Senior Civil Service Project Manager for Tunnels

The position

In a complex field, the civil service project manager is responsible for implementing the desired goals and projects for Amsterdam’s road tunnels, while ensuring that the city experiences as little disruption as possible. On behalf of the Alderman for Traffic, Transportation, and Air Quality and the Director of Traffic & Public Space, the civil service project manager is responsible for the project’s completion (within the agreed-upon schedule and budgets). In this role, you navigate between the administration and the civil service, which adds a layer of complexity. 

Amsterdam is one of the largest tunnel operators in the Netherlands; hundreds of thousands of users drive through our five tunnels every day. The city’s accessibility is greatly affected if one of the tunnels is not functioning properly. That is why maintaining high tunnel availability is a key priority for us. We achieve this through daily maintenance and periodic large-scale replacement maintenance: a serious undertaking that combines complex technology with a challenging environment. Think of projects such as the renovation of the IJ Tunnel or the modernization of our traffic control center. We are seeking a government project manager to oversee the implementation of these projects. 

Working in public spaces and the heart of the city presents daily organizational challenges and has a significant impact on society; it can cause considerable disruption and controversy. This requires personal leadership, autonomy, and the ability to take a stand and provide direction amid the interplay of competing interests—while maintaining connections. In this role, you serve as the link between the administration and the civil service. As a member of the Tunnel Management Organization (TBO), you contribute to developments by thinking critically, sharing knowledge, monitoring trends and developments within your own network, and bridging the gap between internal and external stakeholders. 

Here's what you do on an average day

• Providing substantive guidance to the Maintenance & Projects (M&P) team of the tunnel management organization on large-scale and complex tunnel projects, from the exploratory phase through the planning study to tendering and implementation;
• Reporting to the administration (council member, Executive Board, City Council) on the progress of complex projects and bringing issues to their attention.
• Managing the project managers for the tunnel projects carried out by our implementation organization, the Special Projects Department.
• Participate in the roundtable discussions where complex negotiations with market participants take place against the backdrop of administrative goals and bureaucratic frameworks.
• Within the O&P team, you will oversee the various sub-teams in terms of their specific responsibilities. This means you’ll be coordinating with the daily maintenance team one moment, with the project managers of larger and smaller maintenance projects the next, or engaging with the contract team.
• Creating and maintaining an environment in which the various members of the O&P team can act decisively: you provide them with clear guidelines, the necessary resources, and strategic guidance.
• Ensuring the coherence of the various tunnel projects and advising on structural improvements, including measures to further professionalize the organization.
• Escalation point for project managers, the contract team, the daily maintenance coordinator, and the primary point of contact/advisor to the alderman regarding tunnel projects.
• Working closely with the Tunnels Team Leader, you will actively contribute to the ongoing professional development of the O&P team by sharing knowledge and being open to learning from one another. In doing so, you will ensure that the various teams within O&P collaborate efficiently. Collaboration with the Tunnels Asset Manager and other government clients within V&OR is also crucial.
• You will work closely with the Tunnel Manager and build relationships with other government clients within the V&OR Directorate. 

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! 

Working for Amsterdam means working for more than 850,000 Amsterdammers. We ensure that Amsterdam is and remains an attractive capital—a place where it’s great to live, work, and go to school, with room for entrepreneurs and visitors. We work for Amsterdam alongside some 19,000 colleagues who constantly challenge themselves and grow, working together with Amsterdammers to do what’s best for the city. Together, with pride, and above all, with a passion for the city. 

At TBO, we care about each other, each other’s work, and the city. There are about 60 of us working at TBO, and the M&P (Maintenance & Projects) team—which you’ll be joining—consists of about 16 colleagues. Together, we take a comprehensive approach to ensuring the optimal maintenance and maximum availability of Amsterdam’s tunnels. Our main partners are the Public Works Department, the city districts, the DBP (Special Projects Department) team, and various teams from (V&OR) Traffic & Public Space, the department to which you will belong. 

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. 

Want to know more? We’d love to hear from our employees: https://www.amsterdam.nl/bestuur-organisatie/werkenbij/medewerkers-aan-het-woord.  

What you bring

For this position as Senior Civil Service Project Manager for Tunnels, you must have:

• A completed university-level degree or a demonstrable university-level standard of work and thinking acquired through experience.
• Demonstrable, extensive, and up-to-date experience—at least 7 years—as a client, project director, or program director in managing large-scale and complex infrastructure projects.
• Knowledge of the specific risks associated with tunnel projects is an asset.
• At least 5 years of demonstrable experience in administrative decision-making and advisory work in the public sector.
• Knowledge of the Amsterdam organization (both administrative and managerial), another G4 municipality, or an organization in public administration. 

You should have the following skills:

• Analytical skills: Able to distinguish between main and secondary issues, break down a problem into its components, and establish logical connections between the various aspects.
• Environmental Awareness: Demonstrates a solid understanding of professional, organizational, social, and political developments, as well as other environmental factors, and knows how to effectively apply this knowledge to one’s own role or organization.
• Collaboration: Makes a constructive contribution to a shared outcome, particularly to the atmosphere and relationships within the group or team.
• Relationship Management: Builds, maintains, and leverages personal relationships with customers and other contacts.
• Results-oriented approach: Setting specific goals as a starting point for one’s own behavior and sticking to them until the goal is achieved.
• Persuasiveness: Uses personal authority to influence people and situations, with a focus on gaining acceptance and overcoming resistance. Communicates ideas clearly and confidently. 

What we offer you

As a senior civil service project manager for tunnels, you will join our team for 32–36 hours per week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary ranging from €6,316 to €8,779 (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 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 €3 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 March 8, 2024, using the application button.
• The selection process consists of a CV/cover letter review and two rounds of interviews.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview. Interviews are held in person at one of our office locations in Amsterdam.
• This job opening is being advertised both internally and externally. Employees of the City of Amsterdam will be given priority in the hiring process.
• The municipality has a preference policy for positions at pay grade 15 and above. This means that, for all positions at pay grade 15 and above, candidates with a non-Western immigrant background will be given preference if they are equally qualified.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team. 

We do not appreciate unsolicited solicitation from recruitment agencies, and such actions may result in exclusion from our other recruitment initiatives. We also consider the unsolicited submission of resumes by agencies to our employees to be solicitation. We will not review these resumes. #LI-POST