Regional Manager, Werkbedrijf

As a Regional Manager, you will play a proactive role at both the strategic and tactical levels, both internally and externally. Ensuring the smooth running of internal operations is also a crucial part of this role. You will directly manage a team of 12 managers and the regional staff. In this position, you will report directly to the Director of Operations at Werkbedrijf. The Northeast and Central Brabant district comprises a total of over 300 employees.

As a Regional Manager, you have individual responsibility for collaborating with district managers from other divisions to achieve cross-divisional UWV objectives. Horizontal management and results-oriented coordination at the regional level require an overview and understanding of UWV interests and agreements. You are in charge of data, information, and communication, ensuring that the right data and information reach the divisions in a timely manner. You also have a national responsibility for the implementation of Werkbedrijf by working with fellow Regional Managers and the Director of Implementation to shape internal and external management. 

As a District Manager, you will be responsible for:

Internal:

• Effective and responsive management and decision-making
• Comprehensiveness in the broadest sense: people, resources, quality, and results are key elements of this
• Ensuring and fostering collaboration with other divisions and staff at all levels
• Strengthening coalition cooperation
• A consistent and comprehensive approach to implementation, including associated risks
• Developing employees' professional skills with a focus on results, based on professional standards. Additionally, fostering a culture of learning and improvement
• Data-driven and proactive service
• Collaboration with fellow District Managers
• The end-to-end customer journey: across the entire UWV, through the acceleration measures (in collaboration with SMZ) 

External:

• A visible and recognizable service for citizens, employers, and partners;
• The UWV as a partner in the labor market; working with partners to transition RMT services to RWC services
• Transparency in supply and demand;
• Coordinated employer services;
• Comprehensive, wide-ranging labor market services;
• Translating national UWV-wide policy developments into our potential role in regional partnerships;
• Working with partners to address the challenges in the labor market region.  

What we expect from you

What does this require of you? Who are we looking for?

At UWV, we believe it is important for our people to work together in a customer-focused and results-oriented manner. We expect you to feel comfortable with UWV’s leadership profile. This profile centers on striking a balance. As a leader at UWV, you will operate in a complex world where you act independently yet with political and administrative sensitivity, where you innovate yet also provide stability, where you coach yet also guide, and where you focus on the task at hand yet also on the people involved. A detailed explanation is included in our leadership profile. 

You also have:

• An academic level of work and thinking, along with at least a completed associate’s degree
• Knowledge of the labor market, education, and social security
• Experience leading diverse teams. You are capable of leading teams both directly and, preferably, indirectly. As a leader, you are able to adapt your leadership style to the situation, employing both a coaching and a directive approach as needed.
• Experience with—and knowledge of—change management processes; you know how to engage people in the desired change with enthusiasm and energy. You connect easily with others and serve as a leader in the district.
• Networking skills: you easily connect with stakeholders and build professional relationships. You are an effective communicator with the Werkbedrijf management team and internal UWV stakeholders, as well as with external stakeholders, such as municipalities and other partners. Political and administrative sensitivity is of great importance in this regard.
• Analytical skills: You are able to quickly make sense of a large amount of information and identify the core of a message. 

We strive to be a diverse and inclusive organization. We value diversity. Different perspectives, backgrounds, and insights enhance our intellectual capacity and expand our scope for action, enabling us to best meet the needs of society. It doesn’t matter where you were born, what you believe in, how old you are, or whom you love. In this way, together we create an inclusive work environment where everyone feels at home and has the opportunity to grow.

We’re looking for quite a lot from our new Area Manager for Northeast and Central Brabant. If you don’t meet all the requirements listed above but still think you’re a good fit, please apply and convince us with your cover letter! 

What can you expect from us?

We are offering you a position as Area Manager within an organization where we value you for who you are and what you bring to the table. For us, the development of our employees is a top priority. Our HR policy is put into practice within a dynamic organization where every professional is given the freedom to work autonomously.

• You’ll be working in a fascinating field that directly impacts people’s lives. You’ll interact with a wide range of stakeholders and collaborate with people who are deeply committed to social causes.
• In your future district, employees are dedicated to serving the UWV and their clients with heart and soul. The team is characterized by commitment, experience, and stability. Over the past three years, significant effort has been put into the collaboration and integration of two labor market regions into a single district. There is a solid foundation upon which we can continue to build. In both regions, there is strong collaboration with our partners, and we are on the verge of taking the next steps toward establishing a Regional Employment Center (RWC). We are increasingly taking an integrated approach to bringing together supply and demand, our core task. Our performance and figures are strong, and our employees are happy to work for the Northeast and Central Brabant District.
• We offer a full-time position with a permanent contract. The position is classified in salary scale 13 in accordance with the UWV Collective Labor Agreement and has a maximum gross monthly salary of approximately €9,167, including a fixed salary component and excluding fixed vacation pay, year-end bonus, and employer pension contributions. The final offer will depend on your experience and profile.
• Plenty of opportunities for professional development, such as through our All You Can Learn portal.
• Flexible working hours and good remote work facilities. We’re putting hybrid work into practice. 

A little more about our company

The Werkbedrijf division focuses on job placement and reintegration. We do this by matching job seekers with employers. We focus primarily on job seekers who are far removed from the labor market and on employers who wish to hire these job seekers. In doing so, we actively seek collaboration with labor market partners such as municipalities, employers, and staffing agencies. The division currently has approximately 6,600 employees. We appeal to citizens’ personal responsibility and self-reliance. In addition to digital services, our staff are increasingly providing in-person services. The Werkbedrijf aims to become a comprehensive public service provider in the labor market by 2023, working for everyone. In doing so, we take ownership of our social mission, make the labor market transparent, and are committed to improving the connection between education and the labor market. We are fully leveraging our expertise and services to prevent unemployment and better serve employers. This requires a stronger relationship with employers. Additionally, we know what works and when job seekers can use our online services via the website werk.nl. 

The main priorities for the Northeast and Central Brabant District in 2023 are:

External:

In 2023, we will continue to develop and invest in collaboration with our partners. The labor market is transitioning toward a new target infrastructure in which comprehensive services are easily accessible to everyone through regional employment centers. In the Northeast and Central Brabant region, as a district manager, you will take the lead in shaping the form and content of this transition together with partners such as municipalities, social partners, and educational institutions. In both labor market regions, you will participate in various administrative consultations where topics relevant to the UWV are discussed, with each partner having their own interests, the labor market constantly evolving, and the market remaining tight in the coming years. In addition, you will maintain the UWV’s relationship with various key stakeholders in the region, including the aldermen of the central municipalities. Finally, a key task is to translate the UWV strategy into implementation within the Northeast and Central Brabant Werkbedrijf district. 

Internal:

The UWV is evolving into a public service provider that puts people first. We want to base our decision-making more on public value—that is, “what the public values.” We do this by focusing our efforts more on the added value we deliver through our core tasks or, ideally, on preventing unemployment and disability (prevention). Together with the management team and staff, you will lead the delivery of services for the residents of Northeast and Central Brabant in a value-driven manner. In addition, we are working in collaboration with the various divisions toward a barrier-free customer journey. Together with your colleagues, you will focus on multidisciplinary service delivery and work on measures to improve clients’ situations. 

Interested?

For further details regarding this job opening, please contact Bernard van Nijnatten, Director of Operations, at 06-53154556 or via bernard.vannijnatten@uwv.nl (or through his secretary, Betty den Boer: 06-11293066). For further information regarding the application process, please contact Ineke Kramer, MD Advisor, at 06-31922339 or via Ineke.kramer@uwv.nl.  

An assessment and a reference check may be part of this process. This may also involve consulting public sources such as social media. You are not required to include your date of birth or gender in your resume or cover letter.

The interviews will take place between November 30 and December 9, 2023. 

You can submit your application for this position via the application link. 

The job posting will remain open until November 27, 2023. If we receive a sufficient number of qualified applications, this posting may be removed from the website earlier. 

For your information:

Submitting a Certificate of Good Conduct is part of the onboarding process, but it is not required to apply for the position. You will receive further information about this during the selection process.