(Senior) Policy Officers for the SME Services Action Program 2023–2026

Job Description

Providing high-quality public services to entrepreneurs is essential to encourage them to make the right choices when it comes to future-proofing and sustaining their businesses. While much is going well in this area, there is also significant room for improvement. As policy officers, you will be tackling this challenge, working alongside partners from government agencies (national and regional) and business organizations. You will contribute to an ambitious new action plan for SME services that will span several years.

Together with the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), the Regional Development Agencies (ROMs), entrepreneurs, industry associations, municipalities, and provinces, we will work to strengthen services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

In 2022, the Committee on Entrepreneurship concluded that structural improvements are needed in the services provided to entrepreneurs. These services must function as a coherent and logically organized system. In 2023, an action agenda for SME services was subsequently drawn up under the leadership of a project leader.
The task now is to implement this agenda. In collaboration with the aforementioned partners, we aim to make service provision more demand-driven by encouraging entrepreneurs to explicitly articulate their needs. In addition, we aim to strengthen the coherence within the range of public services offered. Part of this involves making better use of data as a foundation for deepening collaboration. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) is coordinating these efforts by fostering connections and driving progress.

As policy officers at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK), you will be working on this challenging and innovative agenda. The team consists of five staff members and is led by the program manager. There are two openings to strengthen the team:

• Strengthening the team for the SME Services Action Agenda.
• Strengthening the Chamber of Commerce team with a focus on service delivery. The Chamber of Commerce is a key player in providing services to entrepreneurs. It has a nationwide network of offices and a broad digital reach. The Business Climate Directorate acts as the contracting authority for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) in relation to the Chamber of Commerce. You will serve as the central link between policy and implementation when it comes to service delivery. In addition, debt assistance for entrepreneurs is part of your responsibilities. This is a broad and politically relevant topic involving many government departments.

Job Requirements

• You have an academic or higher vocational education (HBO) level of work and thinking.
• You will be responsible for certain parts of the action plan or tasks within the Chamber of Commerce team. The specific responsibilities will be assigned in consultation with you and the team.
• The action plan is currently being developed. As a member of the KVK team or the SME Services team, you will be responsible for its actual implementation.
• You enjoy building something new. In both teams, there’s plenty of opportunity to contribute your experience and ideas.
• You have a keen sense of what entrepreneurs need, and you understand the current trends and key issues in the field of business services. You can apply this understanding to your team and your own work.
• You are a full-fledged partner for the organizations involved in the service network.
• You are an active networker and connector. You encourage collaboration and foster cohesion within this network.
• Experience and knowledge of policy development in the field of SME services, in collaboration with local and regional partners and business representatives, is important. It would be a plus if you have experience in this area, but it is not strictly necessary.
• You have strong verbal communication skills and are a good writer.

Skills

• You are a go-getter with creative ideas and a flexible attitude who adapts easily to changing circumstances.
• You are a team player, able to handle stress, proactive, and a good communicator, with a focus on collaboration and finding solutions.
• You are an observant and communicative person.

Terms of Employment

Salary level: Scale 11, Scale 12
Monthly salary: Min. €3,608 – Max. €6,227 (gross)
Employment: Permanent employment contract
Minimum number of hours per week: 32
Maximum number of hours per week: 36

Other terms and conditions of employment

In addition to your salary, you will receive an Individual Choice Budget (ICB). The ICB consists of money (16.37% of your gross annual salary) and time. With the ICB, you can make choices that suit you and customize part of your employment benefits. For example, you can choose to have a portion of your monthly income paid out whenever you wish. You can also convert this budget into leave and vice versa, or spend it on tax-friendly purposes. The Dutch government is strongly committed to personal growth and career development and offers numerous opportunities for this. Secondary employment conditions include various study facilities, company fitness programs, full reimbursement of your public transportation costs for commuting, and partially paid parental leave.

Details

• The introductory and selection process consists of at least two rounds of interviews and a final discussion regarding terms of employment.
• The first interviews are scheduled for the week after the job posting closes.
• Checking references or conducting an assessment may be part of the selection process.
• Candidates for reassignment and candidates subject to mandatory job-to-job placement who are not employees of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy or the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality must include a designation decision from the competent authority with their application.
• Colleagues within the central government who are permanent employees may be seconded.

What else do we offer you:

• A pleasant work environment with excellent facilities, just a short walk from the central station.
• Plenty of opportunities to continue developing your skills and specialize.
• We believe it is important to maintain a good work-life balance. Working hours can be arranged flexibly by mutual agreement;
• If you are hired, hybrid work is an option; you will work partly from home and partly at the office. We believe it is important to have a good home office setup. We therefore offer a subsidy for home office equipment and a work-from-home allowance in accordance with the Central Government Collective Labor Agreement (CAO Rijk).

After the application deadline, the job posting and the employer’s contact information will no longer be visible online. To avoid having to request this information later, we ask that you download and save the job posting.

We do not accept unsolicited applications for our job openings.

Interested in applying?

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy / Directorate-General for Enterprise and Innovation (DGBI) invites you to apply on their website. Click the button below to leave this site and go directly to the application form. The government values a diverse and inclusive organization. Working in diverse teams makes us more effective, more innovative, and makes the work more enjoyable. Everyone is therefore invited to apply.