new ways of collaborating and reflect on our behavior. Across five themes (vision development, culture & leadership, process and methodology, learning organization, and stakeholder management), the program management team is driving change within EZK by creating the right conditions for EZK’s management and employees to work differently and make a greater societal impact. Drawing on your background and interests, you bring a fresh perspective to complex issues. And where necessary, you boldly propose innovative approaches. When you identify bottlenecks, you promptly come up with creative solutions. You always work meticulously, establish a solid structure, monitor the follow-up of agreements and actions, and ensure clear communication. You’re not afraid to speak up and hold others accountable for their commitments. No matter what assignment you’re working on, you approach it with enthusiasm, empathy, a practical mindset, and a sense of humor. You’re also able to let go of assignments easily. And, of course, you’re committed to continuous self-development.

You also have:

• A bachelor's degree or higher, based on education and/or experience.
• Experience as a program or executive secretary, or extensive experience in a similar role within a project environment and as part of a project team.
• You have experience advising on government (policy) processes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Dutch.
• Experience using digital (meeting) tools and the ability to assist others in using them.
• You have a keen sense of and insight into the needs and interests of others in a complex political and administrative environment, and you are aware of your own influence.

Terms of Employment

• Salary level: Grade 11
• Monthly salary: Min. €3,608 – Max. €5,503 (gross)
• Employment status: Permanent employment contract
• 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-friendly 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.

Details

• The introductory and selection process consists of at least two rounds of interviews and a final discussion regarding terms of employment.
• The first and second interviews are scheduled for the week of August 28.
• Checking references or conducting an assessment may be part of the selection process.
• Colleagues within the central government who are permanent employees may be seconded or transferred while retaining their current employment status.

What else do we offer you:

• A pleasant work environment with excellent facilities, just a short walk from the central station.
• Plenty of opportunities to continue developing your skills and specialize.
• We believe it is important to maintain a good work-life balance. Working hours can be arranged flexibly by mutual agreement.
• If you are hired, hybrid work is an option; you will work partly from home and partly at the office. We believe it is important to have a good home office setup. We therefore offer a subsidy for home office equipment and a work-from-home allowance in accordance with the Central Government Collective Labor Agreement (CAO Rijk).

After the application deadline, the job posting and the employer’s contact information will no longer be visible online. To avoid having to request this information later, we ask that you download and save the job posting.

We do not accept unsolicited applications for our job openings.

Interested in applying?

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Ready for the Future Program Directorate, 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.