Senior Government Official

The position

As a senior civil service project manager in the Traffic & Public Space (V&OR) Department, you serve as the link between the administration and the civil service organization. You are the most senior civil servant in a program or project and have a contract with the alderman to carry out an assignment within clear, agreed-upon parameters. The field is characterized by the management of complex, large-scale, multidisciplinary (policy) programs and projects in public spaces within the municipality of Amsterdam. This may involve civil infrastructure, but also public gathering places such as squares and parks. You will be part of the “Civil Service Project Management” department, which employs 17 project managers. In addition to your personal development, you will also contribute to collective (professional) development.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You will have overall responsibility for a portfolio of projects. These include projects in public spaces, from the exploratory phase through the planning study, tendering, and implementation, all the way through to handover to the managing organization. However, they may also involve policy initiatives or organizational issues.
• You will draft project briefs that translate the city’s requirements into clear and achievable objectives. In other words, you will translate the city’s needs into concrete actions that the project or program manager will implement. This involves aspects such as: social impacts, relationship with the surrounding community, finances, scheduling, capacity, and risks.
• You will provide a program or project manager who is suited to the task and the assignment.
• You will oversee the program or project manager, making adjustments as circumstances require, while keeping an eye on the sometimes-changing administrative, social, metropolitan, and local context of the assignment. This may also mean that the assignment needs to be revised. You will approach this from both a strategic perspective and a tactical and operational one;
• You create and maintain the environment in which project and program managers can act decisively: you provide them with clear guidelines and the necessary resources. You always keep an eye on the collaboration that is required. You move easily between different levels.
• You serve as the escalation point of contact for project and program managers and as the primary point of contact for the alderman/district administrator. You are appointed by and report directly to the Director of V&OR.
• The "Public Sector Commissioning" department is working on its own development and professionalization. You will contribute to this development and are committed to continuing your professional growth. You are also willing and able to contribute ideas and help drive improvements throughout V&OR.

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 is growing! Every year, more visitors, residents, and businesses come to our beautiful city. At the City of Amsterdam, 18,500 of us work every day to create a safe, livable, and clean city where people can live, work, and relax comfortably. We do this for the city and the country, but also for our neighborhoods and streets. To achieve this, the city’s public spaces must function properly. Roads, bridges, quay walls, and street lighting must be properly maintained and adapt to the changing world. Energy transition, climate adaptation, mobility transition, safe infrastructure, and livable public spaces—these are major challenges. Work in public spaces has a significant impact on society and is therefore constantly in the public eye.

The Traffic & Public Space Department (V&OR) is responsible for the functioning of public spaces now, in the near future, and in the long term, and is tasked with ensuring accessibility, safety, livability, and the quality of public spaces in Amsterdam. V&OR employs approximately 750 staff members.

What you bring

For this position as a senior civil service project manager, you must have:

• A completed university-level degree.
• A relevant network.
• At least 7 years of work experience as a client, project manager, or program manager/director.

You should have the following skills:

• Political sensitivity: You have an excellent grasp of administrative matters and are attuned to your surroundings. You understand that the nature and scope of challenges vary from the local to the regional level, from the street to the city.
• Leadership: Drawing on your subject matter expertise, you quickly get to the heart of the matter and know how to motivate program and project managers to achieve the best possible results. You demonstrate courage and decisiveness.
• Collaboration: You provide direction and guidance for the project, can establish multiple partnerships, and coordinate efforts across different parties.
• Big-picture perspective: You can switch between different levels; you can interpret and explain what is needed, maintain an overview, and communicate this clearly at the operational, tactical, and strategic levels.

What we offer you

As a senior civil servant, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and can expect the following terms of employment:

• A gross monthly salary between €5,671 and €7,977 (pay grade 15) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A one-year 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 one.
• 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 €2 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• 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 laptop.
• The office is located in downtown Amsterdam, but you can work from various locations throughout the city.

Want to know more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Amsterdam Municipal Personnel Regulations (PGA).

Apply for this job

If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by October 28 at the latest using the “Apply Now” button.

We would like to ask you to provide concise answers to the following questions in your cover letter:

1. What leadership style best describes you?
2. What is your perspective on commissioning?
3. In what areas would you like to develop further?

The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of a CV/cover letter review and two rounds of interviews. The interviews will be held in person at our office located at Weesperstraat 113 in Amsterdam.

This position is currently being advertised both internally and externally. Employees of the City of Amsterdam are given priority in the hiring process.The City has a preference policy for positions at pay grade 15 and above. This means that, for all positions at pay grade 15 and above, preference is given to candidates with a non-Western migration background when candidates are equally qualified.

We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.