Project Assistant

What will you be doing?

As a project officer for the “Goed Worden, Goed Blijven (+)” program, you will coordinate—together with the other project officers and under the guidance of a program manager—the support provided to underperforming, very weak, and at-risk schools and school boards. This means you will have frequent contact with the school boards and schools within the program, as well as with the consultants. Your responsibilities include conducting intakes with new school boards and schools. During these intakes, you will delve deeply into the matter to identify the specific support needs and requests of the board or school. You will then match them with a suitable advisor. Afterward, you will ensure that the support processes proceed smoothly and are successfully completed. Finally, you will contribute to the continuous improvement of the program, the professional development sessions for advisors, and the sharing of knowledge and experience regarding (the enhancement of) educational quality and quality assurance with the sector.

The program is run by the PO-Raad, the sector organization for primary education. It is part of the services cluster. You will have frequent contact with other colleagues within this cluster, as well as with the policy advisors in the strategy & advisory cluster who focus on educational quality.

Who are you?

You are an enthusiastic, driven, and independent professional with experience in the education sector who, ideally, has worked on educational improvement initiatives at schools and school districts. You understand the challenges faced by school districts and schools where quality assurance or educational quality is inadequate or at risk. In addition, you bring the following to the table:

• Knowledge of current developments in educational science, the inspection framework, and educational research in the areas of educational quality and (administrative) quality assurance.
  
• The ability to be a strong conversational partner at all levels of the school organization—from the board of directors down to the classroom.
  
• The ability to work under time pressure and switch between strategic and operational tasks.
  
• Strong analytical skills, a results-oriented approach, and a flexible attitude.
  

What do we offer?

• A temporary position for 24 hours per week, with the possibility of an extension.
  
• The PO-Raad adheres to the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities. The position is classified in pay grade 11.
• Flexibility and opportunities for (partially) hybrid work.
• An excellent benefits package, including a vacation allowance, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, partially paid parental leave, and the opportunity to accrue compensatory time off.
  
• A good pension plan with ABP.
  
• Opportunities for personal development.
  
• A dynamic role at both the national and operational levels.
  

Learn more and apply

If you are interested in this position, please email your cover letter and resume to the PO-Raad by September 5, 2025, at the latest, at vacature@poraad.nl, with the subject line “GWGB Project Assistant Job Opening.” The first round of interviews will take place on Thursday, September 18, 2025; the second round on Tuesday, September 23.

For more information about the position, please contact Marleen van der Lubbe, Program Manager, at 06 15963758.

About GWGB(+)

The support programs offered through “Goed Worden, Goed Blijven” (GWGB) and “Goed Worden, Goed Blijven +” (GWGB+) are partially funded by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science. The programs at the school boards and in the schools are carried out by experienced education consultants from the PO-Raad’s pool of consultants.

GWGB focuses on school boards and schools that have received an “unsatisfactory” or “very weak” rating from the Education Inspectorate. The process begins with an intake interview conducted by the PO-Raad project team. Based on the specific issues, the type of school board or school, and the region, the project team assigns a consultant to the school board or school to conduct an in-depth analysis. In this in-depth analysis, the consultant further maps out the context and underlying causes of the issues and makes recommendations for improvement. Based on the analysis, the board or school, with the support of the consultant, draws up an improvement plan. GWGB provides support during the implementation of (part of) the improvement plan.

School boards and schools that identify risks in their quality assurance and educational quality but have not yet been rated as “unsatisfactory” or “very weak” by the Education Inspectorate can, as part of the GWGB+ program, begin preventive quality improvement efforts with support. These processes also begin with an intake session conducted by the project team, after which an advisor is assigned to the school board or school. The board or school then conducts a self-evaluation to assess the current situation and identify areas for improvement. This self-evaluation is further refined and deepened in consultation with the advisor. Based on the self-evaluation, the board/school, in collaboration with the advisor, draws up an improvement plan and, together with the advisor, sets to work to realize the ambitions.

For more information about GWGB(+), visit www.poraad.nl and see the infographic on GWGB(+).

About the PO Council

The PO-Raad is the sector organization for primary education. The association represents the common interests of school organizations in primary education, special primary education, and (secondary) special education. Through visits, networking events, and the General Members’ Meeting, our members are involved in shaping the PO-Raad’s positions. This makes the PO-Raad an authoritative advocate. In addition, the PO-Raad drives innovative projects and knowledge sharing for primary education and special (primary) education. Quality is our top priority. After all, it concerns the future of our children, and therefore the future of the Netherlands. That is why we remain committed to quality education for every child.