Project Manager, Basic Skills Courses

Your work makes a direct impact on the daily lives of others!

A place for and by the community: that’s what matters to us at the Drachten | Smallingerland Library. As an educational and cultural organization, the library lets you borrow books and e-books. You can browse, sit down for a while, and read the newspaper. But we want to go beyond that. Our ambition is to help everyone become self-reliant and to support them, while also providing a space for talent and enjoyment. This is reflected in our courses and consultation hours focused on language and digital skills, our close collaboration with the education sector, and the social and educational activities we organize. People of all ages are welcome here, and we are happy to serve all kinds of library users. In this way, we are working toward becoming a Mienskip Library.

In December 2023 and 2024, the Drachten | Smallingerland Library was named the “Best-Performing Library in the Netherlands.”

Drachten Library is a driving force behind the Low Literacy Initiative in the municipality of Smallingerland. In this role, we are continually expanding our range of basic skills courses. Can you ensure that this new course offering is rock-solid? That the referral process for these courses is well-established? And that there are enough participants enrolling in the courses? If so, Drachten Library | Smallingerland is looking for you!

We are looking for an enthusiastic

Project Manager, Basic Skills Courses

24 hours per week

Domain

The Project Manager for Basic Skills Courses is part of the Lifelong Development Division. This team is currently undergoing significant development. The team’s current responsibilities include promoting the Low Literacy Initiative, organizing Basic Skills courses and workshops, the Digi-Taalhuis, all activities aimed at supporting citizens (such as Formulary Consultation Hours, IDO, Digital Consultation Hours, Legal Consultation Hours), the informal language program, and the Language Café. You will work together with your colleagues in this team, as well as with our partners in Smallingerland, such as MOS Welzijn, the municipality of Drachten | Smallingerland, Carins, and MBO Vakonderwijs Firda.

Who are we looking for?

As a Project Manager for Basic Skills Courses, you are skilled at working on a project basis and are able to maintain a clear overview. You have strong organizational skills and excellent communication skills. You are team-oriented and skilled at networking. Naturally, you have an affinity for the target group and find it both enjoyable and important to work with them. The themes of inclusion and Lifelong Development for people with limited basic skills are familiar territory for you. You are flexible and possess strong problem-solving skills. It goes without saying that you are community-oriented.

You think and work at a minimum of a college level, have at least two years of experience as a project manager, are familiar with the field of adult education and basic skills, preferably have experience working in the social sector, and, of course, share the vision of the Drachten | Smallingerland Library.

What will you be doing?

• Development of a budgeting course, a re-entry course, a laptop course, and a health course in collaboration with the target group and partner organizations;
• Collaborating with partner organizations to ensure the success of the courses;
• Monitoring the delivery of the courses;
• Evaluating the courses;
• Project planning and monitoring (time, budget, quality);
• Maintaining project records and progress reports for the purpose of grant accountability;
• Identifying areas for improvement and opportunities;
• Preparing reports and financial statements.

The intended outcomes are

• Courses are conducted within the fiscal year and start on time;
• Projects stay within budget;
• A sufficient number of participants who fall within the target group;
• Few dropouts;
• Satisfied participants;
• Satisfied partners;
• Sufficient transition of participants to follow-up programs.

What do we offer?

• A one-year contract for the duration of the projects, with the possibility of extension if the projects continue to develop;
• Salary based on pay scale 8 (€3,315 – €4,210; Project Manager/Coordinator, Collective Bargaining Agreement for Public Libraries)
• An inspiring role to fill within the library;
• Colleagues who are committed to working together;
• Opportunities for professional growth in an environment that encourages lifelong learning.

Interested?

We look forward to receiving your cover letter and resume by Monday, March 9, 2026, at werkenbij@bibliotheekdrachten.nl, addressed to Dinie van der Velde, Domain Specialist for Lifelong Development. Feel free to make your application as creative as you like! If you have any questions about the position, please email Dinie at dvandervelde@bibliotheekdrachten.nl. We aim to have you start as soon as possible.

Drachten | Smallingerland Library values diversity and inclusion. We believe it is important that our team is just as diverse as the people we work with and for.