Strategic Advisor for Waste and Raw Materials

The position

In the role of Strategic Advisor to the Waste and Raw Materials Division, you will help shape the company’s business strategy and be responsible for coordinating the budget across the organization and ensuring a smooth process for the organization. From an early stage, you will engage with the various departments to discuss short- and long-term strategic plans and gather input from across the organization. In close collaboration with colleagues from Financial Services and DMC, you will draft budget proposals, as well as financial projections and scenario analyses, which form the basis for tactical and strategic decision-making, including the development of the waste collection fee and the associated regulation. You will also develop and calculate business cases to clarify what is feasible within the financial frameworks and within what timeframe.

In addition to coordination, you will also provide written explanations of the various P&C products and draft memos for the executive board. You will monitor forecasts against the budget and discuss your findings with the relevant internal stakeholders. You will also contribute to ensuring adequate risk management, which means you will play a coordinating role in identifying, monitoring, discussing, and managing identified risks. In close collaboration with the process owners, you will optimize processes and ensure that internal controls are in order.

You identify new laws and regulations, ensure that financial questions from internal and external stakeholders are addressed and turned into solutions, and provide advice on the financial policies of the A&G management team. Drawing on your expertise, you also contribute to various projects. To naturally gain the support of your colleagues, you maintain your internal network and participate in meetings on a regular and ad hoc basis.

Here's what you do on an average day

• You will coordinate and organize the collaboration with the Financial Services department to prepare multi-year financial forecasts and budgets for the A&G management team. This includes developments within the Collection and Assets departments (containers, vehicle fleet, and recycling sites), forecasting waste streams and processing costs, and improvement and sustainability projects.
• You will be responsible for preparing, coordinating, and implementing the annual proposal for (amending) the Waste Collection Fee, the Cleaning Fee, and related ordinances.
• You will coordinate with the Financial Services department to translate strategic advice for the executive board and the Assets, Strategy & Projects, and Collection departments. In doing so, you will gain a deep understanding of the business’s operational realities and collaborate with financial advisors to discuss the potential (financial) implications of developments and advise the departments accordingly. This includes capital goods, investments, and maintenance costs, but also, for example, the potential effects of developments in the processing and raw materials markets on waste streams.
• You will advise the Collection Department on the financial and operational planning and control cycle based on an assessment of KPIs related to route planning, actual routes driven, and weighing data.
• In collaboration with the line departments, you will work on developing and evaluating business cases, and you will review and provide advice on improvement proposals and projects.
• You will develop a control model, manage the business model for waste collection and facilities, and provide advice on the design of the data warehouse and reporting.

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!

The Waste & Raw Materials Department is part of the City Districts, Management, and Services cluster and is responsible for collecting household waste and similar commercial waste and ensuring it is processed to the highest possible standard. The primary goal is to prevent waste and reduce residual waste.

Waste collection involves working together with residents and businesses in the city. The management team is responsible for ensuring that collection logistics are efficient and as clean as possible. Finally, the department is responsible for waste collection fees. The department consists of four divisions with approximately 650 employees: Collection, Operations, Collection Facilities Assets, and Strategy and Projects. The Operations division consists of three teams and makes a broad contribution to achieving the department’s objectives.

What you bring

For this position as Strategic Advisor for Waste and Raw Materials, you must have:

• A completed university degree in, for example, Business Administration or Business Economics.
• At least five years of experience providing financial advice at the executive level and collaborating with senior management.
• At least five years of experience with, among other things, the budget cycle, projections, forecasting, financial policy, and reporting.
• Experience in drafting clear recommendations with the appropriate administrative emphasis.

You should have the following skills:

• 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.
• 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.
• Results-oriented approach: Setting specific goals as a starting point for one’s own behavior and sticking to them until the goal is achieved.

What we offer you

As a Strategic Advisor for Waste and Raw Materials, you will join our team for 32–36 hours per week and can expect the following employment terms:

• A gross monthly salary ranging from a minimum of €5,561 to a maximum of €7,325 (pay grade 13) based on a 36-hour workweek. The exact salary will be determined based on your education, knowledge, and experience.
• A 12-month 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 contract.
• 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 €0.21 per kilometer when traveling by public transportation, €0.15 when traveling by bicycle or on foot, and €0.10 when traveling by car. There is a maximum of 45 kilometers per one-way trip.
• A work-from-home allowance of €3 net per workday that you work from home.
• A monthly contribution toward health insurance.
• Hybrid work: 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 work laptop.

Want to know more about our employment terms and conditions? Check out the Municipality of Amsterdam Staff Regulations (PGA) on our website.

Apply for this job

• If this job opening interests you, please submit your application by September 4, 2024, using the application form on our website.
• 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.
• We would like to receive your cover letter, in which you explain, in no more than one A4 page, why your work experience, knowledge, and skills are a good fit for this position. Your cover letter will be taken into consideration during the selection process.
• The selection process consists of an interview with the selection committee, possibly followed by an interview with an advisory committee.
• If your resume meets the job requirements, we would be happy to invite you for an interview.
• The interviews will take place in person at our office locations on Anton de Komplein or Luchtvaartstraat in Amsterdam.
• We require a recent Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) from every colleague who joins our team.

Do you have any questions about this job opening?

If you have any questions about the position and/or the application process, please contact: Zoulikha el Mouzaine, Acting Head of Operations, via email at z.el.mouziane@amsterdam.nl or phone number 06-51626199.

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.