District Director of Amsterdam West

The position

As District Director for West, you serve as the link between the district’s political leadership, the local community, the district administration, and other municipal departments. As the leader of the district organization, you provide direction and ensure we stay on course both substantively and financially. You focus on solutions and opportunities, serve as a coach for the management team, and act as an ambassador for the district both internally and externally. You are part of the team of district directors and work closely with the other districts and other departments within the municipal organization. As a member of this team, you will manage urban programs and contribute to the further development of the district organization.

Here's what you do on an average day

• Strengthening area-based approaches and harnessing the power of the local community.

• Contributing to Amsterdam by providing leadership, taking responsibility, and working together.

• Together with a dedicated team, we aim to position the West district as a testing ground for all kinds of experiments and pilot projects that benefit the entire city.

• As the chief advisor to the Executive Committee of the West District, you will ensure that the committee’s goals are achieved and that decision-making processes are reliable and properly prepared.

• You will oversee the area-specific implementation of policies and services.

• You will collaborate seamlessly with other city districts and departments to address Amsterdam’s challenges.

• You are responsible for fostering an inclusive, ethical, and safe work environment where all colleagues have the opportunity to take the initiative and feel valued.

• You translate spatial, social, and economic developments into the context of the district (and vice versa). In doing so, you identify opportunities and challenges for the district.

• You maintain contact with citizens, business owners, and civic organizations, and increasingly encourage them to take on their role in the public sphere.

This is where you get started

West District

With its culturally diverse residents, the West district is a dynamic area that encompasses the residential neighborhoods of Bos en Lommer, Oud-West, De Baarsjes, and Westerpark. The multifaceted character of West translates into a wide range of tasks, from addressing poverty in the Kolenkit to quality-of-life issues in Oud-West. West leads the city in providing space for and experimenting with innovative approaches across numerous domains. These include democratization, resident communication, physical design, and supervision and enforcement. We want to preserve and strengthen that character.

Successes achieved through the implementation of the master plans are also being applied in other city districts.

The district office is located at 250 Bos en Lommerplein.

The West District is one of the seven districts of the City of Amsterdam and is part of the Area-Based Work and Urban Management (GWS) cluster, which is led by the GWS City Director. Each district has its own executive board and administrative committee. The administrative committee consists of representatives from the neighborhoods. It represents the interests of residents and business owners and advises the executive committee and the city government on current issues in the district. The district organizations are primarily focused on implementing city policy.

What you bring

For the position of District Director of Amsterdam West, you must have:

• With a keen sense of political and administrative dynamics, you’ll be able to bridge the gap between decision-makers and civil servants.

• Experience leading a complex political and administrative organization and managing change processes.

• Proven expertise in business management and project execution.

• Knowledge of the city of Amsterdam, a broad network, and the ability to leverage these assets for the municipality.

You should have the following skills:

• Inclusive Thinking and Action: As a leader in an inclusive organization, you think and act inclusively. You recognize the value of a work environment that includes people from diverse cultures and religions. You create a socially safe environment, demonstrating care for employees and ensuring equality in the workplace. You are approachable, rigorous in your work, and compassionate in your relationships. You are reliable and predictable, and you inspire trust. You recognize employees’ talents and prioritize talent development.

• Providing direction: You can set a clear course and take decisive action to drive added value and results. This means you have a broad overview of all the challenges and developments in the city, are dedicated to the task at hand, and are decisive and proactive. You act and make decisions based on the various dilemmas, responsibilities, and roles that come with a task-oriented approach. In addition, you are committed to integrity.

• Collaboration: You are collaboration-oriented by focusing on the common good, shared values, and cohesion when working on challenges, and by looking beyond boundaries. You do this by being aware of relationships, interests, and positions, and by understanding them. In doing so, you are engaged and possess the ability to build connections with the Executive Board, the Management Team, employees in West, partners elsewhere in the organization, and external stakeholders. You build networks within and outside the organization and encourage others to do the same.

• Fostering innovation: You can quickly adapt to a changing environment and evolving circumstances. You set the agenda, organize, and foster innovation. You can think outside the box and approach challenges from new perspectives.

What we offer you

As District Director of Amsterdam West, you will join our team for 36 hours a week and can expect the following terms of employment.

• A gross monthly salary between €6,720 and €9,616 (pay grade 17) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.

• A permanent contract with a five-year term.

• 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.

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

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by October 16, 2022, using the “Apply Now” button.

• 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, where candidates are equally qualified, preference is given to candidates with a non-Western immigrant background.

• This job opening is being advertised internally and externally at the same time. Employees of the City of Amsterdam will be given priority in the hiring process.

• The selection process begins immediately after the application deadline and consists of four interviews (with the selection committee, the advisory committee, the employee representative body, and possibly an additional interview with a board member).

• A development assessment may be part of the process.

• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.

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